Developing a non-profit site using Joomla - first timer Topic is solved

[nikkicimatu]

Hi I am helping develop a site for a non-profit using joomla and I am past the installation and the site is more or less functional and people can view it.  This is not the first website I have done for the organization, it is my first using a CMS, however.  My question is how do I create web applications within joomla specifically for the website and its users? The previous sites I have built for them, I have customized it using php and mysql (of which I am still fairly a novice experimenting) to collect data and build a view for the different types of group that will be using the site.

For example, the site is an alumni association connecting alumni with students, so in the old site, I have a form that asked if they are alumni or students and what major and year they graduated or will graduate. With this I could build a list-view that would show who are alumni and students and what major they were/are. 

Another example is our scholarship application, in which only students are allowed to participate, so there needs to be some differentiating among the list of registered users. 
With the application, there is a view specifically for the scholarship committee to access but only for that group.

We have a committee that matches students with alumni who graduated with similar degrees these students are pursuing.  So there needs to be a collection of majors from the students and professions from the alumni which will then be matched automatically in a view for the committee.

Any insight, direction, recommendation is very much greatly appreciated.
Also, I would like these information somehow integrated within CB profile since it is the main collector of the information I am already asking from the users.  If maybe a better way is suggested, please advise.

Thanks
nikki