Category Archives: scholarships

scholarships

Fun Ways to Earn Cash for College

Two Unique Scholarship Contests!

Where’s FRANKIE the Diploma Frame? Scholarship Photo Contest

Take FRANKIE the Diploma Frame on a summer adventure, and he could earn you $500 to help pay for textbooks for the 2010-2011 academic year! At Church Hill Classics, we are looking for the most creative and fun-themed photos of our mascot, FRANKIE the Diploma Frame.

All you need to do is print and cut out a copy of FRANKIE, available on our diplomaframe.com website, and take a photo of (or with) him. Take FRANKIE to the beach, have him play sports, or make him the life of a party. You can submit any photo, as long as a cutout of FRANKIE is included.

Take a look at submitted entries as well as an overview of where in the world FRANKIE has visited so far!

This scholarship is open to students attending college full-time for the 2010-2011 academic year. Family members can also enter if they have a student attending college full-time for the 2010-2011 academic year.

  • Moms and dads, enter to win the money for your son or daughter in college
  • Brothers and sisters, enter for your siblings
  • Aunts and uncles, enter for your nieces and nephews
  • Sons and daughters, enter for a parent returning to school!

Entrants need to be a legal US resident and 18 years or older.

We’ll select six Finalists to be posted on our website, and two weeks of public voting will determine our $500 Winner!

This deadline is coming up fast…entries need to be submitted through our website’s online entry form before Friday, August 13, 2010 (10 am ET), so print out FRANKIE, and snap your favorite photo of him! Visit the contest page at http://www.diplomaframe.com/FRANKIE.cfm for full details.

“Frame My Future” Scholarship Contest 2011

Coming up soon is our 3rd annual “Frame My Future” Scholarship Contest, where we award $6,000 in scholarships! Five students each receive a $1,000 scholarship, and one student also earns a $1,000 donation to their college or university’s scholarship endowment fund!

The best part is that it provides an opportunity for students to be creative! To enter, you submit an original creation that shares with us how you frame your future and what you want to achieve in your personal and professional life after college.  The main guideline is that your creation must be submitted within one image. Entries range from photographs and collages, to fine art and graphic design pieces, to poems and written submissions.

Check out our 2010 Winners and Finalists!

This scholarship will open for entry on October 7, 2010, and is available to students who will be attending college full-time for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Sign up to receive more details as the contest start date approaches: http://www.diplomaframe.com/ScholarshipInformation.cfm

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This guest post was provided by Jessica Joram, Marketing Assistant at Church Hill Classics. Church Hill Classics is a leading U.S. manufacturer of custom diploma frames, certificate frames, and photo frames, as well as a line of desk accessories for thousands of institutions of higher education, the military, professional associations, and corporate clients.

college guidance, college planning, scholarships

The College Potential Calculator

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Today’s guest blog post is from Dan Coomes, creator of The College Potential Calculator. I asked Dan to give us an idea of how his calculator works and how it can benefit both parents and students in the college search and the search for scholarships. It’s an excellent tool to narrow down the college and scholarship search process. For those of you wanting to make the best use of your time this summer, you should check out the College Potential Calculator.

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What is a high school graduate’s biggest deterrent to getting into a top college or obtaining a scholarship? According to a recent survey of high school counselors, it is a student’s “lack of initiative or simply starting too late in the process.” In fact, 22% of the counselors surveyed reported that high school seniors are either too overwhelmed or simply don’t make the time to sit down and apply for scholarships. They think their grades either aren’t high enough or they can’t write a compelling enough story about themselves, so why waste the time?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the US Department of Education, only about 10.6% of students, or about 1 in 10, received scholarships worth an average of $2,815 in 2007-08. This leads to tight competition and let’s face it, $2,800 isn’t going to go vary far when the average annual prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $11,578 at public institutions and $29,915 at private institutions for the 2007-08 school year.

