Hello my friends, please take the time to read this very important post from a dear friend of mine and sister in Christ, and if you feel led, please support her in her endeavor to win the scholarship she has worked so hard for. She is competing in a popular vote scholarship, which if she wins, will contribute towards sending her to Missions in Central Asia. Through your vote, if you so choose, you will basically support a missionary!
via Help!.
The fall semester is upon us! And yet with our busy schedules, it is still important to keep up the search for scholarships. Since the financial side of college has been on my mind so often this summer, when I picked up the paper this morning, this headline caught my attention immediately. By the way, if you’re a college student and you’d like to get access to online and print versions of the Wall Street Journal, they have a sweet deal on their website, you should check it out. http://wsjstudent.com/ They offer students the opportunity to read this awesome paper for only a dollar per week. Our family hasn’t regretted a cent.
Here’s the article I found, hope you find it insightful.
Tuition and fees are rising, but the amount of merit-based aid is climbing even faster. AnnaMaria Andriotis discusses strategies for getting the largest possible award.joins the News Hub with Tanya Rivero. Photo: Getty Images.
With tuition and fees at a four-year private college or university averaging $30,094 a year, many students need help making ends meet. The good news is that scholarship money being handed out by corporations, foundations and other private-sector benefactors is on the rise.
That means families have new places to turn for assistance, even if they don’t qualify based on financial need. It also puts a growing premium on preparing early and researching the options for merit-based aid, which can be awarded on the basis of academic achievement, community service or special skills.
Vanderbilt University junior Rachel King, 20, received a scholarship that covers her tuition costs for four years. Kristina Krug for The Wall Street Journal
Undergraduates received $21.8 billion in merit aid for the 2011-12 academic year, the most recent term for which figures are available from the U.S. Department of Education, which releases figures every four years. That was up 64% from 2007-08, according to an analysis of the federal data by Edvisors.com, a financial-aid information website. Experts say the trend is continuing.
By contrast, tuition and fees rose 19% on average at private colleges and universities and 34% for in-state students at four-year public colleges over the same period, according to the College Board. In-state tuition and fees average $8,893 a year at four-year public schools.
The biggest source of merit aid remains colleges and universities, which have increased their grants as competition for top applicants and athletes intensifies.
But outside organizations have ramped up merit aid faster, awarding $6.2 billion in such scholarship assistance in 2011-12, up 130% from four years prior, according to Edvisors.com. (That total doesn’t include money provided by employers to workers and their children, which hasn’t risen as sharply and can be based to some degree on financial need.)
“Private scholarship aid is going up, and it highlights the importance of the private sector in filling gaps that have been created in the overall college-financing universe,” says Max Espinoza, a senior vice president at Scholarship America, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that helps corporations, foundations and other groups manage scholarship programs.
Aid based on financial need also is increasing, and that is the type of aid that many elite schools in the Ivy League and elsewhere focus on. But it represents a smaller portion of the assistance that colleges and universities provide than in prior decades.
Here is what you need to know about qualifying for merit aid from colleges and universities and private-sector organizations—and how to figure out where the odds of success are greatest and the potential payouts are highest.
In most cases, students don’t need to actively seek merit scholarships from colleges and universities, which tend to determine who will get help when reviewing applications and transcripts. The best way to qualify is typically to excel at schoolwork, sports or community service.
Finding and winning outside scholarships, though, generally requires some legwork. High-school students and parents should ask school guidance counselors about scholarships they might qualify for. A number of free websites allow students to search based on factors such as their location, grades, majors or skills, including Edvisors.com; Bigfuture.CollegeBoard.org, run by the College Board; ScholarshipAmerica.org/dfs.php, the website of Dollars for Scholars, a network organized by Scholarship America; and the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop.com.
Many foundations tied to large companies give out scholarships based on merit. Each year, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation gives 150 high-school seniors $20,000 scholarships. To qualify for consideration, students must have a grade-point average of at least 3.0, a history of community service and a record of participating in extracurricular activities.
