Tag Archives: scholarships

campus security, financial aid, scholarships

Scholarships That Pay All Your College Expenses

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scholarships

Everyone wants a free ride for college. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Even athletic scholarships rarely provide students with a full ride for athletes.

Scholarships that pay all college expenses are available, however, if you know where to look. Here are four ways your student can win enough scholarship money to pay for all their college expenses.

Colleges with merit-aid

Good grades, good test scores, a stellar volunteer record and essay, can mean thousands of dollars in merit aid from the college. If your student is applying to one of the colleges on this list, he or she could score enough money to pay for all their college expenses.

Merit Aid Scholarship Directory

Colleges with great scholarships for National Merit finalists

The PSAT is one way to win a full-ride scholarships. If your student is a National Merit finalist (which isn’t that difficult with a little preparation), he or she would be offered a full-ride scholarship and more. Here’s a list of colleges that offer scholarships to National Merit finalists.

Colleges With Scholarships for National Merit Finalists

Colleges with full-ride scholarships

Full-ride scholarships are offered to the students who are at the top of the applicant pool. The bar is set pretty high, but if your student is one of them, they could score a scholarship that pays all their college expenses. How does your student get to the top of the applicant pool? Apply to colleges where their SAT scores and GPA are higher than other students. This list will help you find those schools.

Comprehensive List of Full-Ride Scholarships

Winning multiple outside  scholarships

If your student works hard at applying for scholarships, it’s entirely possible to win enough scholarship money to pay for all their college expenses. Monica Matthew’s son, with her help, won $100,000 in scholarships. If you want to know how she did it, read her story and while you are there, purchase her simple how-to guide.

Finding and winning full-ride scholarships can be done. But it takes some effort: searching for the right colleges, doing the work in school, and applying for scholarships.

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

2017 Frame My Future Scholarship

Frame my future scholarship

Unlike most of the traditional scholarships, there are no essays to write, no grade or academic requirements—it is all about creativity. With the Frame My Future Scholarship, students are challenged to create a visual entry, whether it is a photograph, collage, painting, illustration, poem, short story—any single piece that demonstrates what he/she would like to do in their personal and professional life after college. Entrants are asked to follow the theme: This is how I Frame my Future.

Award Information

  • Five $1,000 scholarship awards
  • One $1,000 donation to Grand Prize Winner’s college/university

Eligibility Criteria

The 2017 scholarship contest is open to students who are:

  • Attending a U.S. college or university full-time for the 2017-2018 academic year (including community college, undergraduate, or graduate school)
  • A legal U.S. resident

How to Apply

Students can apply for the Frame My Future Scholarship by visiting this website: www.framemyfuture.com

The entry period is from November 1, 2016 to March 1, 2017.

Selection Criteria

Church Hill Classics will select 24 Finalists based on the creativity of the full entry, including the entry image and accompanying description (maximum of 500 characters). The full entry must:

  • Be your own work and relate to the theme – This is how I Frame My Future
  • Contain correct grammar and spelling

The 24 Finalists advance to a one-month public voting phase. The five entries with the most votes will each earn a $1,000 scholarship. The top vote-getter also earns the $1,000 donation for his/her college or university’s scholarship endowment fund. Each winner will also receive a custom diploma frame.

____________________

About Church Hill Classics/diplomaframe.com

Church Hill Classics known online as diplomaframe.com is located in Connecticut, where for the past 25 years they have manufactured custom diploma frames for colleges, universities, and high schools.

scholarships

Top 5 Tips for Winning Scholarships

winning scholarships

The burden of college tuition is too harsh for a hard-working parent. No matter how much you planned your expenses and tried to save money for years before this moment came, you’re put in front a huge challenge: you have to invest thousands of dollars in a single year of education. The average annual tuition fees in a prestigious private college in the USA are $35,000, and state institutions charge around $25,000 per year.              

There are many families and students that cannot afford making such investment in higher education. That’s why the idea of a scholarship sounds incredibly appealing. The only problem is: scholarship programs are incredibly competitive. You have to try very hard to submit proper applications, achieve academic success, and commit to extracurricular activities if you want a chance to get into a program. The good news is: it’s possible. There are plenty of organizations and governmental programs that give opportunities to talented students.

