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PEF Scholarship Workshop

Class of 2026

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Up to $10,000 for

length of program

Graduate with Nevada HS diploma
3.25+ GPA or qualifying test score (1070 on SAT or 21 on ACT)
Core curriculum:

4 units in English
4 units in Math (Algebra II or higher)
3 units in Science
3 units in Social Science or History

Be a Nevada resident for at least two years of high school
All requirements must be met by high school graduation - no application needed if you meet all requirements!
Can be used at 8 NSHE institutions

You may be familiar with the Millennium Scholarship, which is available to Nevada high school graduates to use at colleges and universities in the state of Nevada.

The scholarship awards up to $10,000 - or up to $80 per credit hour, up to 15 credits each semester. Typically, this covers your tuition, but may not cover all fees, books, or other associated costs.

Specific requirements are laid out here, but you should speak to your counselor to make sure you are on track for this scholarship. There is no application process for students graduating from a traditional high school in Nevada. If you are eligible, your high school or school district will submit your name to the State Treasurer’s office and they will send you a notification by mail in July or August following your high school graduation.

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Up to 3 years tuition/fees at a Nevada community college

Covers gap from other “gift aid” at:

College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
Great Basin College
Truckee Meadows Community College
Western Nevada College

Eligibility

Nevada resident and obtained a NV high school diploma
Not previously obtained an associate or bachelor’s degree
Meet program deadlines
Enroll in 12 credit hours (full-time)

Apply through your chosen school.

The deadline to apply is October 31st!

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FAFSA

Required by all schools to award federal student aid (grants and loans)
Opens in October
Student must have a SSN to apply for FAFSA

No SSN? Contact your college/university for an “alternate need form”
Parent does not need SSN

Terms to Know:

Submission Summary
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID)

LVHS FAFSA Night

10/21/25 - 5:30pm

All colleges, universities, and vocational schools require you to complete the FAFSA to award federal student aid. This ranges from grants (which don’t need to be paid back) and loans (which absolutely must be paid back!)

This year, the FAFSA is being shortened from 108 questions to about 46. It will open on or before December 1. We HIGHLY recommend completing the FAFSA as soon as it opens, as some programs may have limited pools of funds to distribute.

You must have a Social Security Number to complete the FAFSA. If you do not, most colleges and universities have an “alternate need form” (UNLV calls it the Alternate Need Form, Nevada State calls it the Non-Federal Aid Application, and UNR calls it the Institutional Methodology Form) that you can complete to see if you qualify for school-level aid.

If you have an SSN but you parents do not, you can still complete this form.

Before we start, let’s go over a few of the terms you’ll see in the following slides:

Submission Summary: a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted. It won’t tell you how much aid you’ll get, but it will tell you your Student Aid Index, your estimated eligibility for Pell Grants and student loans, and if you have been selected for further verification.

Student Aid Index: a number that determines your eligibility for certain types of federal aid. College financial aid staff will use this to determine how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend their school.

Federal Student Aid ID: your account to log in to complete the FAFSA. This is the first step and it may take a few days to receive it! You can complete this at any time - even before the FAFSA opens. You and your parents will need to create an FSA ID to complete the FAFSA. Please contact your counselor if you have questions about this process.

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FAFSA Requirements

FSA IDs for you & parents/guardians
Social Security Number(s)
Personal email addresses for student & parent
Driver’s license number (if you have one)
Federal income tax return

Yours (if applicable) and parent(s)

Any records of additional income, financial documents

To complete the FAFSA, you’ll need the following things:

FSA ID: visit studentaid.gov to create this account

Social Security Number (your own)

Driver’s license number (your own)

Federal income tax return (yours and your parent/s)

Records of additional income and financial documents

If you do not have a SSN, you should contact your chosen institution to request an alternate need form.

Since your parents’ citizenship doesn’t affect your ability to complete the FAFSA form, they don’t need SSNs.

Parents who don’t have a Social Security number (SSN) are able to create a StudentAid.gov account to access and complete their portion of your FAFSA form. If you’re inviting your parent to the FAFSA form as a contributor and they don’t have an SSN, select the box that indicates the individual does not have an SSN. The SSN will be blank and disabled on your parent’s section of the FAFSA form if the parent doesn’t have an SSN.

Parents who create accounts but do not have an SSN may need to complete a manual verification. They will receive a “Verify Your Identity” email with next steps, which may include emailing copies of required documents and a signed attestation form.

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Pell Grant

“Gift Aid” - does not need to be paid back
Financial need based
Amount of aid determined by FAFSA and Student Aid Index (SAI)

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Loans

These are NOT free money!