Students shouldn’t wait until senior year to prepare. Many scholarship providers look for skills or interests developed over a number of years. In addition, students often can apply as sophomores or juniors.
Hiring a scholarship consultant isn’t typically necessary, because information is readily available online or from employers, local nonprofit groups and religious organizations, experts say.
Not all scholarships are structured the same way. Many providers give recipients funds each year, while others only offer scholarships for one year to each student. In many cases, students also must maintain good grades or keep performing community service or risk having their grants eliminated.
The stakes are high. Qualifying for a scholarship can mean graduating with less debt—and in some cases, no debt at all for many students. It also can significantly shrink the financial burden on parents.
“I felt it was my responsibility to do something to cover as much as I possibly could,” says Mishika Narula, who is 18 years old and received a $10,000 scholarship for her freshman year at Santa Clara University in California from insurance giant AXA based on her work on behalf of people with special needs in and around her hometown, Highland Park, Ill.
“The opportunity was out there,” she says.
Families often have the best shot at getting merit aid from an organization with which they already have a relationship.
The pool of applicants in such programs is often limited, which increases the odds of getting scholarship money. The amounts typically aren’t huge but can help cover a portion of tuition or other costs, such as books and transportation. And combining a number of small scholarships can add up.
Parents should contact their employer’s human-resources department or benefits manager to find out whether the firm offers scholarships and how to apply.
Employers gave $5.4 billion to employees and their children in 2011-12, based on the Edvisors.com analysis, up 26% from four years prior. Recipients on average received $4,190, up 61%. The programs often are administered by outside firms, with employers having no say in who wins.
Supermarket-chain Kroger KR -0.75% gives $1,000 to roughly 360 children of employees for higher education. Employees must have worked for the company for at least two years. General Electric GE -0.93% offers children of employees and retirees $3,500 for the first year of college. Recipients are chosen based on class ranking, grade point average and test scores as well as extracurricular activities and community service.
Families should also ask groups or associations they belong to if they offer aid. For example, many state and local units of the National Parent Teacher Association, an Alexandria, Va.-based group, offer small sums to students who attend schools with PTAs.
California’s PTA scholarship program gives $750 a year to high-school seniors who are members of its association and have a history of volunteering. New York’s PTA offers $3,000 to students in good academic standing who plan to become teachers and attend one of the schools in the State University of New York system.
Several national programs offer large scholarships that qualified applicants have a decent chance of winning. Competition often is stiff, but the payoff can make it worth the effort.
The National Merit Scholarship Corp., a nonprofit based in Evanston, Ill., offers $500 to $10,000 a year in renewable grants and $2,500 to $5,500 in onetime payments to roughly 9,000 students each year.
The program identifies eligible students based on their scores on the PSAT exam, which high-school students typically take during junior year. Students must then apply, with grants awarded based on criteria that include grades, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters and scores on the SAT exam, a subsequent test.
Intel’s Science Talent Search awards 40 students $7,500 to $100,000 based on research projects, interviews with judges, academic transcripts and recommendations.
Some national scholarships focus only on achievements outside the classroom. The scholarship Ms. Narula won, for example, is given by AXA to one student in each state, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who demonstrates a history of exceptional community service. Ten students receive one-time grants of $25,000, and the others receive $10,000. AXA also offers scholarships of about $2,500 to roughly 375 students in the U.S. markets where it has branches.
Many colleges and universities, including Duke University, the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University, also offer big-ticket merit-based scholarships, though the size of the awards, the criteria for giving them and the odds of getting them vary. Students should ask schools they are considering what scholarships they offer and how many students get the aid.
If families receive an offer of merit-based aid, they can ask their first-choice school to top an offer from another school, though there is no guarantee the request will be granted, says Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, a Washington-based trade group that represents college financial-aid officers. Also ask if specific departments offer additional aid to students who major in their subject.
Rachel King, 20, a junior at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., received a scholarship from the school based on her record of community service, which has paid for her tuition. The scholarship also provides $5,000 to pursue community-service projects during summer break for each of three summers.
