Finding Scholarships Online

By: Morgan James

Applying for college or university can be a daunting procedure by itself. Also applying for scholarships can seem like a monumental task. Applying for scholarships doesn’t have to be painful. You can now find many scholarships on the internet.

Using the internet to find scholarships might not be painful, but it will still be time-consuming. You will probably have to fill out a profile at each site on which you want to search. It is in your best interest to fill out your profile as accurately and as painstakingly as possible. Choose as many options as you can so that you will be given as many matching scholarships as possible. This way, you can weed out the ones you don’t think are worth it.

A simple way to find scholarships online is to google scholarships. This, however, isn’t always going to take you to the most reputable sites. You will be taken to contest sites as well as scholarship sites.

The best way to find scholarships online is through a few reputable scholarship search engines.

studentawards.com

This is the best scholarship website out there. It has scholarships sorted by their availability in Canada, the US, and abroad.

scholarship.com

This scholarship site is worth checking out. Although not as extensive as studentawards.com, it is best to search for as many scholarships as you can.

scholarshipscanada.com

This site is dedicated to Canadian students or students studying in Canada. It has tons of helpful information.

With all scholarship search engines, you will likely find that some scholarships require money to apply. Find out if that is worth it to you. Only send money if the scholarship is coming from a reputable source. Be sure to establish the difference between scholarships that are based on your merit and scholarships that are more like contests, or that are based on financial need. Any money is good money, but it’s also nice to know why you deserve that money.

Other places to look online include cfuw.org (the Canadian Federation of University Women) and aauw.org (the American Association of University Women). The Rotary Club (rotary.org) also offers scholarships. Are you involved in any national groups, such as scouting, a church, or a club? Check out their websites too for scholarships you might not even know existed.

Governments often offer quite large scholarships. Check out your municipal, state/provincial, and federal government website to see if there are any awards to which you can apply.

Another place to check for scholarships is with local public broadcasting. Go to cbc.ca or radiocanada.ca or pbs.org or npr.org and search for scholarships to see if there are any salient scholarships. The places to look for scholarships are endless. Often, you will find wonderful scholarships simply by signing up for search engines. Don’t be afraid to sign up and take the time filling out the profile.

If you are a graduate student, it is time for you to start looking at getting grants instead of scholarships. You can find out how to apply for grants and fellowships by asking one of your professors. You will want to apply for grants in your field.

In the end, remember that it will take you hours to find and apply for pertinent scholarships. However, because in the end you will be earning hundreds or thousands of dollars, it only makes sense to spend more time now for earnings in the future.

The key to successful scholarship organization is to be organized. Get started early so that you won’t have to scramble at the end of any application. Online is only one place to look for scholarships (and be sure to add the www. at the beginning of these web addresses!). You can also ask for at your school (and your prospective school’s) office of student awards and financial aid. Don’t be afraid to call around and ask for help. Online scholarship engines are a great way to start looking for scholarships, but they are certainly not the last step in obtaining funding for your education.

UK Colleges and Universities

By: Sharon White

First, there is a difference between further education and higher education. Further education is provided by colleges and gives a number of special qualifications such as Business Study, Engineering, Catering etc. They are specially designed for basic knowledge study, which is an integral part of further education and special subject study. Often further education students are able to combine a few subjects and get two or three certificates accordingly. Most further education students are adults who are above 21 years old. They prefer to study part-time and go to work while studying. Anyway, it is your choice whether you will study full-time or part-time. Usually part-time jobs allow further education students cover their tuition fees expenses. UK educational institutions are divided into state and private colleges and universities. Some decades ago state colleges and universities considerably differed from each other, especially in education funding system and costs. Nowadays both types of institutions have high tuition fees and smaller amount of grants, University Access Funds and student loans assistance programs. Universities UK provide a wide range of subjects and qualifications to study. Education programmes at universities include lectures, seminars, workshops, trainings and practices. Some of them even organize working experience for a year or less. High tuition fees cover access to university books, software and computers. Be aware of ALL university facilities before applying for study: you must know well what you will have for your big money!

