Scholarships in the News
The following is a brief summary from the huffingtonpost.com Filed by Leah Finnegan retrieved 7/15/2011.
There is a non-profit organization in Texas that plans to offere scholarships to those who they consider undersupported
in higher education: “white men”. Texas Scholarship Click this link to read more.
Scholarship Fine Print
The following is an article covering the passing of a law that would require universities and colleges to clearly provide
fine print for scholarships. This player happens to be from Connecticut, he should have been a Husky or Blue Devil they both have
championship programs. Anyhow the following is my brief summary:
California and Connecticut have passed legislation that will require colleges in those states to disclose the fine print of athletic scholarships to student athletes.
(Associated Press Sports Writer Rusty Miller in Columbus, Ohio contributed to this report.)
Government Providing Scholarships
The following is about the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) providing scholarships to students in the DC area. This program
has improved schools reading achievement in the district and raised graduation rates. The article is written by Malcom Glenn an excellent writer and communications coordinator at the American
Federation for Children. To read more: Scholarships in DC
Celebrities give scholarships
The reason I am posting this article is because I want everyone to realize how many opportunities they have for scholarships. Sometimes scholarships
are in places we don’t expect and come from people we would never expect to get a scholarship from.
The following article discusses how Michael Vick surprised 2 students with scholarships. One student who was even kicked out of schools and involved with gangs. Please note
this does not mean I myself or Michael Vick condones gangs, but it shows we know what is possible and this
young man has been given the chance of a lifetime to turn it around. Have a similar story please post it in the comment section.
To read more: Vick gives scholarships
Scholarships for Immigrants
I 100% support this effort because we need to treat people like people. Immigrants come here for a variety of reasons and face difficulty along the way.
Granting immigrants the right to education and financial aid. If you disagree ask yourself why you support the Red Cross to send
aid to foreign countries? Because it is human nature to help other humans get on their feet.
Tuition for immigrants
Connecticut has also passed legislation so illegal immigrants can get instate tuition. I 100% support this as well, after all this blog
is about making college affordable. Come on more states join in now. If the United States is so diverse why limit ourselves and not include immigrants? Do we ever think
about how every immigrant has traveled a journey that may have made it impossible to be legal such as: fleeing their own government and persecution.
To read the article about CT Education for Immigrants.
Support the efforts in education and support the efforts in immigrant education.
Guaranteed Way to Get a Tuition Waiver
Get a tuition waiver for college
It may sound harder than it actually is. But if you are in college there are a few good ways that you can get a tuition waiver!
1) Get a tuition waiver from your employer.
2) Get a tuition waiver from the college you attend
If you are in education there are jobs that will pay for professional development. You can find a course that would be essential to enhancing your teaching skills. Once you have identified this course you present it to your administrator(s) and they will determine how they can get the tuition waived for you. If you don’t work in education, don’t panic. If you help in tutoring at local schools that have a partnership with a college they may waive tuition for you.
Financial Aid office
If you are currently in college their may be employment and internship opportunities that will allow you to have your tuition waived. I have to admit this information did not come from a financial aid office. The most I have ever gotten from going to a financial aid office was information about a student loan. Not to say that every financial aid office is not help because they are, however sometimes they are not as helpful as you may need them to be. When I was coaching college football for a season I was offered a tuition waiver. However I did not accept because I did not want that waiver to be a reason that I continued to coach.
Tuition Waivers Online
You can even find opportunities that you could participate in online to get tuition waivers. Also online colleges have tuition waiver programs available as well. You can get a tuition waiver by being a part of a certain club or organization. For example if you participate in a state funded organization you may qualify for a tuition waiver.
On a final note if your currently employed and underpaid try negotiating a tuition waiver into your salary. This serves two fold you become better qualified to work and your employer could actually save money by writing off the tuition expenses for tax purposes. I have to admit when I was coaching I was underpaid and I thought on the spot I need something to compensate for that difference. If you discover a new method of getting tuition waived please comment and share! Thanks.