Ms. King, who grew up in Cincinnati, says she heard about the scholarship when she approached a Vanderbilt representative who visited her high school. When she toured the campus, she asked the dean of admissions for more information.
“It was the golden ticket for us. My parents made it very clear to me that Vanderbilt isn’t a school we could afford and I had to take the initiative to make this work,” she says. Without the scholarship, she says, “I wouldn’t have been able to attend, or I would have graduated with enormous debt.”
Dozens of other scholarship programs are geared toward students with a specific talent. Most don’t review students’ grades, focusing instead on specific skills or knowledge. Many grants are doled out to students still years away from attending college.
Students who are in 10th to 12th grade, or are 15 to 18 years old, with talents in a range of arts, including dance, music, film and theater, can apply to the National YoungArts Foundation for onetime grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
The foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit, says it receives 11,500 applications—typically in video format—and gives awards to about 700 students each year.
Connor Yockus, 18, received $3,500 in awards from YoungArts programs that will help pay for his coming freshman year at Columbia University. Mr. Yockus, of Coral Springs, Fla., says he also received a $10,000 scholarship from a foundation that specializes in dance and a $1,000 scholarship from Burger King that was based largely on his academic performance and extracurricular activities.
The free aid lowered his family’s out-of-pocket costs for this year to around $40,000 from about $62,000.
“A little bit here and there helps,” he says.
Google runs an annual science fair where students who are 13 to 18 submit projects in a range of categories. One winner from each age group receives $25,000, in addition to other prizes, and there is also a $50,000 grand prize.
Avid readers and writers also can use their skills to win monetary awards. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, a Chicago-based literary organization that publishes Poetry magazine, run an annual poetry competition that awards $1,000 to $20,000 to high-school students.
Families can find other niche scholarships online. On Fastweb.com, students can set up a profile and find scholarship programs that might be a good fit for their skills and interests.
A growing number of scholarships are being given to students who can demonstrate both personal skills or achievements and some degree of financial need, says Mr. Espinoza of Scholarship America.
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides about $12,200 a year on average to 1,000 minority students based largely on academic records and community service as well as financial need. Students need to apply directly to the program.
In many cases, families can qualify for such scholarships even if they would be considered too well-off to receive need-based aid from schools or governments.
Families should keep in mind that such programs can require extra preparation, as they often need to submit financial documentation in addition to information about a student’s academic record or extracurricular activities.
PepsiCo, PEP +0.07% Chevron CVX +0.17% and Wal-Mart Stores WMT -0.66% are among the large companies that offer scholarships to employees’ children.
How financial need is determined varies. Chevron, for example, says it doesn’t limit scholarships to families that earn less than a certain amount. One factor it takes into account is how many children a family has in college at one time.
Write to AnnaMaria Andriotis at AnnaMaria.Andriotis@wsj.com
It is difficult to pay attention—but the greatest minds attribute their successes to the simple exercise of their attention span. The psychologist William James describes the attention as a peaceful river often interrupted by rocks and other such barriers to its progress.
James wrote on the psychology of the attention more than a century ago; nowadays most people fall under the category of his description of the child’s mind, which flutters around from idea to idea, whatever the child may be touching or seeing or doing at the moment. This child is described as the property of his attention, rather than the other way around. The adult and his multitasking mind is challenged to overcome this distractedness and thus achieve strong character. After all, the practice and the habitual task of putting away distractions is reflective of mature judgment, character, and will.
The modern college student, often halfway between the adolescent mind and the adult mind, may find the virtue of attentiveness a struggle to achieve. Common distractions can involve social media, listening devices, and various thoughts that result from the constant use of technological devices. These distractions and the inability to pay attention in classes and during homework hours can be detrimental to the student eager to progress in his studies. If unable to focus, the student may be faced with the necessity to drop his studies for a lack of sufficient finances or because his grades fail to let him enter higher learning colleges.
A way for such a student to progress in his studies and move on quickly to his career is to take note of those things that easily distract him and make a list. After this list of common and specific distractions is made, the student should tape it to his wall in his study area and read over it daily. Scheduling a specific time for study in thirty minute intervals with five minute stretching breaks and turning off distracting devices during this time is imperative, as well as three meals a day and a healthy period of sleep.
