The Marilynn Smith Scholarship

Financial need is determined by the information you enter into your FAFSA. It's the difference between how much it's going to cost you to go to college, your 'cost of attendance (COA)', minus how much of this cost can you / your family cover, your 'Expected Family Contribution (EFC)'. If your EFC is lower than your COA, you have financial need! If you're not sure about your EFC or COA, reach out to a Mos advisor for help!

To increase your chances of getting a scholarship, apply early, follow all application instructions, and write a great scholarship essay (if applicable)! For more help, ask a Mos advisor!

If you haven't heard back within a few weeks, reach out to the scholarship organization! Some scholarship organizations email all the applicants to let them know if they were selected or not, while others only contact the winners—it usually depends on the number of applicants. It never hurts to follow up.

A letter of recommendation (letter of rec) is a letter written by someone in your life who can speak to your achievements, positive traits, and potential. It's basically a summary of why you're great and deserve the scholarship or funding you're applying for! Typically, students ask teachers, mentors, coaches, or employers (never family or friends). FYI: You have to ask someone to write a letter of rec for you.

Yes! But make sure to read each scholarship application's essay guidelines and requirements, and personalize your essay to each scholarship you apply to. Using the same essay for multiple applications can be a time-saver, but changing just a sentence or two can make a difference!