Although higher education requires much study, research, writing and reading the most study process is independent; lectures, seminars and workshops take much less time than self-research and study. Of course you will be signed your own individual tutor who will guard your study and control your results, but be ready to become a self-organized student who plans his education process himself.

All universities and even further education colleges in UK have specially assigned consultants who provide all information which you need. They are happy to consult you even in your private matters. However, it would be better to check the university or college environment by yourself. For example, such aspects as social environment, college/university city or town society, availability of night clubs, sports clubs or beaches play a significant role in our life. City/town living standards will help you count your accommodation and living expenses; remember, you are going to spend a couple of years there!

Each year both private and state universities reduce their financial assistance, state and university grants cover only about 10 percent of education fees. Find out as much as possible about financial aid availabilities, at least you can apply for student education loans system. This system is the easiest way for funding education in UK now. However, you should remember it is repayable and sometimes has high interest ratio which expands to 20 years for paybacks to be affordable.

African American Scholarship

By: Low Jeremy

The African American population had been the most discriminated race in the country for the past decades. This resulted to fewer opportunities for the Blacks and lesser chances for them to prove their worth. And the worst hit was their opportunity to study.

Meanwhile, the new generation of African Americans is slowly entering the world of the all-White dominated society including the all-White fields such as Medicine, Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, and Business. However, the African American’s participation in these mentioned fields is still unnoticed. There is still a great need for African American to take a significant chunk of pie in order to get noticed and be recognized. Although we can say that there are some African Americans who are outshining others in their fields, this is not enough.

Good thing, there are several institutions that are dedicated to provide the African American population with a good opportunity to study and become great in their own chosen fields.

For one, the United Negro College Fund has been helping African Americans to acquire education for years. They have awarded financial aids worth that go directly to 39 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the United States. They have been receiving money for various organizations that are willing to help the African Americans to go to school. Two main sponsors are The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds and the Bank of America.

What are the 39 Historically Black Colleges and Universities?

The 39 Historically Black Colleges and Universities are schools wherein African Americans can study with relatively low tuition fee (as much as 52%) compared to other schools in the country. And with relatively low tuition fee, it never means that these schools are some backcountry community colleges. Some of these schools are well known such as Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

And with the increasing involvement of women in the world, there are institutions that provide African American women to study and finish with a degree. The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. has 2 scholarships to be awarded to women who want to pursue undergraduate studies.

Another Scholarship institution that focuses in supporting African American students who want to pursue in the field of Science or Technology is the Development Fund for Black Students in Science and Technology.

There are more out there. If you are persistent enough, you will be able to find one for you.

College - Getting Scholarships

By: Michael Russell

In this article we're going to discuss what a student can do in order to get a scholarship to help pay for his college expenses.

One of the myths that needs to be done away with is the one where students believe that there is no way they're going to get a scholarship because they don't have good enough grades, their SAT scores aren't high enough or they just don't have the smarts.

There are many ways to get scholarships. The traditional way and your main scholarship will be from good grades. There is no getting around that. A student at the top of his or her class with good SAT scores, when accepted to a college will most likely get a full or at least partial scholarship to the school of their choice. Of course a lot of this has to do with the school itself. The more elite schools will have stricter requirements for giving out scholarships. For example, a student applying to a county college may get a full scholarship for being number one or two in the class while that same student when applying to an Ivy League school may only get a partial scholarship or none at all. But again, good grades and SAT scores are only part of the equation.

The next part of the equation is economic need. There are many organizations who provide funds for students to go to school who simply can't afford it. The main organization for this is FAFSA. A student's first step in financing their education should be to file an application for financial aid with FAFSA. You can get an application for this at any college office or fill one out online. After filing, their program will immediately tell you, based on your reported income, how much money you will be expected to pay towards your child's education. For example, if your child is going to a school that is going to cost $30,000 a year and the FAFSA application says you are responsible for $20,000 then that means you should be getting $10,000 in aid from the government after you have submitted the paperwork to them with your school expenses.

Does that mean you're stuck with paying $20,000 for your kid's education? Not at all. Even if the college itself doesn't give your child any money, there are plenty of other places to get funds from.

Go to your local library or do an online search. You will find literally hundreds of private organizations that offer scholarships for students. Each one has different requirements but they all usually fall into one of several criteria.