You never know where you’ll find a scholarship connection; but there are tried and true ways of finding such connections. Start with a positive attitude, and the rest of the day is clear sailing. On Monday, I called 6 Chambers of Commerce and applied for two monthly scholarships. The monthly scholarships were the easy type: 200 words or less of your personal statement. It was a matter of cut and paste. The Chambers of Commerce calls took a bit more of preparation, and a lot more of sips of water, breeze on my face, and deep breaths to calm myself down. I don’t like phone calls, they scare me. But do you know, the people on the other line were all very nice and polite except two, and even those two just made me laugh after I hung up.
Why should I call Chambers of Commerce?
I am mentioning this because calling the chambers of commerce in the cities around you is your first step towards finding the most lucrative prospect of scholarships that you could find: Backyard Scholarships. How? Chambers of Commerce sometimes have a list of local business members belonging to companies that sponsor local scholarships that you couldn’t find unless you called through the whole yellow pages asking. The shortcut are the chambers of commerce in your and surrounding cities.
When should I call?
It is best to call starting at 9:30am-11:00am (don’t call at 11:30am, that’s close to their lunch break and they’ll be irritated or short), take a break until 1:30pm, then stop calling at 3pm. A lot of chambers stop work at 3.
What should I do before I call them?
I recommend opening the yellow pages to chambers of commerce. If you don’t have one handy, then internet search for the chambers of commerce in all the cities within 50 miles of your home, and writing down the name of the city and the phone number down so you can check off each city as you call. While you’re online, check the websites of all the chambers you are planning to call. See if they have a page on local scholarships or awards. I recommend doing this the day before so you can get that early start.
What should I say?
The first thing you need to understand is that you learn from each phone call. Every success and failure is a learning opportunity. If a phone call does not go well, hang up the phone, laugh to yourself to clear your head, then think seriously to yourself: what went wrong with that call, and how can I avoid it next time? My phone calls started off with a simple message this way, and changed with each call until by the sixth, I had a tailored message that was much friendlier and suited to my purpose. With that in mind, this is what I wrote down to have handy as I called the chambers.
First tip I learned after a few calls: LISTEN CLOSELY. The first sentence out of the secretary’s mouth is the most vital for you. She or he will say his NAME. Your next cue is to say the following.
“Hello, _____, good afternoon!” Pause here, let them respond.
“Am I on the right line for scholarship-related questions?” Here, you will probably be transferred. Try to sneak in a thank you before that happens. If you aren’t transferred and the person keeps speaking with you, either way this is the next thing to say:
“Hello, my name is firstname lastname and I am a college/highschool/graduate student at schoolname here in cityname (county name if calling a chamber out of your city). I was wondering if you might have a list of business members whose companies sponsor community-based scholarship opportunities.”
After this, it should be farely simple to find out what to say. Each person reacts differently. Generally, it’s a very positive reaction, even if they’re confused about the meaning of what you said. The trick is, it is a very specific request, which makes it obvious that you’re working hard and doing your research. I honestly did not find any such list in any of my calls, but they were worth it all the same. Most of the secretaries wanted to help me, even though they didn’t have the list. They all assumed that I don’t know anything about scholarships and referred me to internet searches and the local highschool’s counseling department. Be patient and polite, that’s what they are being by even giving you that information. After they said that, most of them kept going and gave me invaluable tips, either from their own experiences, or from scholarships and organizations that they had personally heard of. One was even on the judging committee for two scholarships. After monday, I got three calls back from different chambers who called me with other information that they continued to dig up for me after I had hung up with them! How cool is that!
Have notepaper and a pencil ready. The first secretary I called gave me a list of organizations and clubs for me to call as well as a few websites for me to check. Oh, and a phone number. That number didn’t pick up, but when I left a message on their machine, I left my phone number and email address with them, and they actually were kind enough to email me resources to assist me in my search.