The Benefits of Scholarships: High-Quality Education for Free

If you cannot afford high-quality education, then you would have to make peace with low-rated programs that don’t guarantee a bright professional future. The truth is, even the best universities don’t guarantee that, but a talented student has better chances to get noticed by recruiters if they pick Harvard, UCLA, or another reputable school.

The mere fact of gaining a scholarship is an accomplishment the student feels proud of. They start believing in their talents, and they have a motivation to expand their capacity. With that encouragement, students are pushed towards a better future.

Here are few examples of famous people who received scholarships:

  • Bill Gates won a National Merit Scholarship in 1973. He attended Harvard and became one of the most influential men of his time.
  • Edwin Hubble, a famous astronomer who played a critical role in the establishment of extragalactic astronomy, also received a scholarship. He was the brightest student at his high school. At the graduation in 1906, the principle of the school said: “Edwin Hubble, I have watched you for four years and I have never seen you studying for ten minutes… Here is a scholarship for the University of Chicago.” Hubble’s athletic skills also gained him a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford.

How did Bill Gates and Edwin Hubble get their scholarships? They were certainly among the brightest students of their generation, and that helped them get noticed. However, we have to keep in mind that there are thousands of students with similar skills and accomplishments.

How does one get noticed in all that competition? We have 5 great tips that can help a student get there. 

5 Tips that Lead You to a Scholarship

Start the Search as Early as Possible

The biggest mistake you could make is waiting. Start the search for scholarship programs before the start of senior year, and mark all deadlines in Google Calendar. Set the app to send you reminders at least a month before the application deadlines.

Focus on the scholarship your future college student is qualified for. Analyze the requirements very carefully, and encourage your son or daughter to meet them. No pressure is needed; only encouragement. Remember: you should never force your kids too hard. You need to motivate them to achieve goals they will benefit from.

Go Local

When you’re supporting your son or daughter to apply for scholarships, you should definitely encourage them to aim high. The National Merit Scholarship and other prestigious programs are worthy of a try. However, you should also be aware of the fact that the competition there is overwhelming.

Local scholarships, on the other hand, are open to much smaller groups of students. Conduct an online research and ask around: are there companies, NGOs, small business, clubs, and benefactors that offer scholarships on a local level? Teachers and guidance counselors have this information, so don’t forget to ask them for advice.

Unigo’s Scholarship Search tool can give you a list of scholarships your future college student is qualified for.

Make the Application Personal

A student has to showcase academic or athletic achievements in order to gain a scholarship. However, they need to show some personality, too. That’s why the application essay is so important. It has to be very unique, specific, and personal. Support your kid through all stages of completion. If necessary, invest in a writing course.

The essay has to explain why the student deserves that scholarship more than any other applicant. Great writers can write monumental essays even when they are inspired from the simplest experience. That’s the effect you want to achieve.

Edit, Proofread, and Be Very Diligent

You never send the first draft of a personal essay in the application. Never! That paper will need some editing and proofreading. When your kid writes it, advise them to proofread the content very diligently. Then, you can offer to check it out. The best thing to do at this point would be to hire an online editor. They will improve the quality and logical flow of the paper, so it will be ready to become part of the application.

Your kid should make sure to go through the directions for application once again and provide all necessary documents.

Don’t Get Disappointed. Don’t Give Up!

No one can guarantee you a scholarship. No matter how hard the student tries to meet all requirements and write the perfect essay, they might get rejected. If that happens, don’t be disappointed. Do not give up! Keep finding other opportunities and keep applying. Sharon Stone was awarded a scholarship to Edinboro University when she was 15 years old. If she didn’t get that scholarship, do you think she would’ve given up? No way; you can recognize a persistent person when you see one. Keep applying and keep trying.

Scholarship applications may seem overwhelming. There are too many opportunities to explore and essays to write. However, some people get the awards pretty easily. They apply and they win! That can happen for your kid, too. Devoted studying, exploring different interests, and a diligent applying process – that’s the key to winning a scholarship and working towards a bright future. Good luck! 

_______________________

Today’s guest contributor is Jessica Freeman, a professional journalist and a freelance content writer at the company Australian Writings. She focuses her content writing on education, career, success, and academic topics. You can follow her on Facebook and Google+.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

October Is a Busy Scholarship Month

 

october

While you are thinking of fall colors and Halloween, there are so many opportunities to apply for scholarships. October is a busy deadline month for scholarship seekers. Take advantage of the many scholarships with October deadlines and score some free money for college.