The first criteria is that some of these organizations offer scholarships based on grades and SAT scores. In these cases, simply submit this information to the organization. They will get back to you and let you know if you're going to get a scholarship.

Some organizations base scholarships on essays. They pick out the students who wrote the best essays and these are the ones who get scholarships. There may be three scholarship awards for these essay contests.

Then there are organizations that offer scholarships based on some affiliation that you have such as if you had a family member who fought in a foreign war. Then there are organizations like the Masons, Elks and Rotary, that offer scholarships if a family member is part of their organization. Most of these organizations are districted and usually give out only one or two scholarships per district.

So, as you can see, there are more ways for your kid to get money for college besides just getting good grades. But they do help.

Scholarships - Something You Should Know

By: Michael Russell

A scholarship is a form of award given to students to help cover their study expenses and is often based on academic achievements. Most students want to have a scholarship so that they don't have to worry about financial problems and just focus on their study and college lives. To optimize your chance of winning a scholarship, besides preparing your application packet carefully with your portfolios, recommendation letters, essays, etc., you have to take care of some additional issues.

Keep an eye on announcements about new scholarships. They come out frequently from various sources: your school, city, country's government or some special organizations. Certain local newspapers often list new scholarships as well. If you don't read those papers, you can ask your parents to notify you when they see any proper scholarship listed there. You can be more active by searching online for scholarships yourself. There are many websites providing this free service. Some good examples are Collegeboard.com and Fastweb.com. However, you should beware of any websites requiring payment for using their services. Personally, I think using well-known free Scholarship websites is enough. Another way to search for scholarships is to check on some large companies' or institutions' websites. Some institutions provide scholarships but do not list them on the search engine. If the information is not enough, you should contact that company or institution for more details.

Don't forget the deadlines. Each scholarship has its own application deadline. If you apply for a lot of scholarships, write all the deadlines in some eye-catching place to make sure that you won't forget them. Moreover, you should be aware what kind of deadline it is. Some scholarships state that applications should be received before the deadlines while others just need students to send the applications before these dates and they will check the sending dates on the envelope. In addition, some change their deadlines so remember to check the information on the scholarship's website frequently.

Be aware of scholarship scams. Scholarships are aimed to help students finance their study, therefore, a real scholarship will not ask you to pay anything but maybe an application fee. This amount is usually very small and you should check that organization's website or other sources to make sure they are legitimate. The application fee should be waived if you contact the scholarship provider and state your financial difficulties.

All Scholarship Applications are Alike, Right?

By: Dale Clifton

Evaluating thousands of scholarship applications has definitely left an impression on me. I still remember some of them, because the students,who submitted them, managed to get into my head in a personal way. Many books and articles will tell you that "personalization" is good, but they don't tell you how to accomplish that. I saw a photo attached to an app showing the senior student shaking hands with the President of the United States. Another enclosed an audio tape that revealed his talent to play the fiddle in a country band. A girl had her photograph taken with a well-known professional golfer after she had won a state tournament. A boy included a picture of his debating trophies. Another had won a two day fishing tournament and held the trophy in a picture to prove it. Another had built his own computer. Still,another had patented her own invention, a device for counting inventory units. In each case the items were part of the requirements of the scholarship award,not just thrown in for effect. These are super examples of "personalizing" a scholarship application,but it doesn't have to be that noticeable.

There were also attempts at personalization not well received,a picture of a girl in a very tiny bikini. The word thong comes to mind. Another included prize ribbons with a request to return them when the judging was over.We had to send them back at our own expense! Another application had an algebra homework assignment inside, oops! We sent that back, too. Her siblings were probably blamed for its disappearance. One application had a Santa Claus hat inside. It came from Alaska. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Why is personalization so important? Imagine that you are on the committee, sitting around a table with 247 scholarship forms. It is the committee’s job to pick a winner. All of the apps appear to look alike. All things being equal, which one is going to be chosen? It’s impossible to say. But,let’s suppose that one personalized his/her request and made it stand out positively from the rest. Now,someone has taken the time to be bold, inventive and creative. They have made it possible for the scholarship committee to know more about who they are. They are more than a just a piece of paper with a name on it. They have revealed intimate sides to their personalities. Who will win now? The choice is obvious.