So what can you do to stay competitive and attempt to reduce wasting time on scholarships that won’t pay that much? Dan Coomes, one of the surveyors and creator of The College Potential Calculator, has a few non-traditional tips for students and parents looking for an extra edge this summer:

  • Know what your intended field of study is going to be: Most students, parents, and counselors I’ve talked to believe that minority status or being able to demonstrate financial need is the biggest factor in obtaining a scholarship. While being able to demonstrate need is an important factor, a student’s minority status is only applicable to approximately 9% of the scholarships listed in our Calculator. That means there’s 1,800 other scholarships out there that don’t have a minority status requirement. Selecting a field of study and being able to write about it is far more important than minority status, representing approximately 48% of the scholarships in the College Potential Calculator. Engineering and engineering technology is one of the most represented intended fields of study, capturing about 33% of scholarships that require an intended field of study to be eligible to apply. A few others that had good representation were biological and physical sciences, business/management/administration, and trade and industry. Conversely, liberal arts and interdisciplinary studies, English and literature, foreign languages, and area and ethnic studies were all intended fields of study that were not widely represented with available scholarships.
  • Join an organization: Approximately 11% of scholarships require that you are apart of some organization to be eligible to apply. The American Legion is the most widely represented organization, representing over 25% of the scholarships that require an affiliation with an organization. The American Legion is for current or past active duty military personnel, but there eligibility can be extended within divisions of the Legion for sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, wives, and other family members.
  • Look at what your current state of residence or the state where you are looking to attend college has to offer: Fifty percent of the Scholarships listed in the College Potential Calculator are based on the state you currently reside in or the state you intend to attend College in. You can cut the time down on your scholarship search by simply looking at scholarships registered in your state. For instance, Googling, “Scholarships in Texas,” will yield an alphabetical list of all scholarships for Texas residents.

A fun feature of the College Potential Calculator is the ability to look at more than just one college. In fact, you can allow the calculator to find your potential to get into up to 20 colleges at a time based on the cost of the college, location of the college, national rank of the college, or your best chances. For instance, let’s look at a high school student who lives on the east coast but wants to go to school on the west coast. All she has to do is simply enter in the city and state on the west coast she wants to be near, her SAT or ACT scores and GPA, and then click calculate. Based on her preference, she can sort the results of the 20 colleges by the least expensive colleges near the area, the closest colleges to the area, the colleges with the highest national rank in the area, or by the colleges she has the best chances of getting accepted to near the area.

The College Potential Calculator is designed for students, parents, and counselors who want to gauge a student’s potential to get into any one college or obtain a scholarship based on their GPA, SAT or ACT score. The tool looks at the past 1 – 5 years of admission statistics for 3,600 universities and approximately 2,000 scholarships. You can watch a quick demo of the College Potential Calculator on WhatisAverage.com.

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You can contact Dan Coomes, President, The College Potential Calculator at
Dan.Coomes@WhatisAverage.com and follow him on Twitter at @wisavg.

college guidance, college planning, scholarships

In Honor of Memorial Day


military academyIn honor of Memorial Day, here are the guidelines and steps for applying to one of the five United States military academies (Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines). If you have a college-bound teen that’s interested in one of these academies it’s IMPERATIVE that they start early with their preparations.

MILITARY ACADEMIES

Attendance at one of our nation’s military academies is a very competitive process and should be undertaken well in advance of the senior year.There are five military academies that the Department of Defense maintains for the preparation of officers for the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Merchant Marine. You must request an application from each academy. Your chances of being accepted to a service academy are enhanced if you apply to more than one and if you attend the summer session at the academy of your choice in the summer between your junior and senior years.

Application Process

The application process begins in the spring of your junior year. You should call or write to each academy at the end of April and request a Pre-Candidate Questionnaire. The brief pre-application is easily completed and returned the same day you get it in the mail. You must complete this form in order to receive a formal application. The official Candidate Application consists of several components, including the application, a physical aptitude test, a personality test, a personal statement, recommendations and various printed materials. You should fill out and return as many of the application materials as soon as possible. You may send in the various components of your application separately. Each academy will set up an admissions file on you as soon as they receive part or all of your application. You could be notified as early as November of your senior year of your admittance, although the normal date for notification is after mid-April.

You must be prompt in arranging your DODMERB (Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board) Physical if you expect to be admitted on schedule. Many potential candidates have been denied admission because their physical was not completed on time. Successful completion of the DODMERB Physical is absolutely essential before admission can be granted. Schedule your physical as soon as you get your application. Keep in constant contact with the Admissions Board of the Academies to which you are applying to determine if there are delays in the receipt of application materials.