In other news, I applied for an essay scholarship today. I’ll tell you about that next time. Until then, good luck on your scholarship search, and happy Thursday!
I love me a good checklist. Especially if I didn’t have to write it myself. That means that someone who knew what they were doing wrote it. On a more serious note, I got this checklist from my local community college. You should check with your local college’s website, and look under financial aid for their information on scholarships. They will probably have ways to help you get organized too.
Repost from We the Savers: http://wethesavers.com/save-for-college/
For some of us, the mere thought of sending a child, grandchild, niece or nephew off to college may conjure images of sprawling campuses, dorm parties and Saturday football games (Go State!). Then there’s the rest of us: the ones still in college tuition sticker shock.
College memories are nice, but they won’t help when it comes to paying for school in the present. After all, the cost of attending a public college is growing at a whopping rate of 6.5% a year – and private institutions (5.7%) aren’t much better. It’s estimated that in 10 years or so, a four-year education can top out at over $275,000.
Uh, yikes.
Sure, saving up for college is a daunting prospect – but with the right amount of planning and action, finding a way to finance it (in part or in full) without going broke is definitely within reach. Here are a bunch of “Savings 101” idea starters to help you get your future college grad on the launching pad.
Start in the baby years
When time (and compound interest) is on your side, saving for college is filled with promise.
A popular go-to savings strategy for many young parents today is the Gerber® Life College Plan, which offers the earning potential and security of a traditional savings account while rewarding parents for not touching the money over the long haul. Want your spending money to turn into college savings? Then Upromise® may be a nice option. Upromise partners with thousands of vendors nationwide to offer college cash-back bucks for all kinds of everyday eligible purchases (those diapers alone can really add up, you know).
If slow and steady still wins the race, then US Savings Bonds are a pretty good head start (especially when they come courtesy of the little bundle’s great Aunt Pearl or Grandma and Grandpa). And remember, for the ultimate in flexibility, there’s always your trusty personal savings account – why, automatically investing even $25 a week for 18 years can really add up on its own. Just set up a sub-savings account designated just for college savings and consider it hands-off.
Saving’s elementary – even if it starts in elementary school
OK, so building up that college stack isn’t always top of mind for new parents. Fret not, there are still plenty of good ways to play catch up as your little one moves through the pre-school, kindergarten and elementary school years (and beyond).
State-sponsored 529 College Savings Plans are super popular and flexible. First, you don’t necessarily have to pick the 529 from your home state (do some digging). And second, you can choose whether to invest your contributions in a pre-paid tuition plan or a college savings plan.
The 529 pre-paid plan essentially locks in tomorrow’s tuition at today’s prices, ensuring that at least part of your kid’s future tuition will be paid. You either make a lump-sum purchase or pay monthly installments toward the tuition. The program then pools the cash and invests it so the earnings will meet or exceed future tuition increases. The caveat is that this tuition can only be used toward institutions that participate in the program (and also includes private and out-of-state colleges).
On the other hand, the 529 savings plans are made up of stock and bond funds that usually consist of age-based portfolios, similar to 401(k) plans, and you can use the funds at any college you choose. You can invest as little as $25 a month, and the lifetime cap usually tops off at $270,000. The plans are flexible and you can change your investment choices whenever you want.
The best part? Either way, earnings aren’t taxed – and some states even offer tax breaks on top of the federal tax treatment (hello, double tax benefit). What else? Both allow the beneficiary to change to another family member, which comes in handy if Junior doesn’t want to go to college, but his little sister has her sights set on Harvard. And one of the biggest draws is that as long as the money saved isn’t under the student’s name, it won’t be counted when it comes to determining financial aid (more on that later). But heads up, if you don’t use the 529 plan for college expenses, you’ll likely have to pay a 10% penalty and income tax on the earnings when you withdraw the money.
A Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) – formerly known as the Education IRA – is yet another great way to contribute slowly but surely to the college fund. Somewhat like a 529, an ESA is an investment-based, tax-saving way to save for future educational expenses. But there are some key differences.