Personalize don't dramatize. Use good judgment and common sense when personalizing. Try to imagine who the people are making up the committee. Then, send in your request knowing that,out of all who sent their forms, you are the one who will win. You are the person who deserves the money.

Planning produces positive outcomes when the scholarship effort is truly a family affair.

College Scholarship Searches

By: Jennifer Bailey

Because of the rising cost of college tuition, more and more students have to apply for scholarships to augment their financial aid package. Luckily, there are many college scholarship sources available. The government, private companies, individuals, and nonprofit organizations grant scholarships, and there are many ways to access information about how to apply..

Using college scholarship search engines

Log on to free online scholarship databases and research websites. These very powerful tools can save you time and money by matching your profile to hundreds of scholarships that you may be eligible for. College scholarship search engines are continuously updated, making access to the latest grants and aids always available for free on the Internet.

Other sources

Pay a visit to local fire and police departments and to local civic and community organizations in your area – they may be offering college scholarships. Most state governments also give financial help to in-state students, so make sure to take advantage of local resources.

Many of the best scholarship programs are offered to students with extraordinary talents and interests in fields such as music, writing, community service and science, to name a few. You don’t have to have very high grades to qualify for these scholarships – a GPA of about 2.0 is all that is needed. You will be judged on your character, background and statement as to why you feel qualified to receive the grant.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that you can maximize your chances of winning a scholarship by putting your time and efforts into just one or two specific programs. Remember that applying for college scholarships is largely a numbers game – so the more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of winning one or more of them.

College Scholarship Grants

By Jennifer Bailey

College scholarship grants are financial awards given to students selected according to the criteria formulated by the awarding institution. These scholarships can be used to pay for tuition and other miscellaneous expenses related to the student’s education, and the money given never has to be repaid.

College scholarships are subsidized by educational institutions, nonprofit foundation, private individuals and corporations and are given to students who claim a financial need. Some are reserved for those with exceptional academic or athletic achievement, or those who have shown keen interest in public service. There are also grants for students with a certain nationality or ethnicity, and grants especially for women.

Local and foreign scholarship grants

There are a number of organizations that award grants to both US citizens and exchange students from other countries, such as Rhodes Scholarship, Fulbright Commission , and the Miss America Foundation. There are also scholarships available to US students for studies abroad, such as the London School of Business grant.

Looking for college scholarship grants

Finding college scholarship grants can be arduous work – expect to put in hours of legwork visiting the offices of the granting institutions, filling out and submitting your application. You can also use the Internet to search for grants. More and more free websites are offering ‘matching’ services, where you simply input your personal background and student data, and they generate a list of scholarships you may be qualified for.

The key is to apply early. Many students are looking for college scholarship grants You must do your research well ahead of the game and get your application in as earl as early as possible to avoid the rush. Also, do not be afraid to make follow-phone calls. Your persistence may impress the grantor, and give you the edge to win the scholarship.

Specialized Scholarships for Aviation Maintenance

By: Steve Bishop

Aviation maintenance is a highly specialized field of work and requires a high degree of understanding, skills, and professionalism. In the last few years, the aviation industry has witnessed a decline in the number of people venturing into the field of aviation maintenance. Apart from this, the high levels of security risk in the aviation industry, especially after the events of September 11, 2001, have boosted concerns regarding the maintenance and day-to-day wear and tear of airplanes.

In order to boost this dwindling profession, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) has launched a campaign to promote a higher degree of professionalism among aviation maintenance personnel. The association is aiming to develop and improve skills, methods, learning, and achievements in the aviation maintenance industry. PAMA has been conducting meeting and seminars at both the national and state levels, and striving to recognize achievements in this field. However, most importantly the association has been collaborating with other organizations in the aviation industry and has been actively addressing the queries of governmental agencies pertaining to maintenance rules and guidelines.

