*Apply for as many awards as you qualify for. Even small awards can be helpfulin covering the cost of books.
*Pay close attention to deadlines. Missing a deadline is a sure way to becomedisqualified.
*Look for scholarships offered by a variety of sources, including companies,unions, foundations, community organizations, churches and more.
*Tell family, friends, teachers and others in your community that you arelooking for scholarships. They may know something you do not.
*Understand the conditions of an award - such as maintaining a specific GPA orparticipating on an athletic team.
*Tap into free scholarship directories and searches offered by reputableeducational organizations. Three such tools are available at www.salliemaefund.org,which provides a free, searchable database of scholarships, as well asscholarship directories, especially for Latino and African-American students.
*Watch for scholarship scams. You should never have to pay for scholarshipadvice or information.
*If you receive a scholarship, be sure to write a thank-you note to theorganization. You may want to reapply for the scholarship in the future so it isimportant to make a good impression.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, by 2016, collegesare expected to see a 45 percent growth in the number of Hispanic studentsenrolling and a 29 percent growth in the number of African-American students,many of whom will have greater financial need. To help meet this challenge, TheSallie MaeFund provides scholarships through a number of its own programs that address acommon barrier to higher education access: financial need. With deadlinesranging from Feb. 2 to May 31, these scholarships include:

**American Dream* Scholarship Program: The American Dream program was developedin partnership with the United Negro College Fund and offers scholarshipsranging from $500 to $5,000 to African-American students with demonstratedfinancial need. (Deadline: April 15)

**First in My Family* Scholarship Program: This program, developed inpartnership with the Hispanic College Fund, offers scholarships ranging from$500 to $5,000 to Hispanic-American students who are the first in their familyto attend college and have financial need. (Deadline: April 15)

**Unmet Need* Scholarship Program: Open to families with a combined income ofless than $30,000, Unmet Need scholarships provide a *last-dollar* resourcewhen no other funds are available. (Deadline: May 31)

*Community College Transfer Scholarships: Offered in collaboration with theHispanic Scholarship Fund, this program provides last-dollar scholarships toLatino students transferring from a community college to an accredited highereducation institution. (Deadline: Feb. 15)

*The SallieMae 911 Education Fund: Created in response to the Sept. 11,2001, terrorist attacks, this program provides scholarship dollars to childrenof those who were killed or permanently disabled in the attacks. (Deadline:ongoing)

**Writers of Passage* Scholarship: In partnership with the National Associationfor Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, this essay competition awards fourstudents from a Historically Black College or University, or a predominantlyblack college, a $5,000 collegescholarship and their schools receive an additional $20,000 grantfrom The SallieMae Fund. (Deadline: Feb. 2)

Recently, The Sallie Mae Fund announced three new resources tohelp students research scholarships available from dozens of organizations: *Afree, comprehensive database of scholarships available at www.salliemaefund.org.

*Latino College Dollars, a directory of scholarships for Hispanic students,developed in partnership with the Tom�s Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California, available at www.latinocollegedollars.org.

*Black College Dollars, a directory of scholarships for African-Americanstudents, developed in partnership with BET Networks and the Pell Institute forthe Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, available at
For the 2007-2008 academic year, The Sallie Mae Fundawarded $2.5 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 deserving studentsenrolled in colleges across the country. A record number of completed applications,more than 14,000, was submitted by college-bound students. For a complete listing of 2007-2008scholarship recipients and the schools they attend and to access 2008-2009scholarship application materials, visit www.salliemaefund.org.