Tag Archives: scholarship

financial planning, Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: $6000 for Black Women in Stem

When I come across a scholarship that can help students and their families pay for college, I like to share it. Today’s scholarship is from BestColleges and there are five of them available for $6000. If your student qualifies, make sure they apply.

scholarship

Scholarship Overview

On average, Black women in STEM earn salaries that are 45% lower than their highest-paid peers. BestColleges is committed to breaking down barriers for students in underrepresented communities, who desire careers in the most competitive fields. This year, we’ll be giving away five $6,000 scholarships to Black women who are currently pursuing careers in STEM.

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financial aid, Scholarship Friday, scholarships

What Are the Odds of Winning a Scholarship?

winning a scholarship

Over 1.7 million scholarships are awarded annually; however, only 7% of college students will receive a scholarship. On average, first-time undergraduates who receive government grants and scholarships at a 4-year college receive about $14,890 annually. On average, a student who receives a scholarship or grant at a private 4-year college will receive $8,005 more than a student in a public 4-year college.

That sounds depressing and you might ask what are my odds of winning a scholarship, but all hope is not lost. Many students and their families have applied for scholarships and used them to pay for college. But, you need to know the facts.

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Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Green Mountain College Offers $200,000 Sustainability Scholarship

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sustainability scholarship

Green Mountain College Announces $200,000 Scholarship Award to Help a Student Pursue Sustainable Education

The most pressing challenges of our time await your innovative solutions. Green Mountain College, the nation’s number-one college for sustainability based education, wants to empower you to make a better world. Today, the college is announcing a new First in Sustainability Scholarship Award for one student who is passionate about ensuring social, economic and/or environmental sustainability. The winning student will receive free tuition, room, board and fees for all four years at Green Mountain College—a total value of $200,000.

sustainability scholarship

Recognized more than any college for its leadership in sustainability, Green Mountain College of Poultney, Vermont provides a personal, practical and purposeful education that prepares graduates to “do well by doing good.” The college offers 22 academic majors and 32 additional minors and certificates, all built on its core sustainability focused general education curriculum. Students also gain extensive practical experience, from working at a community farm to building a solar garage that charges an electrical tractor (a student project), which gives them a leg up in the “green jobs” market. Ninety-seven percent of graduates are employed or in graduate school and ninety-five percent of graduates are satisfied or very satisfied in their work.

“More than twenty years ago, Green Mountain College became the first college in the nation to dedicate its curriculum to sustainability. Now, the imperative to take meaningful action is stronger than ever. We hope this scholarship will help catalyze today’s students to ensure a more sustainable world for generations to come,” said Robert (Bob) Allen, President, Green Mountain College.

Green Mountain College Offers $200,000 Sustainability Scholarship to High School Seniors
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About the Sustainability Scholarship

Get a head start fulfilling your life’s purpose! Any high school senior applying for admission to Green Mountain College’s class of 2021 is eligible for this scholarship award. Applicants are required to submit an additional essay, describing what change they would like to make for a better and more sustainable world. The piece (up to 800 words) should address these two topics:

  1. This is what you would change.
  2. This is how an education at Green Mountain College will prepare you to make the change.

All First in Sustainability Scholarship Award applications must be submitted online and received by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on February 15, 2017. One winner will be announced April 15, 2017.  The online application form can be found at greenmtn.edu/sustainabilityscholarship.

Green Mountain College offers rolling admissions. To apply for next year’s freshman class at Green Mountain College, please visit discover.greenmtn.edu/applynow/inquiryform. For additional information about the scholarship award, please email Karen Martinsen Fleming at flemingk@greenmtn.edu.

About Green Mountain College

The nation’s number-one college and curriculum for sustainability, Green Mountain College prepares students seeking to build meaningful careers pursuing social, economic and environmental sustainability. The college’s holistic sustainability based education, built on a core sustainability focused general education curriculum, enables students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our rapidly changing world. Benefiting from a purposeful, personal, and practical education, 97 percent of Green Mountain College alumni are employed or in graduate school and 95 percent of Green Mountain College graduates report satisfaction from their careers. The college also offers online master’s degree programs, and a three-year B.S. degree in partnership with The Killington Resort. For more information, please see www.greenmtn.edu.