In the recent years, PAMA has also established a Student Scholarship Program that recognizes and rewards qualified airframe, power plant, and avionics students who have selected aviation maintenance as a career. The awards that the association provides, may be used for tuition, fees, supplies, or books, which are related to their program

The association also supports another scholarship program – known as the Foundation Scholarship Program. Created to recognize and reward qualified students who have selected aviation maintenance as a career, the PAMA Foundation (PAMF) Scholarship Program awards $1,000 to the recipients. The association awards these scholarships regardless of the color, race, religion, and the national origin of the applicants.

PAMA’s programs operate based on donations received and from the funds raised at PAMA's Annual Chili Cook-Off. Though the scholarships are not renewable, students have the option of reapplying for the scholarship every year.

Apart from PAMA, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) also provides scholarships for qualified students wishing to study further in the field of aviation maintenance. The UAA’s Era Aviation, Inc. Scholarship offers two scholarships, each of $2,500. The aid is to help students who are admitted to an aviation maintenance technology program at the university with the cost of tuition, fees, and tools. While one scholarship is awarded to a helicopter maintenance student, the other is awarded to a general aviation maintenance student. Additionally, preference is given to candidates who are intending to follow a career in Alaska itself.
While these two are the more prominent of the scholarships in this field, there are others as well, such as the Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Aviation Maintenance Technician Scholarship Award Program. This program aims at promoting the choice of helicopter maintenance as a career, and the scholarship is given to five recipients. Apart from this, the first place winner also receives about $1,500 from HAI to assist with the associated expenses.
Overall, the field of aviation maintenance should pick up as such kind of scholarships add to the value of the field, and attract more students to enter the industry. While helping students along financially, these aviation maintenance scholarships are also giving rise to specific skill-based talent in the country.

How to Get Your Employer to Pay for Your College Degree

By: Timothy Rea

Did you know that a lot of employers offer tuition aid programs that allow employees to get an undergraduate or graduate degree and work at the same time?

Are you falling behind your co-workers because you don’t have a college degree? Do you apply for and fail to get promotions because you only have a high school education? Or perhaps, you have an undergraduate degree, but you’d like to go back and get your graduate degree? That’s an expensive proposition.

In any case, you should take a look at the options available to you through your employer. If your employer does not offer a tuition aid plan, and you really want to get that degree, it might be time to look for another employer.

When you interview for a new position, be sure you ask about tuition aid and understand what is available to you and find out about the guidelines for receiving this aid.

Often, your employer will require that the degree for which you will study must apply to a position (your current position or some other position) in the company, so that they are paying your way out of the company and into a job with another firm.

If that is the case, find out what courses you will need to take to study for and get a degree in an area that will advance your position with your employer. Be sure that this degree fits with what you want to do with your career over the next 5-10 years.

As a condition for your tuition aid, your employer may also require that you sign a paper to agree to stay with their company for a certain number of years after you get your college degree and education.

That way, they ensure that they get their money’s worth from the tuition aid. Be sure you can handle that commitment before you sign the paper.

If your employer provides tuition aid so you can get your college undergraduate degree or graduate degree, you should also find out if they provide time off to attend classes.

Some college programs are generous in giving the student a certain number of working hours to attend classes during the day instead of having to go to college classes at night or on weekends.

Before you sign up for this tuition aid, you should also find out what the requirements are for keeping that college tuition aid flowing.

In most companies, you must submit an official college transcript at the end of each semester so that the employer knows you are achieving good grades and going to classes and they aren’t throwing their money away.

You should also find out if there are restrictions on how long you can take to complete your college degree. What happens if you get sick or if you have a personal issue and have to suspend college classes for awhile? Will you owe your employer the tuition?

Check with the college or university you are considering to see if their part-time and business courses allow for students to complete assignments or projects for credit that relate to your job. This will make your life easier.

You can do your homework and complete projects on the job and not have to find extra time to do additional assignments.

And, your education will be more integrated, since you will get on the job experience and exposure to the principles and concepts you are studying in college classes.

Write down any other questions you have about the conditions under which you can expect to receive tuition aid from your current or prospective employer and be sure they understand that you want to get this college degree and education to be more of an asset to the company.

Before you make this commitment, you should also be sure you fully understand the time and dedication required to get your degree and work full time. Some people are better suited to this routine than others.

If you are not ready, willing and able to juggle the demands of your personal life, your school work and your job, you may need to change your expectations about getting a college degree.