When you start your senior year, you should write letters to both your representative in the House of Representatives and to both California Senators requesting a nomination to each academy to which you are applying. Most nominations are given by the representative in your area. They will schedule you for an interview as soon as they receive your letter of request. Failure to schedule an interview can cost you your chance for admission.

Admissions Process

Successful appointment to an academy is based on the successful completion of your application, your physical, and a receipt of nomination. Candidates in the top 10% of their class, who have strong SAT scores, and who have demonstrated leadership in school or community activities are the strongest candidates for admission. Admission to the Academies is extremely competitive and only excellent students, who have demonstrated superior leadership skills, are granted admittance. A typical profile of a successful applicant would show a student with outstanding grades in the most difficult courses offered by the school; who has scored very well in the SAT; and who has been involved in school sports, student government, Boy Scouts, and community-based organizations. Students who do not gain admittance can be offered an appointment to an Academy Prep School for a year and then be admitted the following year. Most of the slots in Academy Prep Schools are reserved for recruited athletes or enlisted persons in the military.

Final Thoughts

Do not apply to a military academy unless you desire a career in the military! The lifestyle at each academy is very rigorous and only individuals who are strongly committed to a life in the military will be motivated to complete such a strenuous educational experience. The students interested in attending either one of the military academies or applying for the ROTC Scholarship program must begin early to insure they receive full consideration. Students serious about attending a military academy should contact the academy liaison officers or the academies directly for the Pre-Candidate Questionnaire no later than the spring of their junior year. The academies are located at:

Air Force Academy: Colorado Springs, CO 80840

Coast Guard Academy: New London, CT 06320

Merchant Marine Academy: Kings Point, NY 11024

Military Academy: West Point, NY 10996

Naval Academy: Annapolis, MD 21402

 

ROTC applications can be obtained from:

H2 AFROTC Recruiting Division, 551 E. Maxwell Blvd., Maxwell AB, AL 36112-6106, www.airforce.com

Navy-Marine Corps ROTC, Navy Recruiting Command Code 314, 801 N. Randolph St., Arlington, VA 22203-9933, 1-800-NAV-ROTC or www.nrotc.navy.mil/

College ARMY ROTC, Gold Quest Center, P. O. Box 3279, Warminster, PA 18974-9811, 1-800-USA-ROTC or www.armyrotc.com/

 

Costs:

None. Full US Government scholarships are awarded which cover tuition, room and board. Each student also receives a stipend ($400-600 per month) to meet cost of books, supplies, clothing and personal expenses.

college costs, college planning, financial aid, scholarships, Uncategorized

$2000 "No Essay" College Scholarship

As I stated last week, I love to find scholarships that DON’T require an essay. This week’s scholarship is sponsored by College Prowler.com and it’s a NO ESSAY scholarship. That’s right! All you have to do to be entered in the MONTHLY drawing is complete a short survey on their website and be a current college student or planning to enroll in college within the next 12 months.

The monthly contest begins on the first day of the month, and ends on the last day of every month. You may have one entry per month. It’s SUPER EASY and ANYONE CAN WIN!

Send your college-bound teen to CollegeProwler.com each month for a chance to win a $2000 scholarship. You might as well leverage ALL your opportunities for that FREE money!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, extracurricular activities, scholarships, social networks

A Higher Higher Education

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Today’s guest post by Corey Bobco of The Real College Guide addresses the topic of taking honors classes in college–the pros and cons. If your college-bound teen is considering this option, this article should be of some help in making the decision to jump into the honors curriculum in higher education.

higher-ed

Are you registered for an honors class or teetering on the edge of “I’m too freakin’ lazy to challenge myself”? Before you “yay” or “nay” the big league, you need the inside info to decide if the honors track or an honors course is worth the extra work — and whether you can take the heat.Back in the Day

In high school, what generally distinguished honors (or advanced placement) courses from their standard-level counterparts was that honors classes issued more homework, required more studying and demanded more self-initiative. (But, hey, they looked damn good on your college apps!)

