-
Discover Scholarships for Atypical Students
Tweet Share on Facebook February 16, 2012 Comment (2)It's a hectic time of year for high school seniors. As graduation approaches, most of you are busy applying for college and have narrowed down your choices to one or two schools. But in the midst of college application season, don't forget that this is also prime scholarship season.
As you continue your search for scholarships, think about what sets you apart from other students. It may be your grades—we all know there are plenty of academic scholarships out there—or it may be your athletic talents. But for those of you who aren't academic or athletic all-stars, don't get discouraged. There's a scholarship out there for everyone.
-
Consider These 4 Unique College Scholarships
Tweet Share on Facebook February 9, 2012 Comment (1)Generally, we think about college scholarships and financial aid as pretty serious business. You spend precious hours searching out opportunities, crafting perfect essays, finding the ideal recommendations, and making sure your application is up to par—and the cost of college is certainly no joke.
But that's not to say you can't have some fun in the midst of your scholarship search. For every hyper-competitive national scholarship, there are dozens of options geared toward uncommon pursuits, unusual interests, and unlikely skills. These four scholarships may not appeal to everyone, but if you fit their criteria they can mean real money toward your college education.
-
College Money Available for Immigrants
Tweet Share on Facebook February 2, 2012 Comment (1)The United States of America has long been thought of as the "land of opportunity," and no opportunity is greater than that of a college education. College graduates will earn 66 percent more during their career than a high school grad—and more education correlates with higher rates of employment and annual earnings, higher home ownership rates, and lower rates of institutionalization and dependence on public programs.
[Read more about how higher education impacts lifetime salary.]
It's important for everyone to achieve the advantages of an education beyond high school, including new Americans (typically a naturalized citizen if born abroad, or a child of naturalized citizens if born in this country) and permanent residents (green card holders), who can pursue their American Dream through several scholarships available exclusively to them:
-
Scholarships That Help Students Who Have Lost a Parent
Tweet Share on Facebook January 26, 2012 Comment (3)The death of a parent is an extremely difficult burden for any student to bear, especially in the context of growing up and preparing for college. Understandably, your grief may affect your ability to carry out your normal responsibilities, and your grades could suffer as a result. In reality, it will take time for you to recover and move forward.
What many people don't realize is that the death of a parent can also put a lot of financial stress on the family, leaving you to wonder how you'll pay for college with less income and support. In light of this, it's very important that students who have experienced the death of a parent seek out the many scholarship opportunities that are available to them.
-
Consider These Scholarships for Cosmetology Students
Tweet Share on Facebook January 19, 2012 Comment (4)The legendary fashion designer Calvin Klein once said, "The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural." If your dream is to help others look and feel their best from head to toe, consider a career in cosmetology. Cosmetology schools provide training in hair design, nail technology, and skin care, and offer a hands-on approach to help you gain practical experience and knowledge about what it means to make people look pretty.
Like most degrees, cosmetology school doesn't come without a price tag, and can actually become quite expensive depending on which school you choose. Instead of struggling to make ends meet, scholarships can help prevent you from becoming a beauty school dropout. And since January happens to be National Careers in Cosmetology month, we wanted to call your attention to a few scholarship opportunities here.
-
Check Your Church for Scholarship Dollars
Tweet Share on Facebook January 12, 2012 CommentWhen looking for college scholarship dollars, there are a lot of sources that jump to mind: online searches, your high school counselor, and your employer, for starters. But one place you might not think of at first could pay off: your church, synagogue, or mosque. From small stipends to multi-thousand-dollar awards, religious organizations throughout the nation are a good potential source of college funding.
As with most scholarships, your best bet is to start local. Find out if your own place of worship has any direct scholarship opportunities, or if it partners with other local organizations to award scholarships. These can be excellent opportunities, and they're found across the nation.
-
Get Organized for College Scholarship Application Season
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2012 Comment (2)February 1 through the end of April is the busiest season for college scholarship applications. That means if you're planning to head off to college next fall, you'd better get cracking. Follow these tips to stay organized and ahead of the game during scholarship application season.
1. Search for scholarships in a variety of places: We've posted about scholarship search engines in the past, as well as other places to look, but here's a refresher:
-
Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Scholarship Seekers
Tweet Share on Facebook December 29, 2011 Comment (7)As we wrap up 2011, the Scholarship Coach also celebrates its first birthday. We hope that over the last year we've given you some meaningful insight on scholarship searching and unique opportunities. As you consider your 2012 resolutions, we urge you to make applying for scholarships one of them. Let's count down the top 10 scholarship tips that you can take with you into the New Year.
[Check out these New Year's resolutions to lower your college tuition.]
10. Steer clear of cash for counsel: Avoid paying for scholarship search sites. The best sites are free and easily accessible, including Fastweb.com, Scholarships.com, CollegeBoard.com, CollegeNet.com, and ScholarshipMonkey.com. "If you have to pay money to get money, it is probably a scam," says Fastweb publisher Mark Kantrowitz.
-
College Scholarships Abound for Bilingual Students
Tweet Share on Facebook December 22, 2011 Comment (2)Speaking more than one language can be a huge advantage in many parts of your life. Bilingual fluency is attractive to employers; it can help you get around outside the United States; and, if you know where to look, it can also mean scholarship dollars for college. Many bilingual scholarship programs are limited to certain schools or subject areas, but if you are fluent—or becoming fluent—in more than one language, these might just fit the bill.
The easiest bilingual scholarships to find are those for students interested in bilingual teaching. The California Bilingual Education Association offers $2,000 awards to student members who are pursuing a degree in bilingual education. The annual membership fee is just $30, and the scholarship is unique in that there are no language restrictions. You can specialize in any second language and still be eligible.
-
Turn Bill of Rights Day Into $5,000 for College
Tweet Share on Facebook December 15, 2011 CommentAre you an ardent advocate for free speech? Do you have something to say about Americans' freedom of self-expression—including freedom of the press, religion, assembly, and petition? Can you imagine what life would be like in the United States without these freedoms?
Today, December 15 (also known as Bill of Rights Day), tweeting your thoughts about our Bill of Rights puts you in the running to earn a $5,000 scholarship.
