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 »
It seems as though some students are under the false impression that only straight ‘A’ students or those from low-income families are eligible to apply for scholarships. Although most institutional, state and federal programs are merit-based (academics) and/or need-based (income), a plethora of private scholarships are also awarded to students based on other criteria. Here’s another newsflash – students don’t have to be high school seniors either; many scholarship programs are open to students beginning their freshman year of high school (some even earlier!) and others are for adult-learners, or those pursuing graduate degrees and beyond. There’s really no excuse for not searching for scholarships to help keep college expenses to a minimum, especially when there are so many choices. Here are just a few of the many types of scholarships available to students.
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March is a busy month; many students are counting down the days to Spring Break and starting to dread upcoming final exams. High school seniors are anxiously awaiting their decisions from colleges and finding out how much their college tuition bills may be this fall. Luckily, March is also one of the busiest months for scholarships, so students should be able to locate plenty of opportunities to help pay those upcoming expenses. Whether they are in the first grade or graduate school, students of all ages will be able to find something of interest on this month’s scholarship countdown, so there’s really no excuse for not applying. Hopefully, many will have the luck of the Irish on their side and win some of these awards, too! Read the rest of this entry »
Summer may be a few months away, but now is a great time for students to start researching potential employment opportunities. There are always those traditional teenage summer jobs, like working at a fast food restaurant or in retail, but even those jobs are becoming harder to snag. To be competitive, students should make sure they have prepared an updated résumé and a good list of references. They may also want to reach out to their guidance counselors, teachers, coaches or other mentors, as they may know of potential positions in the community or may be willing to recommend them for a job. Working during the summer, when students don’t have to balance homework and other school-related demands, is not only a great way to earn money for college and other expenses, but also a great way to network and learn new skills that can help during the college admissions process. Here are just a few great summer jobs students may want to consider. Read the rest of this entry »
Scholarship competitions are stepping outside of the traditional paper entry forms and online applications. No longer are students limited to impressing judges through 500 words or less, or relying on their transcripts to propel them to the finalist pool. Social media has opened the door to a whole new world of scholarship competitions. Although Facebook is a very popular arena for companies and organizations to host their programs, many are now turning to YouTube, as well. YouTube provides a forum where students can think outside the box and truly showcase their talents and creativity. For some, the idea of a two-minute video application can be intimidating, especially if they are not familiar with how to create, edit or promote their video entry, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem; virtually any student with a video recorder (or webcam) and a laptop can produce an amazing scholarship video. Students simply need to follow these easy steps. 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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I am a huge fan of the ABC television show Shark Tank. Each week, I tune in to see what new invention will send Mark Cuban, Mr. Wonderful, and the rest of the millionaires into a feeding frenzy. It’s quite entertaining to see the presenters squirm and stammer, as they try to convince everyone to invest. Although many walk away empty-handed, the exposure alone can help save their product from being shelved, so the stress is definitely worth it. In the past, I have actually tinkered with a few ideas myself. Two of my ideas include stackable cribs for daycare centers (my husband said they looked like mini-prison cells) and a game that uses professional athlete’s jersey numbers to help teach children simple math problems (What do you get if you add Joe Flacco and Peyton Manning?), but I never did anything with them. Still, I hold out hope that something will give me inspiration and earn me enough money to retire. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
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