Students with disabilities often find the transition from high school to college a bit challenging. Unlike secondary school, where accommodations may have been easily accessible, college students must take the initiative to ask for assistance and locate resources. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, students have many protections, so they should take the time to familiarize themselves with these rights to ensure they receive the help that they need to succeed. One resource some disabled students often neglect to pursue is financial aid. Although they are eligible for merit-based and need-based aid, both federal and institutional, they may also be eligible for many private sources of scholarship aid. Here are just a few examples of scholarships that are currently open to students with learning or physical disabilities. Read the rest of this entry »
I have to admit that when I was younger, volunteering was at the bottom of my to-do list. I envisioned hours of hard labor for no pay and used every excuse possible to get out of committing to any charity work. Then, I became a member of Phi Theta Kappa and my world was changed forever. Although Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society, much of its work centers on service. It only took one project and I was hooked. I enjoyed helping others so much that I soon began creating my own service projects for our chapter and encouraged other students to get involved, too. It felt great helping people and I learned that a smile from a sick child or a hug from a woman battling cancer was worth more than any paycheck I could possibly earn. In fact, I was having so much fun that within a year I accumulated over 500 community service hours and soon found out that giving back has other rewards, too. I received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, made the All-Florida and All-USA Academic Team, and won several scholarships, too. If you volunteer, here are just a few of the scholarships that may be available to you. Read the rest of this entry »
Whoever said, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” obviously hasn’t stepped foot on a college campus in some time. Today, more adults are heading back to the classroom to learn a few ‘new tricks’ for a variety of reasons; some may have been displaced in the workforce or need a degree to move up the corporate ladder. There are also those who have postponed their education due to family obligations or other mitigating factors. Although these non-traditional students may have a few years on their classmates, they do share one thing in common – the desire to graduate with as little student loan debt as possible. A common misconception among adult students is that they are ineligible for financial aid and scholarships. Fortunately, this is not the case. It may seem as though scholarship programs are focused mainly on high school seniors, but there are also hundreds of awards targeted to those who have been around the block a few times. Here are just a few of the many scholarships that are open to non-traditional students. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s honestly never too early to start planning for college; parents and students can get ahead of the game by creating a plan that not only includes academics, extracurricular activities and volunteer work, but also scholarships. Since most families aren’t even thinking about how to pay for college while their kids are still playing in the sandbox, applying early can really give families an advantage, especially over those who wait until their final year of high school to start applying for scholarships. Surprisingly, many companies and organizations are now offering free money for college to students as early as kindergarten, which means students have plenty of opportunities to save enough money to attend the college of their dreams, if they start applying for scholarships right now. Here are just a few of the college scholarships for children that have upcoming deadlines this spring.
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If you are currently trying to narrow down your college list, you know it’s not easy deciding which schools may be best for you. You could start with one of the many ‘Best of’ publications, but they all seem to have a different algorithm for determining which colleges make their list. For example, you could use the Kiplinger comparison tool to find the best value college (lowest tuition, least debt at graduation, etc.), but those results may not be the same as the colleges included in the Princeton Review’s listing. US News also provides several college ranking reports, but its data was recently called into question when several colleges admitted to providing false admission figures. Reading all those different reports only seems to make your decision more confusing. So, where should you turn for the real skinny on colleges you may be considering? Students! That’s right, the people who have actually attended or are currently enrolled at the colleges you are considering; they’ll be able to give you the 411 on everything from campus food to the best places to hang out after class. If you want to know which colleges will be a great fit for you, check out these peer-to-peer review websites. Read the rest of this entry »
Nearly 50 years ago, the United States Presidential Scholars Program was established to recognize America’s most distinguished high school seniors. Although it is not a scholarship program, it is one of the highest honors a student can receive. Each year, 141 Presidential Scholars make the trip to Washington, D.C., where the President of the United States presents them each with the Presidential Medallion. U.S. presidents have a long history of inspiring leadership, service and dedication to academics and many are honored through institutional presidential awards and private scholarship programs. This President’s Day, we honor those who have held our nation’s highest post by taking a look at some of the current scholarships programs that honor them, as well as those programs that bear the presidential name. Read the rest of this entry »
Over the next few weeks, most high school seniors will learn their fate as college acceptance (and rejection) letters start to arrive. For some students, the choice will be an easy one, especially if they are accepted by their first choice school or only receive one acceptance letter. For the majority of students, however, deciding where to go next fall many be a little more complicated. The choices made over the next few months will be very important and could have a direct impact on the direction students take over the next few years. Much thought and consideration should go into the college decision process, so it’s important that students use both their hearts and their minds when making a final choice. Here are a few things students should consider when choosing their college.
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As a teenager, I often turned to my cats for comfort and advice. Although they never spoke to me in the human sense, they did provide a patient ear when I needed to vent. My two favorite friends, Sebastian and Casper, were always there when I needed some warmth and unconditional love. Later, I welcomed my faithful companion Reba, an Akita, to the family. She was a fierce guardian, but shared my disdain for thunderstorms, which would send her shivering under my bed covers. I have so many wonderful memories from each of my furry friends, and although they are no longer on this Earth, they will forever hold a place in my heart. Read the rest of this entry »
Are you one of those students who waited until your last semester of high school to start looking for college scholarships? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Every year, I encounter students (and parents) who mistakenly believe that scholarships are only available to graduating high school seniors or older students; most are unaware that they could have been applying for and winning scholarships since they were high school freshman. The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities still available, and many programs are specifically for high school seniors, just like you! If you are trying to figure out how you are going to pay for your college tuition this fall, here are some scholarships that may be able to help you reduce the amount of your final bill. Read the rest of this entry »
Are you frustrated by the lack of scholarships that seem to be available to ‘average’ students? You’re not alone. The term ‘average’ indicates that you are the ‘norm’ when it comes to students, which means there are plenty of students just like you, but it often feels as though scholarship providers are only interested in those who score insane numbers on their SAT, have perfect grade point averages, or come from a low-income family. In other words, if there’s nothing ‘special’ about you, you’re out of luck. Thankfully, this is not the case. Although there are many scholarship programs that are merit-based or need-based, there are a slew of other scholarships that are targeted to any student, including those of you who consider yourself average. Here is a sampling of awards that any student, regardless of grades or income, can apply to and possibly win. Read the rest of this entry »
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