 

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Savor Summer College Scholarship

“Apply to scholarships with the least number of applicants to increase your odds of winning.”

savor summer college scholarship

This advice applies not only to local scholarships, but also non-nationally known scholarships as well. Today’s scholarship is awarded by How to Win College Scholarships’ founder Monica Matthews.

The Savor Summer College Scholarship (sponsored by how2winscholarships.com) is a $500 scholarship award.

To be eligible, students must meet the following guidelines:

  • Have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or above
  • Be a U.S. Citizen
  • Be a high school sophomore, junior, or senior (2015/2016 school year)
  • Submit one letter of recommendation from a current high school administrator, teacher, employer, or community leader
  • Submit a copy of most current high school transcripts
  • Submit an essay of 500 words or less answering the question, “How are you planning on using your summer vacation?”

This is a non-renewable, one-time award of $500 to be used exclusively to offset costs and fees related directly to the student’s first year of higher post-secondary education at an accredited institution of the student’s choosing within the United States.  The winner will be chosen on or before July 14, 2016.

ONLY COMPLETE APPLICATIONS WITH REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WILL BE CONSIDERED.  Questions about the Savor Summer College Scholarship may be directed to how2winscholarships@gmail.com.

Deadline:  Applications must be postmarked by July 1, 2016.  No fax or email applications will be accepted.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Are Scholarships a Scam?

red-dices-1418972-640x480

Wait. Did I just ask that question? I did. I asked it because many parents believe they are a scam. Their students work hard, apply, and never win anything. They are frustrated, discouraged and feel the promise of scholarships is a pipe-dream. You may have been there yourself, asking the same question: are scholarships a scam?

The truth? Scholarships are not scams. Students every day win thousands of dollars in scholarship money to pay for college. But you must roll the dice with the odds in your favor.

If your student isn’t winning, they could be making these mistakes:

You apply to the wrong scholarships

Many students apply to scholarships that simply aren’t fit for them. If you’re applying for a scholarship that requires the student to exhibit community service and there is not a record to back it up, you’re not going to win. If you apply for a scholarship that asks for exemplary leadership and you don’t serve in multiple leadership capacities, you won’t win.

Before you apply, read the criteria carefully. If you feel you are a poor representation of who the scholarship committee is looking for, don’t apply. Be honest with yourself and save the time and the frustration.

My daughter applied to the Coca-Cola Scholars program, a large scholarship of $10,000. The application reads, “Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.” She had some service and very little leadership. She didn’t win, of course. Not because it was a scam, but because she applied to the wrong scholarship.

You apply to the scholarships that have thousands of applicants

The big scholarships for $100,00, $20,000,  and $10,000 have thousands of applicants. The national scholarships will have so many applicants, the competition for the scholarship rivals that of trying to gain acceptance to a competitive college.

The better bet is applying to local scholarships. There will be fewer applicants and a better chance of winning. My daughter won a substantial local scholarship because she was the best applicant in a smaller pool of applicants.

Your scholarship application is incomplete or doesn’t stand out from the other applicants

If your scholarship application arrives incomplete the scholarship judges will simply place it in the rejection pile. If your student can’t follow instructions, they won’t be placed in the viable applicant pile.

Imagine a scholarship with hundreds of applicants. If the application doesn’t stand out, isn’t properly completed, or doesn’t make an impression on the judges, your odds of winning will be slim. For tips on how to package a winning scholarship application, get How to Win College Scholarships–A Guide for Parents and Students in 10 Easy Steps.

Your scholarship essay has misspellings, grammar mistakes, or simply doesn’t answer the question

This goes without saying–proofread and proofread again. Answer the questions, check your spelling and grammar and have someone proof it before you submit it.

You haven’t focused your scholarship search

There are scholarships available for everyone in just about every category imaginable. Be specific in your scholarship search by doing a simple internet search. For instance, are you pursuing a STEM major, there are STEM scholarships available. Read this article: How to Search for STEM Scholarships. You can apply these tactics in any scholarship search.

You haven’t applied to a college where you are at the top of the applicant pool

Scholarships from the college are based on academic achievement and where you fall in the applicant pool. If you apply to a highly competitive college and have marginal test scores and a decent GPA, odds are there are applicants with better qualifications. The key is to apply to colleges that see you as a top applicant. These colleges will be happy to award scholarships to entice you to accept their offer of admission. You can research colleges on College Navigator. Look at the statistics for their applicants and see if you will be at the top or simply in the middle. Top applicants earn top scholarships.

