Here Are the Bright Spots for Scholarships
Despite the recession, 3 types of college students might get more and bigger scholarships this fall
The bad news: Many of the biggest and most popular merit aid programs, such as Florida's Bright Futures and West Virginia's Promise scholarships, may no longer be enough to cover full tuition and fees at public universities. To save money, many legislatures are proposing capping the amount they will hand out to students with good grades, while letting state universities raise tuition dramatically.
Adult students:
The good news: A growing number of schools are offering scholarships to laid-off workers, such as the 73 colleges offering Bernard Osher "re-entry" grants for working-age adults who want to finish their undergraduate degrees. And President Obama has proposed creating more and bigger retraining scholarships as well as allowing those collecting unemployment benefits to attend school. In addition, the Department of Education has urged all college financial aid officers to be more flexible and give recently laid-off students more of a chance to qualify for other federal aid, such as Pell grants.
The bad news: There is no requirement that colleges be flexible, and scholarships for the laid-off are comparatively rare, as yet.
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Reader Comments
Scholarship
Those are really good news but I think this article must give us some way to fine Scholarship .
Scholarships
Two Ohio programs are interesting this year. The University of Toledo is offering a program to targeted school districts in the state. It's called the University of Toledo Guarantee. The targeted districts are primarily Urban. If a student has a high school G.P.A. of 3.0, and have filed a a FAFSA by April 1,2009, they qualify. It is a full tuition guarantee, as long as they maintain that 3.0 in college (another story).
The catch is that that this program is a much better deal for kids from moderate income families, not very low income families. The University essentially takes any PELL, and Ohio Grant that the student qualifies for. Student A who gets a $750.00 PELL, and no State grant gets a $7,177.00 UT Guarantee.
Student B gets a $4800.00 PELL, $1300,00 Ohio Grant and an $1,827.00 U.T. Guarantee. In both cases the students have to use other monies for Room, board, books etc.
This is not such a graet deal for poor kids, many of whom can't find co-signors for loans. I have found many of my kids better deals at other state universities. It is however a pretty good deal for moderate income families.
Ohio is also starting a program where veterans can attend any state college for free, even if they are not Ohio residents. I have not seen all of the details, but it sounds interesting at this point.
College scholarships
For those who can qualify for outright scholarships that are adequate in covering costs, life will be good. For those who will be saddled with loan repayments after college, life won't be so good--particularly with the jobs outlook poor and frequent career changes more than likely.
Following four years in the Air Force after I graduated from high school, I was fortunate enough to be allowed probationary entry into college with no tuition and all books paid for the first two years. All high school graduates in New York at that time had the same opportunity. That was 1959--light years away from 2009. Now too many of those who could benefit from a college education and be benficial to society in return face discouragement instead of hope.
Those who can do college level work successfully should be guaranteed college educations, not be saddled with formidable, depressing obstacles and the prospect of huge financial burdens.
A good society, to my way of thinking, cannot be an ungenerous one.
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