ESAs max out at $2,000 a year, and adjusted gross income has to be less than $110,000 if you’re single, $220,000 if you’re married and filing jointly. This can make it less appealing for mid- to high-income parents, or those who want to squirrel away more money than the max allows. But like the 529, assets are considered parental and not the student’s, which helps when it comes to financial aid. Plus, while 529s require you to invest in what the plan sponsor offers, ESAs let you invest in the full gamut of mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks.
Hightailing it out of high school
When time isn’t on your side and the stark reality of impending college costs hits hard, take a deep breath and remember there are other options. Let’s start with scholarships. There are a ton of them out there – do some online homework with your high schooler some Saturday morning and find one that looks promising. Most granted by the college itself are either merit-based (academic or athletic achievement) or take into account your family’s financial need.
And don’t forget, there are tons of other opportunities granted by non-academic organizations, from one-time cash awards to 4-year rides. The U.S. Department of Labor has a nifty free scholarship tool, you can use to search thousands of scholarship and fellowship opportunities. It’s a bit of work on your part, but it’s time well spent.
Another way to trim college costs is to stay in state. Resident tuition and fees for in-state residents averaged just $8,539 for the 2013-2014 school year. Compare that with an average of $19,465 for out-of-state students and nearly $30,500 for private colleges, and it’s clear that staying close to home can really pay off financially. Generally, to qualify for in-state tuition, at least one parent must have lived in that state for more than a year.
And of course, there’s the financial aid route, which is determined solely by a student’s demonstrated financial need. There are 3 categories:
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most common document that colleges use to figure out how much financial aid a student can get. Be prepared for a long application, and know that the FAFSA formula assumes that students should spend 20% of their assets on college – but for parents, the rate maxes out at 5.64%. And don’t forget student loans (contrary to popular opinion, a little scholarly debt isn’t always a bad thing). In fact, they’re often a viable, much-needed option for many families and students who haven’t saved enough or just don’t make enough. Just do your homework, look for the best rates and payment schedules out there, and figure out how much debt you and/or your child is willing to take on for a brighter future.
Bottom line? A 4-year education at your kid’s first-choice school is great, but it takes a ton of financial planning on your part (not to mention hard work, good grades and some shared responsibility on theirs) to make it happen. But you’re a Saver – we know you can do it.
What about you, Saver? How are you gearing up for your kids’ college career? And what other tips and tricks can you offer up?
Before you begin, you need to have a firm foundation. Armour, weapons, and knowledge.
With the rise in tuition and everything prices for college, there has been a rise in scholarships offered–and of scams offered. And they’ve gotten better and better. They can come from anywhere: a workshop or seminar that seems completely legitimate, on the web, in your mailbox, in a store. You need to be on your guard and run everything through a check before you sign your money, or even your identity, away.
These resources will help to guard you against attack. Beware of scholarship offers too good to be true: they probably are!
National Fraud Information Center: http://www.fraud.org
Council of Better Business Bureaus: http://www.bbb.org
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov
The bad guys use wording that may be any of the following, or similar: “This scholarship requires a handling fee.” While some may ask for $5, anything more is probably a scam unless it’s an artistic competition, which usually have larger entrance fees. However, to be safe anytime this happens always contact the BBB and your guidance counselor/career director.
“We’ll do all the work for this scholarship.” Haha, yeah right. All legitimate scholarships require you to do SOMETHING. Keep that in mind.
“You can’t get this information anywhere else.” Umm. Yes you can. And they’re all free. Listed below, some examples.
U.S. Department of Education, books, the finaid website, directories such as Peterson’s Scholarships and The Scholarship Book, internet search sites such as FastWeb and Niche, your counselor or career director, the library, or the college or university you plan to attend.
“We need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship for you.” Never ever ever. Scholarships are FREE MONEY. Don’t ever fall for this: if you are asked, refuse and report the organization to the Federal Trade Commission.
“You have been selected by a ‘National Foundation’ to receive a scholarship or you have won a scholarship when you have never applied for the scholarship or entered the contest.” This is of course a scam, but if you’re curious run it by the three armour sites I listed.
