Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsors: Please visit the FCPS Scholarship and Enrichment Page for guidelines on how to get your scholarship entered into the FCPS database. Woodson HS is not advertising opportunities on this page.

W. T. Woodson HS and FCPS maintain an online scholarship database through Naviance Student, which is accessed by visiting www.fcps.edu/naviance Students and parents sign in with their SIS username and password. Go to Colleges – Scholarships and  Money – Scholarship List.

Students are encouraged to look at institutional scholarships (those offered by the college or university to which they are applying) as well as independent scholarships.  Information regarding institutional scholarships can most often be found on the institution's financial aid website.  Deadlines for institutional scholarships vary and may or may not coincide with admissions deadlines.  It is very important to check and organize all deadlines at an institution including admission, financial aid, and scholarships. 

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia posts a number of scholarships offered by local businesses and organizations.  

College Greenlight connects first generation and underrepresented students to both college and scholarship information.  Students must create a free profile account to explore scholarships.  

In addition, several databases exist to help students search for scholarships. Many students also find these reputable sites helpful in their search:  

• The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
• Petersons College Scholarship Search 
• Fastweb
• College Board Scholarship Search 
• Sallie Mae Scholarship Search 
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• UNCF Scholarships
• UniversityH

Scholarship Scams - Warning Signs

If you find in your search that a scholarship includes any of the following, it is wise to be wary of a potential scam: 

• Scholarship has "fees"
• Scholarship is "guaranteed"
• Scholarship is exclusive - "you can't get this information anywhere else"
• Scholarship is unsolicited - "you're a finalist"
• Application requires credit card or bank account information 

Additional information and guidance from the Federal Trade Commission

Financial Aid

• College Access Fairfax - A local non-profit organization dedicated to removing financial barriers to college.
• FAFSA  - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• FAFSA 4Caster - Get an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to your college expenses
• FAFSA PIN - Register for your PIN so you can sign your FAFSA electronically
• CSS Profile - Financial aid application required by some colleges in addition to the FAFSA
• Net Price Calculators - Use this College Board tool or visit each college website for its own calculator