Some high schools require a recommendation or certain GPA to get into a higher-level course. Some offer rewards for taking honors, such as a weighed GPA (on a scale of 0 to 5.0, rather than 0 to 4.0), which explains why those studious, overachievers put themselves through the pain of it all. Other high schools offer no tangible benefits besides a challenge and the risk of ruining a near-perfect GPA.

In the Big League

Your college will have its own unique requirements and policies regarding eligibility and grading scales, so you should definitely check that out sooner than later. One consistency: Like in high school, honors classes in college can be a hell of a lot harder than basic-level courses. So why bother? Not to sound like Mom, but you’re in college to challenge yourself. And you have little to lose, since your college grades often carry less weight than your high school grades. (That is, unless your GPA is securing financial aid, maintaining your parents’ financial support or going on your med, law or grad school applications. In such a case, take extra caution in assessing your capabilities, since risking damage to your GPA can mess up your chances of staying in school and moving on up to bigger and better.)

Clearly, honors courses differ at every school. Here are general details, pros, cons and tips:

Class Size

Pro: Typically, honors classes are smaller seminars with only 10 to 25 students. A small class size means you can develop a relationship with your instructor — and that he or she may actually know your name! This could prove handy when you need extra help, guidance on a big paper or project, a deadline extension, a letter of recommendation or even a lead on a summer internship.

Con: Smaller, niche classes mean extra attention is paid to attendance so your instructor will notice if you’re a frequent no-show. Plus, it will become painfully obvious if you come to class unprepared.

Curriculum

Pro: Honors classes often focus on a highly specific niche topic, like Caribbean literature and film since 1920. If you are super interested in that — or whatever topic is being offered — then don’t think twice about signing up for a semester’s worth of it, since classes that excite you make extra work worth the effort.

Con: Papers, texts and readings will probably be more challenging than a vanilla English Lit 101.

Quality

Pro: Class time in an honors course has great potential to be interesting, since the format of smaller classes tends to be open discussion rather than basic lecture. Plus, part of your grade may be determined by your level of participation, an objective measure you can use to up a not-so-hot score. Don’t be shy!

Con: You may have to participate … and think critically. In order to do either, you will have to complete the course requirements — that is, every page of every reading assignment.

Insider Tips

  • Don’t be scared of the big “H” Some honors program courses are actually easier in comparison to the gut-wrenching AP biology and calculus you might have taken in high school.
  • Ensure your enrollment One tried-and-true trick is to sign up for a few extra credits than you need to take in one semester — especially when you’re thinking about trying out an honors-level course. In the first week of the semester, swing by the class, assess the syllabus and size up the instructor. If it no longer interests you or seems like the workload would take time away from your other classes’ work (aka your social life), then you can drop it without worrying about having enough credits to graduate on time or finding another class to replace it.
  • Avoid large lecture honors classes These cover topics at an introductory level with a broader focus, but they might have as many as 80 students and lack the perks of an intimate class setting. And lecture series — honors or otherwise — can seriously bore you to death.
  • Seek smart company Honors courses do more than fine-tune your interests and work your brain into a sweat. As a reward for taking on the challenge, they’ll place you among the brightest of your peers and introduce you to faculty members who can offer new perspectives and solid career advice.
college costs, college planning, scholarships

Frame My Future Scholarship

frame-my-future-scholarship

I’m always on the lookout for scholarship opportunities for college-bound teens. And when I find one that doesn’t require an essay, I’m ecstatic. Why? Because there is always that student out there that is loaded with creativity, but not the best wordsmith.

Frame My Future Scholarship, sponsored by Church Hill Classics, asks applicants to “upload an original creation that shares with us what you want to achieve in your personal and professional life after college.  The main guideline is that your creation must be submitted within one image, in a JPEG format.” This allows for creativity to abound because images can be photographs, collages, a scrapbook page, a poem–just as long as it’s a single JPEG image that can be uploaded.

This year’s scholarship contest is coming to a close, but there’s a link on their site to VOTE for one of the top 24 finalists (give these creative college-bound teens some votes) AND a link to  sign up to receive information on next year’s scholarship. What could be simpler?

As always, I recommend you keep a scholarship file (either online or in a folder) with all your scholarship finds so that when the time arises to apply, you won’t forget about a single one!