“We guarantee we’ll find at least 10 scholarships.” Typical. Any guarantee to find any number of scholarships for you is fraudulent and will end up costing you money and time.
“You are eligible to receive a free scholarship and financial aid package. Please call us to schedule your appointment at XYZ hotel to pick it up.” Usually when you go to pick up your package, you and your parents will be subjected to high pressure sales methods meant to suck you dry of your money to “help” you with your scholarship search. You can get any of their help by reading books and talking to your counselor.
Next, a starting base is really helpful. I’ve found these general monthly scholarships through my own search. I’m sure you can find others, but be sure to be careful of those scams. Be the Berean of Scholarships, if you follow me. I’ll tell you in a later post about what search engines I used to find these gems.
By the way, just because I have something on my list doesn’t mean it’s safe. I’ve collected these, but I’m still looking through them and checking if they’re safe. The below sites are safe, but if one of them is a site that wants you to answer surveys or do some type of daily activity to be entered into a monthly drawing, that may not be a financial fraud, but I call it fraudulent. I call it a time fraud because it steals your precious time, daily, hourly, that you could have been spending on your own hobbies, with your family, preparing for REAL scholarships, going to Disneyland, or shooting rubber bands at the wall. Ignore the time frauds. I included them to keep you awake and make sure you’re paying attention. Got to be skeptical of the right things!
Monthly:
| GPA Isn’t Everything Scholarship | $1,000 cappex.com | Monthly |
| Scholarship Lucky Draw | $250 http://gocollege.com/lucky-draw-scholarship.html | Monthly |
No Essay $2,000 Scholarship College Prowler
Purpose: To support students who are entering college within the next 12 months.
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school or college students or planning to attend college within the next 12 months. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents. Winners can use the scholarship award to help cover tuition, housing, meal plans, books, computers, or any education-related expenses.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: End of every month.
Award Amount: $2,000.
How to get an application: Applications are available online.
Contact Information: 5001 Baum Boulevard
Suite 750
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
$1,000 Easy College Money Scholarship Cappex
Purpose: To assist high school and college students with college expenses.
Eligibility: Applicants must be current high school or college students or be planning to enroll within the next 12 months.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: End of every month.
Award Amount: $1,000.
How to get an application: Applications are available online.
Contact Information: 600 Laurel Avenue
Highland Park, IL 60035
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship Edvisors
Purpose: ScholarshipPoints awards monthly awards up to $1,000 and quarterly awards up to $10,000 to be used at any college.
Eligibility: High school or college students attending or planning to attend a college or university. There are no minimum GPA requirements or essays. The scholarship may be used at any college for any educational expense such as tuition and fees.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: Monthly.
Award Amount: Up to $10,000.
How to get an application: Applications are available online.
Contact Information:
1250 Hancock Street
Suite 703N
Quincy, MA 02169
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
CKSF Scholarships Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation
Purpose: To support high school and college students.
Eligibility: Applicants must register online with CKSF and complete quizzes on various topics. Students may be U.S. high school students in grades 9 to 12 or college students.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: Monthly.
Award Amount: $250-$2,500.
How to get an application: Applications are available online. Online registration is required.
Contact Information: P.O. Box 290361
Davie, FL 33329-0361
Phone: 954-262-8553
Email: info@cksf.org
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship Award Delete Cyberbullying
Purpose: To get students committed to the cause of deleting cyberbullying.
Eligibility: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and attending or planning to attend an accredited U.S. college or university for undergraduate or graduate studies. Applicants must also be a high school, college or graduate student or a student planning to enter college.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: June 30 or monthly?
Award Amount: $1,500.
Number of Awards: 2.
How to get an application: Applications are available online. An application form and an essay are required.
Contact Information:
2261 Market Street #291
San Francisco, CA 94114
Email: help@deletecyberbullying.org
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
SuperCollege Scholarship SuperCollege.com
Purpose: SuperCollege donates a percentage of the proceeds from the sales of its books to award scholarships to high school, college, graduate and adult students.