2011 Scholarships from Colleges
Merit Scholarships for incoming college students!
There are many scholarships that you can receive from the college that you attend or will attend in the future. The only issue with these scholarships is you may not know about them until after you start attending classes. There are scholarships that may be available for incoming freshman. The following is an excert taken from the University of Connecticut’s website:
UConn has a series of renewable merit scholarships for high school seniors with a record of high academic achievement and leadership.
Incoming freshmen are automatically considered for most merit scholarships administered by the University of Connecticut. However, a separate application is required for UConn’s Nutmeg Scholarship and the Day of Pride Scholarship.
For a complete list of UConn Merit Scholarships click here
Scholarships for specific degrees
There are scholarships available for students who are pursuing a particular degree. For example there are scholarships available for students pursuing nursing, pharmacy, education, human resources etc. I actually was asked by a professor to make an announcement in my other graduate course about an internship that is worth a minimum of 6 credits maximum of 9 credits for tutoring middle school or elementary students at a school in CT. Also I know of grants for future teachers who agree to teach in urban areas. There is also student loan forbearance or forgiveness for teachers who have taught 5 years in an urban area.
Scholarships for pursuing higher education
There are scholarships avaiable for students who have completed bachelors and/or master degrees. These are scholarships or even grants that students who have already completed a degree are eligible to apply for. Sometimes the issue with scholarships and grants is competition. So many people think that everyone has already applied so they don’t apply. That is wrong. When I applied for my internship worth 18 graduate credits I got it on the spot because there was only 1 other intern. With that said, don’t stop believing. I have a Masters of Arts in Education and I am 7 classes away from my 2nd Masters degree. If I can do it, so can you.
Good Luck to everyone!
Free Scholarships all around
Did you know that there are free scholarships all around you? Think of how many places you travel to on any give day of the week: movie theatre, parks or recreation facility, sporting events, dinner, ice cream, library, book stores, banks, grocery stores, electronic stores and a list of other places. All of these places offer scholarships. Some may be in the form of an entry; Name, age and address. Others may take on more formal forms such as applications and short essays.
The quickest form may or may not be the scholarship that you will get. I personally would fill out as many scholarship applications and entries as possible because you will never know which awards you may win. Some people are scared or just don’t believe they will win. I have hit the play 3 lotto in CT 4 times. I’m not saying I am a millionaire because truth is I am not. What I am saying is that at one point I was a non believer in winning or receiving free scholarships.
I got my first ever an Athletic Grant Award.*However everyone calls this a scholarship. Legally using the term Grant allows the College to strictly specify on an individual basis what they are paying for. I called this a full scholarship because everything books included. However other athletes/teammates would say they were on a scholarship or partial scholarship. Basically people try to use scholarship and grant as the same words. Here is a big difference Grants usually come from the government such as a Pell Grant. Grants do not have to be paid back unless the terms specify. For example there is a Teach Grant for future teachers that will teach in Urban areas in subjects of need for 4 years. However if the recipient (person receiving the grant) does not teach in the area specified the grant turns into a loan.
I got my second grant through working at a preschool. The school I worked for had a partnership with the College, and they waived the tuition for 3 courses per year. I took 3 courses and only paid registration and books which was better than full tuition!
I got my third grant from the College that I got my Masters of Arts in Education from. I walked by this poster for months before it finally dawned on me that this is 100% real. It said 18 graduate credits for 1 year of internship. I thought oh come on. Then I finally worked up the courage to apply and was accepted immediately. 18 credits, a Masters degree is worth 30. I got more than half of my Masters for free.
Please let these true experiences be inspirational to you as you search for college scholarships and grants. Student loan is your absolute last option. Please note student loans are not your worst option because depending on your career most jobs will reimburse you for your student loans and some will complete forgive you and pay your loans!!