You MUST pay them back

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Loans

Loans should be your last step in thinking about covering gaps in cost
Two main types: federal and private
You need a plan to pay them back
You need to determine a timeline to pay them back
You have to pay them back, with interest
You should understand all associated fees
Total cost will be higher than what is borrowed - fees/interest
Defaulting will hurt your credit score

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Types of Loans

Basic federal loan differences

Unsubsidized - not based on financial need, higher limits, accrues interest while in school
Subsidized - based on financial need, limit on loan size, no interest while in school

Can only borrow $5,500 combined the first year

Private loans

May need cosigner (parent)
Can look around for best rates

There are three types of loans you can be considered for - unsubsidized federal loans, subsidized federal loans, and private loans.

Unsubsidized federal loans are not based on financial need and have higher limits on what you can borrow. These will accrue interest while you are in school, so you will owe more interest.

Subsidized federal loans are based on financial need and there is a limit on how much you can borrow. They do not accrue interest while you are in school.

Between these two types of loans, you can only borrow $5,500 the first year you are in school - the amount increases each year after and may be higher if you are an independent student.

The final loan type is private loans. These may require you to have a cosigner, often a parent, and you can shop around for the best rates.

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Applying for Scholarships

Public Education Foundation scholarship applications are now open!

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General Information

Every scholarship has different eligibility criteria
Platform will tell you which scholarships you’re eligible for
Your goal – demonstrate YOU are worth the investment

Each scholarship opportunity offered by The PEF has its own guidelines. Before applying, be certain that you meet all the necessary qualifications.

Our scholarship platform will only show you which scholarships you’re eligible for! If you think you’re eligible for a scholarship but it’s not showing up, please contact scholarships@thepef.org.

Applying for our scholarships is your opportunity to share about yourself – your strengths, goals, character, interests, and passion. �Scholarship applications should be a product of your best work.�Spending the time to create a complete application takes time, attention to detail, and careful preparation. �Remember, you are applying for and requesting a donor to invest in YOUR future…..your goal is to use the scholarship application as evidence that YOU are worth the investment!

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Application Components

Letter(s) of Recommendation
Transcript
Resume
Financial Statement
Essay(s)
Thank You Note

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Letters of Recommendation

Often needed for college, scholarship, and job applications.
Ask a school contact that knows you well - teacher, counselor, coach, administrator, etc… .
Ask for the recommendations as soon as possible, do not wait until the last minute, allow at least two weeks before deadline.

Letter of Recommendation should include:

Academic/Career Goals
Awards
Activities/Sports/Clubs
Community Service/Volunteer Activities
Interests/Hobbies
Special Talents/Abilities
Leadership Activities
Other (faith/church based activities, etc)

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Transcripts

Available on IC
Unofficial needed for PEF

The second component is your transcript.

�If you don’t already know the process of how to obtain a copy of your transcript, talk to the counselors at your school.

�It’s important to know the difference between an official transcript and an unofficial transcript.

�An official transcript contains an official school seal, tamper proof marks, and is enclosed in a sealed envelope.

�An unofficial transcript contains the same information and will look the same and is easily accessible from the records tab in your infinite campus account.

�For Public Education Foundation scholarships, you can upload your unofficial transcript directly from Infinite Campus.

Be sure to review your transcript before submitting to make sure all of the high schools you’ve attended are included and that you are not missing any information.

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Resume

Use standard font like Times New Roman or Arial
Keep it to one page
Professional email address (no CCSD email)
List most recent items first
Include events/achievements that show how/why you are unique
Include community service, clubs/activities, and work experience
Use Chat GPT/Magic School AI

The third component is your resume.

�Having a good resume can help you show off your creative flair and professional skills. It is another tool that can help set you apart from the group.

�Our recommendations for your resume include:

�Keeping it to one page.

�Include sections that cover a specific objective, contact Information, and highlights to your key accomplishments, skills, and qualifications.

�If applicable include sections that display your work experience, community service or volunteering experience, extracurricular activities or other school or community involvement. Most scholarships have criteria around these areas, so give reviewers all the information you may need!

Think outside of the box - we know students may have family situations or financial needs that keep them from participating in activities or outside employment. If you care for a younger sibling or elder adult, work a job to provide for your family, or support your family in other ways, you can include these as work experience to show you are responsible and dedicated.

�Reflect on yourself in a positive, professional manner.

�Create a professional non CCSD email address - the email address on your application is the email we will use to let you know if we need any additional information or if you have been awarded a scholarship, so you need an email address you will have access to after graduation!

�The amount of effort that you invest in your resume is indicative of your work ethic and your desire to be awarded a scholarship.

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Financial Information

“Letter” – written by you about your college financial situation
“Statement” – official documents proving income

The fourth component is a financial letter or statement.

�All of our scholarships at the Public Education Foundation require a financial letter

�The financial letter needed for many scholarship applications often includes:

�A letter from you about why you need scholarship funds for college

�Include information about your family’s financial circumstances - be as specific as you are comfortable being (salary information, debts, other siblings in college, etc.)

�Are you the first in your family to attend college?

�Have there been changes in the family income…or unexpected expenses?