Kudos to Church Hill Classics for coming up with this unique scholarship!

college costs, college planning, financial aid, scholarships

Paying for College? Your Financial Options

paying-for-collegeCollege isn’t cheap.  My College Guide has been saying that for years – 20 years to be exact!  But don’t let a tiny matter like cost take your college bound hopeful off the college track!  You should know that, when it comes to paying for college: you’ve got options.

Federal Loans – The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, could send free college aid your family’s way!  No matter what your financial situation may be, you and your teen should fill out the form, online or mail-in.  Circumstances change – and colleges often require a completed FAFSA in order to consider your son or daughter for college-specific loans and scholarships!

Work — Study Programs — Sometimes nicknamed “self help aid” work-study programs are often provided by the college your teen actually wants to attend.  There is a Federal Work-Study Program and state programs as well.  It’s one way that your teen can help pay their way through college – and gain a little life experience in the process.

Grants and Scholarships — Simply applying to college will make your child eligible for some scholarships sponsored through the school. Of course, many scholarships are merit based. But, even if your college bound teen isn’t at the top of their class and the last sport your child played was tennis on the Wii – with the right scholarship or grant, lack of athletic or academic achievement may not matter.  There are scholarships and grants out there to fit every student: no kidding.  Your son or daughter can find free money to match their ethnicity, intended college major, religion, SAT scores, hobbies, and then some.  Many colleges have their own specific scholarships and/or grants that cover a range of abilities and majors.  To get started, have your teen sit down with their high school guidance counselor or surf the web for free money that fits!

Student Loans – There are various loan options: state, federal, and even loans from your child’s choice college.  Loans do need to be paid back and there will be interest tacked on but repayments are very often deferred — at least until your child completes their college career.  It’s good to know that when all else fails – there is still an option!

My College Guide has provided free college info with a 100+ page annual magazine for high achieving high school sophomores for over twenty years.  We are rapidly expanding online – find us on Facebook and Twitter and say “hello!“

college costs, college planning, financial aid, scholarships

Scholarships: Military dependents

 

militaryAre you or your spouse in the military? Do you have a family member that was a veteran of a foreign war? If so, there are scholarships available in these specific categories.

State Provided Education Benefits

Educational benefits for families, particularly the children of deceased, MIA, POW, and disabled veterans, may be available in some states. Military.com has developed an on-line general summary of educational benefits for veterans, surviving spouses and their dependents.

Click here to learn more about State Education Benefits.

Private Scholarships and Grants

While looking for money for school many surviving spouses and their families overlook the over $300 million of military – and veteran – related scholarships and grants. These scholarships often go unclaimed.

Visit Military.com’s Scholarship Finder today and get started.

Local Scholarships

Also, don’t neglect to search in your military community. Many service aid organizations and associations, like the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, offer scholarships, grants, and low interest loans to help cover education expenses.

 

college costs, college planning, scholarships

Scholarships: A good reason to attend prom

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This isn’t your typical prom dress or your typical fashion related competition. Get creative and you could win thousands of dollars in scholarships in two contests: Own Your Look Prom Contest 2010 AND Stuck at Prom.

stuck-at-promStuck at Prom participants are required to submit a photo of themselves attending their prom decked out in duct tape anytime from March 1 to June 7, 2010. Check out the website for complete rules, details and photos of past winners.own-your-look

JoAnn’s, Own Your Look Prom Contest began on January 15 and ends June 15, 2010. This contest requires an original prom dress (using a pattern is okay!) and accessory made with fabrics and other items from JoAnn’s. The student/prom goer (aged 14-19) entering the contest must be the one making the entry. Photos of the contestant in the dress are required.

Click the links below for full contest rules and details:

Own Your Look Prom Contest 2010

Stuck at Prom

college guidance, college planning, parenting, scholarships

Scholarships for Homeschoolers

 

homeschoolMore than 2 million students per year are home schooled in the United States and the numbers increase every year. While there’s a lot of sacrifice going into providing that first rate education one thing homeschoolers don’t have to sacrifice is a college education.