You aren’t playing the odds

This is a simple formula. The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of winning. The time you devote to searching and applying for scholarships will pay off if you leverage the odds. If you aren’t winning, keep applying using the right tactics. Your efforts will pay off.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Maximizing College Scholarship Options

 

college scholarshipWith the rising tuition costs every year, it is getting difficult for students and their families to pay for the college because the financial aid packages they get from college are not sufficient to cover the other costs including room, books and other necessities. If they can apply for scholarships, this additional college debt can be covered. The college scholarship money is offered by the private sector sponsors, foundations and corporations and is rising year by year.

Make the mark

The organizations who grant scholarship always ask for academic achievements or grade point average i.e. GPA. Therefore, you need to get high grades in every year of your high school, as well as sometimes even in middle school, to avoid putting your scholarship chances at risk.

Know scholarship options – where to look

Scholarships are gift aid and thus the best option for the students with high skills.  The first place you can ask for the scholarships is your school or college or you can check their websites. Some personal organizations, businesses and other country foundations also provide scholarships. If you are an employee in some company, you can also look in your company. Many companies offer programs for their employees like tuition reimbursement programs.

Participate

During your high school years, you should involve yourself in outside activities, which can reflect your leadership abilities. The students who are in need of scholarships who are also involved in several community organizations have a stronger application. Most organizations that offer scholarships consider all the skills beyond academic, as they like to give scholarships to people they believe are well-rounded applicants. You need not to switch your activities randomly just to make your list of accomplishments big. It is important that you are making a difference, giving your focus only a few organizations. You can go for volunteering at local non-profits, student clubs at school or raising money for a cause; there are many more other options.

Make the match

You should make sure the scholarships for which you are applying to must match your skills. Therefore, you may want to build up those special skills required because many scholarships offered only to the people having certain skills. The organizations sponsoring scholarships may look for the applicants who are a certain gender, studying specific degrees, planning to work in certain fields, in need of financial aid, and many endless other skills. At LendEDU, we have a scholarship search that allows applicants to filter off many fields.

Good writing skills

It is highly required having strong writing skills as it is the important part of the application process for scholarships. Essay writing is a must in most of the applications. While this part of the application is often self-explanatory, many scholarship committees review essays as their opportunity to “get to know” the applicant. Having a strong essay with a powerful story or strong reasoning can boost your application to the top of the pile, even if you do not have the strongest grades or test scores.

Apply, apply, and apply

The one and only way you will be getting a scholarship is to apply! All other things come secondary. However, people get disheartened soon just by looking at the amount of time the scholarship process takes and don’t apply. Always remember, the investment is worth it and soon you will be getting hundreds and even thousands of dollars in scholarships, free money that you do not need to pay back!

Determine what makes you special and start searching for the good college scholarships to see the kinds of awards you could have for a chance to win.

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Today’s guest post is from Matthew Zehr, Content Marketing Manager at LendEDU.com! LendEDU is a marketplace for student loans and student loan refinance. LendEDU helps borrowers find the best terms and rates available with one application.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships, Uncategorized

Scholarship Friday: Creepy, Freaky Scholarships for Halloween

 

halloween

Although these scholarships have been deemed “creepy and freaky”, any scholarship that gets you FREE money for college is anything but creepy and freaky. In honor of Halloween, here are two of the creepiest.

Are you fascinated with paranormal activity?

The New York-based Parapsychology Foundation offers young ghost hunters and those with interest in the paranormal several scholarships. There are 5 annual awards with varying deadlines

  • The Annual Charles T. and Judith A. Tart Research Grant of $500
  • The Annual Robert R. Coly Prize of $1000
  • The Annual Eileen J. Garrett Scholarship of $3000
  • The Annual Frances P. Bolton Fellowship of $3000
  • The D. Scott Rogo Award for Parapsychological Literature of $3000

You can open the PDF file attached to the link for the foundation to get all the details of each and the deadlines.

Are you a Walking Dead fan?

The Zombie Scholarship Committee from Scholarship Experts wants to know your plan to avoid the zombies, where you would hide (or maybe you don’t need to), and the top five things you would bring to stay alive.