�Discuss how you currently plan to pay for college and explain the difficulties you are having.

�Share how you would benefit from the scholarship and how it would assist you in reaching your post-secondary goals.

�Few, but some, of our scholarship opportunities require an official financial statement. This would possibly include:

�An official document, such as a pay stub, W-2, or 1099 tax form, indicating your parents current income.

As you research different scholarship opportunities, pay close attention to the financial information that is required.

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Writing the Perfect Essay

Your essay may be the determining factor
Show time and effort spent
Reveal something about yourself
Share personal experiences
Be sure to fully address/answer the topic/question
Use detailed examples
Show passion and enthusiasm; be memorable

The fifth component is the essay

All of our donors and scholarship review committees are individuals and businesses in our community that want to give back to the community. Your essay should touch on the purpose of the individual scholarship opportunity.

�Be persuasive in showing the committee you deserve the award. Highlight your key strengths, qualities, accomplishments, and achievements. Share examples of how you are a problem solver and how you overcame obstacles.

�Make connections with your audience, but also between your area of study, your career goals and interests, personal philosophies and how it all connects with the purpose of the scholarship.

�Be sure you understand the essay topic and answer the question to the best of your ability. Generally, many of our scholarship essay prompts are designed to:

�Get to know you and how you will introduce yourself

Get to know your path and how committed you are to your post secondary goals

OR

Get to know you creatively and how you utilize your knowledge and education to solve problems and find solutions

�Lastly, be sure to take the time to review and edit your essay.

�Ask yourself:

�Are there any spelling and/or grammatical errors?

Is it concise and clear?

Is it honest?

Is it memorable?

It is always a good idea to have at least one other person whose writing abilities you respect edit your draft

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AI and Scholarships

Personalized essays get higher review scores!
Reviewers will reduce scores for essays �that appear to be AI-generated
PEF may use AI detection software to �detect if AI was primarily used to write �your essay

We know Artificial Intelligence is widely used - but personalized scholarship essays almost always receive the highest scores in the application review process. Application reviewers want to read your story and point of view.

While you can use AI tools to compose an initial draft of your essays, our reviewers will reduce scores for essays that appear to be primarily or solely composed utilizing AI. Some of the “telltale signs” of AI generation include:

Overuse of buzzwords or phrases such as “rich tapestry,” “indelible mark,” etc.

Repetitive wording and sentence structures

Lack of emotion

No inclusion of personal stories, anecdotes, or perspectives to illustrate your personal thoughts on the essay topic

We may use AI detection software to confirm the primary or sole use of AI in scholarship application essays. Essays written primarily or solely by AI tools, which do not provide personalized information and insights, will receive lower scores than those that reflect your thinking and perspective.

We have worked with donors to develop essay questions that encourage you to provide your own perspectives and personal experiences. Use this opportunity to stand out!

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Thank You Message

Submit a short thank you message
Upload a “professional” selfie or school photo
This will only be used if you receive a scholarship

One part of your application that is not factored into whether or not you receive a scholarship is the thank you message.

This is part of the materials we provide to your donor IF you receive a scholarship. Consider what you would want to say to a donor who is supporting your education!

Consider including:

What will you will be studying and where?

What do you hope to do for your future career?

Would you be able to go to college or vocational school without this scholarship?

How is this scholarship going to help you achieve your dreams?

Be sure to include a photo of yourself - a selfie or school photo will work, but keep it professional. Take a photo in front of a clean background with the lights on and SMILE - think of a photo you would send to a grandparent or family member you haven’t seen in a while!

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Scholarship Qualifications

Review criteria
Apply for as many as you qualify
Read thoroughly
Meet expectations
Well-rounded applicants

your story/perspective, extracurricular activities, hobbies, community involvement, volunteer hours, after-school job(s), sports, and more

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Important!

Official Transcripts-

Request from LVHS Registrar:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfidU6JXRD-5hVUKz2vzzkPW8IAZppRgjWJvHspdqmvE7yK8w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Upcoming Dates:

LVHS FAFSA Night

10/21/25 - 5:30pm

Submit all college acceptance letters & scholarship awards to the LVHS Counseling Department!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdB66Zf1v_lM-TSgJ0Q5UcCQMbLGYdNbMkdQrrkcA6MMLesg/viewform

We use this information for

Senior Awards Night recognitions.

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Links

PEF Application -

https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/PublicEducationFoundationGeneral2025-2026

Sample Resume 1 - https://thepef.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sample_Resume_1.jpg

Sample Resume 2 -

https://thepef.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sample_Resume_2-1.jpg

Essay Example -

https://thepef.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023_The-Essay-Example.pdf

Financial Need Example -

https://thepef.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023_Financial-Need-Example.pdf

LVHS Scholarship Website -

https://sites.google.com/nv.ccsd.net/lvhscounseling/scholarships

PEF Website -

https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/