While most scholarships don’t specifically exclude homeschoolers from applying, more and more are specifically including and even encouraging homeschoolers to apply. This may have something to do with the widely publicized studies revealing that homeschoolers have consistently scored higher on college entrance exams than their public school counterparts for the last eight years.

Homeschoolers should follow the same guidelines as other students when preparing for college. This means taking the SAT/ACT in your junior year as well as being active in your community. Many scholarship selection criteria lists extracurricular activities and/or community service as part of the decision process when awarding scholarships. That’s because scholarship committees recognize that while homeschoolers may not have the opportunity to be active in school-sponsored events, anyone can be involved in their community.

Every community has volunteer opportunities available for high school and college age young men and women that would not only benefit your community but would look great on a scholarship and/or college admissions application. Homeschoolers really have an advantage when it comes to preparing for college because of the flexibility to plan community and volunteer activities.

Don’t be put off by scholarships that require a specific GPA either because there are many such scholarships awarded to homeschoolers each year. True, you’re going to need high test scores to compete but the fact is anyone applying for scholarships needs to have high test scores and this is exactly what homeschoolers have become famous for. Some colleges and universities even openly recruit homeschoolers and set aside a homeschool day for just this purpose.

Here are just a few examples:

State Scholarships-Wyoming

Check out all scholarships pertaining to your state of residence. Chances are, state scholarships won’t be specific to homeschoolers but will either specifically include homeschoolers or won’t exclude them. This is just one example of a state scholarship that gives specific instructions for homeschoolers.

Hathaway Scholarship awards need and merit based scholarships to eligible students. Although GPA is a selection criterion for non-homeschooled students, students who are homeschooled can bypass this requirement and submit a list of classes completed and ACT or WorkKeys score. Homeschoolers must meet all other eligibility criteria and apply for admission to a post-secondary institution before the age of 21.

Applicants must meet the Hathaway scholarship specific requirements as set forth by the four different scholarships: Hathaway Career, Opportunity, Performance or Honor. Hathaway scholarships are for study at accredited Wyoming community colleges as well as the University of Wyoming.

For more information about the Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship and to view scholarship specific eligibility requirements, visit the Hathaway Scholarship Portal at the Wyoming Department of Education website.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) – Patrick Henry College – Purcellville, VA

PHC Scholarship awards scholarships to eligible HSLDA members ranging from $1,000 to $1,500. This is a Christian college appealing primarily to Christian homeschoolers. Applicants must have financial need, outstanding academic achievement and be involved in community service. Applicant must be PHC Freshman who was homeschooled through high school and applicant’s family must have been member of HSLDA for 4 years.

Applicant must also submit two letters of recommendation and a personal testimony. For precise requirements and to access online application, read this pdf document.

Oral Roberts University – Homeschool Grant

Award amount is $2000. Applicant must have been homeschooled for 4 years and graduated from a homeschool. Must have already been accepted to ORU to apply. For more information and/or to apply for this scholarship, go here.

Michigan State University

Like many other colleges and universities across the United States, MSU not only welcomes homeschoolers but they also welcome scholarship applications from homeschoolers and require the same information from homeschoolers as they do traditional students, although it is understood that homeschool transcripts may be slightly different than those from traditional high schools.

Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund

In the summer of 2000, Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE) formed the Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Committee (AHSC). Comprised of Valley business professionals, the AHSC established criteria and an administrative process to operate the Fund. Under the oversight of the AFHE Board of Directors, the AHSC reviews applications and recommends scholarship awards for qualified students.

From 2001 to 2009 the AHSC has awarded more than $50,000 to 39 outstanding homeschool applicants. To further expand the program AHSC has now added designated scholarships. The designated scholarship program allows donations in the name of an individual, family, business, or other entity. This approach allows donors to personalize the scholarships by specifying such things as amount, conditions, title, and purpose.

Those applying for scholarships should review the Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund Application Information and all designated offered scholarships before filling out the Scholarship Fund Application. These can be found on this Scholarship Opportunities link.

Homeschoolers should conduct their scholarship search just like other students. Most scholarships listed online provide an email address or a phone number of someone who is available to answer any questions about the scholarship or the application process.

You can also find scholarships by following this link:

http://www.homeschool.com/homeschool_contests_and_scholorships/default.asp