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students, college undergraduates, graduate students or adult students residing in the U.S. and attending or planning to attend any accredited college or university within the next 12 months. The scholarship may be used to pay for tuition, books, room and board, computers or any education-related expenses.
Need-based: No, this scholarship does not consider financial need.
Deadline: End of every month.
Award Amount: $1,500.
How to get an application: Applications are available online.
Contact Information: Scholarship Dept. 673
2713 Newlands Avenue
Belmont, CA 94002
Email: supercollege@supercollege.com
Website: Go to the Scholarship’s Website
And now, knowledge! Chances are you have no idea what you are doing or where to start with these scholarship thingies. An excellent place to start is your library, and I mean it. I found three books there and I now have a favorite that works wonderfully for me. However, I recommend you check them all out, scan through them, and get a feel for which one suits you best.
WHAT I’M READING
by Marianne Ragins
^ My favorite
by Gen Tanabe
^ My second favorite
by Mark Kantrowitz, Doug Hardy
^turned out to not be relevant to me because it’s mostly for low income and I am not. At least, my parents aren’t.
Chances are you’ll find other books. My suggestion is borrow them all and take a month to read the first two or three chapters in all of them, and check the table of contents to compare them with each other. Then, return the ones you found not applicable to you, and renew the ones you liked! Also, start keeping a notebook. On the first page, write down the names of the books you liked, in case they have holds and you have to return them but want to reference them later. Since I like electronics, I do this with evernote, a free online web service.
Have a good day! And good luck to you.
As you prepare to pay for college, it’s a great idea to get your hands on trustworthy resources that will help guide you through the waters. I just found one such resource in the Wells Fargo Sweepstakes. They send you much needed information as well as entering you into a sweepstakes drawing that occurs 4 times a year. Below I’ve pasted a sample of the introductory email you’ll receive first. I think you’ll agree that it’s quite helpful. I hope you try it out, and good luck if you enter!
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This magazine offers helpful information for you and your parents on ways to pay for college and manage your money.
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Glossary
You are probably seeing a lot of financial terms for the first time. Here’s a little reference to keep handy.
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What to expect during the private student loan application process
A checklist to have on hand when you notice a gap in your finances and opt for a private student loan.
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What you need to know about credit
Having good credit makes it much easier to do the things you want to in life: rent an apartment, get a job, get a cell phone, buy a house or car.
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The balancing act
When you start college, you’ll probably find yourself busier than you’ve ever been.
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Creating a budget can help you get a handle on your money, and help ensure you have money for the things that are important to you, while not wasting money on things that aren’t. |
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The financial aid process step-by-step
You should apply for financial aid every year that you plan to attend college — even if you don’t think you’re eligible or haven’t qualified for financial assistance in the past. |
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Wells Fargo & Company Headquarters: 420 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94104 © 2014 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. Equal Housing Lender. |
Hello! I am a college student with a dream to graduate college as debt free as possible.
I created this blog with you in mind: I want to record my journey towards affording a college degree, and at the same time, I’d like to write it in such a way so that you are benefited by the time you spend on this site. I’ll write posts on how I filled out the FAFSA, and if you have questions about that, please don’t hesitate to comment with your question. I don’t know everything, and I’m no professional, but I can give tips on the things that I have done so far. Also, if there is something that you have done that I have not, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I will generate a list of the steps I need to complete for financial freedom which you can browse, and hopefully come up with ideas for what you can do. Everything that I will post on this site will be my ways of finding scholarships and other ways to pay for college, with the goal that you might look at what I have done, and take what inspires you to create your own personal path to financial freedom. In other words, I don’t mean this blog to be a manual of you must follow to succeed, but more like an index of ideas.
A bit about me: I love to read, and some day I want to be a literature professor. I am working on forming a reading program at my local community college in order to promote literacy and encourage fellow students to enjoy reading and to interact with their community. I want to go to the University of Santa Cruz, which explains the picture.
On the side of this website are links to FF4C’s social network, and the about page of this site. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave a comment for me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Financial Freedom 4 College 