According to Jessica Velasco of JLV College Conseling, “attending college can be quite expensive for students and their families. Luckily, there are many college scholarships and contests available to help pay for a college education. Students should seek out and apply for scholarships in which they meet the eligibility requirements.” Jessica provides a full list of scholarships with October deadlines.

Niche’s scholarship list of October scholarships allows you can choose a category and filter by states, majors, minorities and easy to apply. Or you can look at the entire list of scholarships with October deadlines.

Allen Grove, a college admissions expert for About Education says, “October is one of the busiest months of the college admissions process, and many applicants are so preoccupied with their college applications that scholarships aren’t on their radar. They should be. Many scholarship opportunities expire in October.” Allen provides a sampling of 42 scholarships with October deadlines.

Although October is full of frivolity, it’s also one of the best months for you to ‘carve out’ some time for scholarships. There are many fall programs available to high school and college students, but just like ghosts, they will evaporate soon. Unigo has compiled a list of “Spooktacular Scholarships with October Deadlines”.

DoSomething.org provides unique scholarship opportunities for you to make a difference in your community. After you participate in one of their campaigns you are entered to win a scholarship. These scholarships are great opportunities to blend community service with scholarship awards. Check out this list of DoSomething’s scholarship campaigns with October deadlines,

Scholarships.com has an extensive list of scholarships for students who need funding for college. They have provided a list of scholarships with deadlines in October. While you are there, check out their other lists of scholarships listing deadlines by the months.

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.

scholarships, test prep

Your SAT Score Can Help Win Scholarships

 

sat score

Working hard in school can help you land great scholarships that will help you with the cost of going to school. Scholarships are a much better alternative to student loans because you don’t have to pay them back. How well you do in school can have an impact on the amount of scholarship money you will receive. Scoring high on your SAT exam is one way to ensure you have a good chance at receiving a scholarship.

Preparing for your SAT Exam

Since most colleges in the United States require students to take the SAT exam, it’s important to be prepared on testing day to get a good score. The current 2016 SAT exam takes approximately three hours to complete, with an additional 50 minutes given for the essay portion. Scores can range anywhere from 400 to 1600 and is usually taken by high school juniors or seniors. Being prepared for the exam is the best way to ensure you’ll receive a good score. Read Kranse SAT reviews to learn about a great course that will ensure you’re prepared and confident on testing day.

Merit-Based Scholarships

If you’ve done exceptionally well in school and if you received a good score on your SAT exam, you may be eligible to receive a merit-based scholarship. Merit-based scholarships are granted to individuals who have great academic records, high GPAs, good standardized test scores and other types of achievements. Many merit-based scholarships are sponsored by colleges and universities, so if you think you may qualify for one, be sure to find out more about them.

Outside Scholarships

Merit-based scholarships aren’t the only scholarships available. Many also require a high SAT score to apply. There are hundreds of different types of scholarships available. The first place you should look for scholarships is local. Browse the websites of the high school in your area because they might have scholarship information on them. Social media and scholarship search engines are also great resources. If you’re really good at something, such as art, you can use that to find specific scholarships based that interest and expertise.

College is stressful enough for most people, but with scholarships you will worry less about the cost of going to school and focus more on your studies. Do well in school now and prepare for standardized tests so you can ensure you have a better chance at receiving some great scholarships to help you out. 

 

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Fishing Scholarships

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fishing scholarships

The #1 searched item on my website is this: Snag a Fishing Scholarship. Who knew there were so many students and parents looking for fishing scholarships? But how do you win these scholarships in high school? First, you have to compete in competitions that award scholarships. If your high school doesn’t have a fishing club, start one. Then get registered for all the fishing competitions in your area. Check out this Washington High School State Championship, and search for others within your state.

”College-age anglers are getting the opportunity to keep casting, and it’s more than just a hobby. Bethel University, a college in McKenzie, Tenn., with an enrollment of 5,825, first laid the roots for its fishing program in 2009. They weren’t the first school to offer bass fishing, but they were the first to offer scholarships for anglers.”