The 2014 Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship is underway, and they are giving one successful “survivor” $2,000 towards his or her college education. Do you think you have what it takes to make the cut? But you better act fast—today is the deadline for this year’s scholarship. For those of you who are making a list for the future. Put this one on you calendar!

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Frame My Future Scholarship

 

The 2015 Frame My Future Scholarship Contest is  currently accepting applications. The prizes are as follows:

  • frame my future scholarship1 Grand Prize Winner – $1,000 scholarship, $1,000 donation check to winner’s 2015 attended college/university, and a commemorative Frame My Future frame
  • 4 Scholarship Winners – $1,000 scholarship and commemorative Frame My Future frame
  • 19 Finalists – commemorative Frame My Future frame

How do I apply?

To apply, you must create an original creative image (a photograph, collage, poem, drawing, etc.). 24 Finalists will be chosen to move on to a one-month public voting phase. Church Hill Classics will select 22 of the Finalists based on the judging criteria, and two of the Finalists will be selected based on Fan Favorite criteria.

Eligibility

Applicant eligibility is fairly broad. To apply, you must be:

  • Attending a US college or university full-time for the 2015-2016 academic year (including community college, undergraduate or graduate school)
  • A legal US resident

Application and deadline

You can apply online. The deadline is March 3, 2015 .

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: FIRE Scholarship

 

FIRE scholarship

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) hosts an annual FIRE scholarship essay contest for high school juniors and seniors.

The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience—the essential qualities of individual liberty and dignity.

FIRE’s core mission is to protect the unprotected and to educate the public and communities of concerned Americans about the threats to these rights on our campuses and about the means to preserve them.

Also check out FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus and explore thefire.org to learn more before you begin the scholarship essay process.

Who Can Enter

High school juniors and seniors for the 2014–2015 school year who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to participate.

Essay prompt

Why is free speech important at our nation’s colleges and universities? Using examples from both videos, discuss how censorship of student speech is incompatible with higher education

Word Length

Students must submit an essay between 800 and 1,000 words on the provided topic below.

Deadline

FIRE must receive all entries by January 1, 2015. Winners will be announced January 31, 2015.

Prizes

One $10,000 first prize, one $5,000 second prize, and three $1,000 runner-up prizes will be awarded for the best essays.

Four $500 winners will be chosen from the remaining entrants in a drawing.

 

Enter here:  http://www.thefire.org/student-network/essay-contest/#prompt

Scholarship Friday, scholarships, Uncategorized

Scholarship Friday: 10 Tips for Your Scholarship Search

 

scholarship searchScholarship searching is an art. It requires a commitment of time, energy and perseverance. As in any worthwhile pursuit there are tips to make it easier and more effective.

Here are 10 tips for your scholarship search:

  1. Assemble your scholarship search tools—Having the right tools makes all the difference. Your tools for this search will be a professional email, a filing system and a calendar.
  2. Search scholarship databases—Scholarship databases are an invaluable tool in the search. Here are 7 sites to get you started.
  3. Check into other schools’ resources—If you live near a community college or better yet, a university, you can utilize them as additional resources. They have libraries and scholarship listings that might be unique to your area.
  4. Utilize your school’s resources—Counselors are great resources for your scholarship search. Scholarships come across their desks every day and most of them have scholarship application forms available for the asking.
  5. Search your community—Every community has local organizations that offer scholarships to local students.(i.e. non-profit groups, local businesses)
  6. Don’t forget government sources—Believe it or not the U.S. Government also offers scholarships to high school students heading to college. Explore these opportunities.
  7. Pursue all personal and family affiliations—Brainstorm about your family and scholarship opportunities that are specific to you.
  8. Apply effective internet search techniques—Follow the primary trail to secondary trails. Many times there will be less well-known scholarships lurking in the shadows of the primary trail. How does this translate: the less that know about the scholarship, the less applications, the greater your chances of winning.
  9. Uncover school specific awards—Most colleges have scholarships that are only available to their students. Research the colleges you are contemplating attending and find out what types of scholarships are available. You may have to fill out a separate application when you apply to the college.
  10. Search organizations—Go to the library and ask the reference librarian for an Encyclopedia of Organizations. Make note of any scholarship opportunities that are listed that might pertain to you or your family.