As I’ve said previously, the best scholarships are often offered by the colleges themselves. But where do you find these colleges? Here are a few places you can look:

If you like bass fishing, these colleges will be right up your “lake, river, stream”. Here is a list of colleges, by state, that have affiliated with the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. Each state is listed along with its College Series conference (Central, Eastern, Midwest, Northern, Southern or Western) Check to see if your college of choice is listed.

https://www.bassmaster.com/news/find-bass-fishing-college

Fishing League Worldwide surveyed National Guard FLW College Fishing anglers in the country on their clubs, their schools, their fishing lifestyles and more, and we scored the results based on the factors we thought most important for a college angler: proximity to bass fisheries, tournament opportunities, club activities, etc. We also interviewed club officers and tournament winners. We then tossed all the information together, combined our “editors’ rankings” – completely ignoring the Bowl Championship Series computer scores – and ended up with the results that follow: the top 25 bass fishing colleges.

http://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2010-02-01-top-25-bass-fishing-colleges

When searching for specific scholarships like fishing, you have to be a detective. Do a Google search for “fishing scholarships”, “fishing scholarship competitions” and “colleges with fishing scholarships”. Follow all the links and keep researching. This will take some time, but the reward will be worth it!

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Scholarship Friday, scholarships

The 5 Best Places to Search for Scholarships

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search for scholarships

I can’t stress enough the importance of adding a scholarship search strategy to your college prep. Even if you’re prepared to foot the entire bill, your student should have some “skin in the game”. Searching for scholarships is one way to make that happen.

Where does your student begin? Here are five great places to search for scholarships, but don’t stop there. Think outside the box and keep your eyes peeled for scholarships in the most unexpected places–like posters at fast food restaurants, info cards at retail cash registers, etc.

1. Search Locally

Always begin with local scholarship searches. Watch the news. Look on local high school websites. Get a list of organizations that provide scholarships at the library or from your school counselor. Get a list of local companies and inquire about scholarship opportunities.

2. Take advantage of social media

Since your teen is no social media 99% of the time, it’s one of the easiest places to search for scholarships. Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter provide students with a wealth of scholarship opportunity. Don’t forget about college prep blogs like this one–and Monica Matthews’ How to Win Scholarships and Jessica Velasco’s monthly scholarship list.

3. Use the best scholarship search engines

Scholarship search engines abound, as do reviews on these engines. I recommend several, but find the one you like the best and stick to that one. If you don’t, you’ll become overwhelmed with emails and trying to find the ones that best fit your student.

4. Ask friends and family

Never discount the help of friends and family, especially those with students who have already graduated and won scholarships. Ask your companies if they provide scholarships for family members. Ask friends who are members of local organizations like Kiwanis and Elks if there are scholarships available.

5. Focus on specific interests

Look for scholarships that are the best fit for your student. Is he interested in making videos and film? Is she a budding scientist? Is he a tech whiz? Are they fans of Star Trek or The Walking Dead? These are just a few of the areas that students can use when doing a scholarship search.

Use these five techniques and your student will be on their way toward winning free money for college!

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Easy Community Service Scholarships

 

easy community service scholarships
photo credit DoSomething.org

DoSomething.org is all about “doing”–for your community. By signing up for one of their featured campaigns, students not only do good, but they could even win a scholarship — which means money to pay for school.

Following are some easy community service scholarships:

Treat Yo Friends-$1000

Give a friend a “voucher book” of fun activities so you can reconnect and fight loneliness and depression.

Deadline: March 28, 2016

You Teach!-$3000

Perform a rap with friends to show appreciation for your favorite teacher.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Dunk You Very Much-$3000

Dunk recyclables on friends to encourage others to go green. Use a recycling bin as a hoop.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Pregnancy Test-$2000

Send friends a sassy text baby to take care of for a day to start the conversation about teen pregnancy.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Everyday Superheroes-$3000

Make a card celebrating someone who does super things in your community.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Little Rock Nine Text-$2000

Share a day in the life of a Civil Rights student activist via DoSomething.org’s text messages.

Deadline: April 30, 2016

If you think there aren’t scholarships for everyone, these are a perfect example. And these are not only fun activities that raise awareness in the community, but they also have some good size scholarship awards to boot!