ScholarshipMan

College Goal Sunday, Jan 29, in TN; Filling out the FAFSA, and Free Income Tax Assistance

2012-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Dear ScholarshipMan readers:

If you have already applied to colleges, you need to be filling out the FAFSA as soon as possible.
Many colleges and universities award money to those who apply earliest, and they will list when they will start considering students for scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year.

This post is full of information about filling out the FAFSA to maximize your scholarship opportunities, College Goal Sunday for help in filling out your FAFSA, and free income tax help if you need help finishing your taxes in preparation for the FAFSA.

FAFSA and College Goal Sunday

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is your first step to applying for scholarships.

Since most tax documents will be mailed by February 1st, then you can pretty soon start filling out the FAFSA. The earlier you fill out this information, the better.

College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday happens all over the country; you can bring your information in and get help from experts in filling out your FAFSA.

http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/index.html

The materials you need to bring can be found on the College Goal Sunday for Tennessee website.

http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/locations.html

If you are in Nashville, College Goal Sunday happens on January 29, though dates and locations vary all over Tennessee.

Above you will find a list and dates for College Goal Sunday in Tennessee.

http://www.collegegoalsundayusa.org/

For others in the United States, you can find the College Goal Sunday dates and locations at the above website.

Now is the time to start getting your materials together to maximize your financial aid.

2012-13 FAFSA line-by-line Guide

http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/Volunteers/TrainingMaterials.htm

You might also find it instructive to look at the 2012-13 FAFSA line-by-line presentation, which includes instructions on how to fill out the current FAFSA line by line, including the changes this year in the FAFSA and how they will affect the person applying for financial aid.

The first part is online, with parts two and three to come later.

The Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2012-13

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/12-13_Guide.pdf

The federal government also publishes its annual Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2012-2013.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp

Here is a list of other federal publications to help you in finding money for college, as well as other information in your pursuit of your college dream.

Free Income Tax Assistance

Many times people are reluctant to fill out the FAFSA because they have not finished filling out their income taxes.

However, the waiting game can be harsh to those who wait later.

You can get income tax assistance to help you with your income tax if you make low to moderate income (less than $50,000).

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html

The IRS provides an 800 number to find VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Sites) sites near you, as well as AARP tax volunteer sites.

http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/

You don’t have to be older to use the AARP tax volunteer sites. (I used one about two years ago to get assistance on my taxes).

What should I bring to the VITA tax site?

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=167463,00.html

For a list of what to bring to the VITA or tax counselor site, consult this article.

Nashville Alliance for Financial Independence

http://www.nashvilleafi.org/index.htm

Nashville has the Nashville Alliance for Financial Independence, which gives free tax help to those who make $49,000 or less.

This is very lengthy post, but if you follow this information, you should be on your way to maximizing your financial aid.

Sincerely,
Mike

P.S. If you happen to be a follower of this blog, introduce yourself. Email me at scholarship at gmail.com and tell me who you are.

Potential $4,000 in scholarships; March 31 is the first deadline

2011-03-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Potential $4,000 in scholarships; March 31 is the first deadline

Two scholarships: $1,000 Deadline (March 31) and $3,000 Deadline (April 30)

Here is your chance to get a $1,000 or $3,000 in scholarships. Read on.
ScholarshipExperts.com is noted by Forbes.com as one of the best scholarship search engines on the web.

http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

Here you will find all the scholarships available from ScholarshipsExperts.com.

3 scholarships of $1,000 each are available for the Superpower Scholarship 2011. Deadline is 10:59 Central Time on March 31, 2011.

1 scholarship of $3,000 is available for the All About Education Scholarship 2011. Deadline is 10:59 Central Time on April 30, 2011.

It will take you about an hour or less to create a profile at http://www.scholarshipexperts.com .

Then, you will find more scholarships you can apply to as an extra benefit.

Then, you can spend as little as another hour writing up a 250 word response to the question. If you have time, you can bring your response to your favorite English teacher and have him or her look it over and give you suggestions.

Don’t forget the AARP Women’s Scholarship Program, Deadline: March 31, 2011

http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/info-2010/scholarship-opportunities.html

Criteria for the AARP Women’s Scholarship Program: “Women, age 40 and older; Low-income; Pursuing a technical or vocational education, an associates degree, or a first bachelor’s degree; Scholarship recipients who wish to reapply for a second year of assistance; Enrolled in a U.S. Department of education accredited school or technical program within 6 months of the scholarship award date”

Buick Achievers Scholarship, $25,000, Deadline: March 31, 2011

2011-03-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Buick Achievers Scholarship, $25,000, Deadline: March 31, 2011

I wanted you to know about the Buick Achievers Scholarship.

http://www.buickachievers.com/

Buick Achievers Scholarship is offering to 100 first-time freshman up to $25,000/year, renewable up to four years. The program is also offering $2,000/year for an additional 1,000 incoming students.

Deadline: March 31, 2011

Fom website: “Applicants must:

• Be high school seniors or high school graduates who are first-time college students in the fall of 2011

• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university for the entire 2011-12 academic year

• Plan to major in a course of study that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math). Select Design, Marketing, Accounting, Finance and Business majors are also eligible. Scholarship recipients will demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in the automotive or related industries using these areas of study.

• Be U.S. citizens and have permanent residence in the United States"

There are several eligible majors, including Supply Chain Management, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Administration, Graphic Design, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.

For a full list of majors eligible, http://www.buickachievers.com/questions_and_answers/ and look under the question, “What are the eligible majors?”

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program, Deadline: March 18, 2011

2011-03-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program, Deadline: March 18, 2011

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/GE-RFScholarships.aspx

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and GE will award up to 20 students a year with a renewable scholarship of $10,000 annually (up to $40,000 total per person).

If you will graduate from high school in Winter 2010 or Spring 2011, then check out the other criteria for this scholarship program.

You cannot apply for this scholarship at the last minute, but if you start today, you have a good chance.

Money in March-Money, Money, Money!

2011-03-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

AARP Scholarship for Women, Make Mine a Million, CFMT Scholarships, and FAFSA and VITA information

AARP Women's Scholarship Program, Deadline: March 30, 2011

http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/info-2010/scholarship-opportunities.html

Criteria for the AARP Women’s Scholarship Program:
· Women, age 40 and older
· Low-income
· Pursuing a technical or vocational education, an associates degree, or a first bachelor's degree
· Enrolled in a U.S. Department of education accredited school or technical program within 6 months of the scholarship award date

Make Mine a Million, open to female entrepreneurs, Deadline: March 28, 2011

http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/03/04/calling-female-entrepreneurs/

Make Mine a Million has a goal of making 1,000 female entrepreneurs grow their small businesses into million dollar companies.

Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) Scholarships, Deadline: March 15, 2011

http://www.cfmt.org/scholarships/

CFMT administers about 60 scholarships for the local Middle Tennessee community.

Some of these are very specific, pertaining to what high school you went to, what county you resided, and what particular university you are attending.

I have had several students apply and receive CFMT scholarships.

Filling Out the FAFSA

For help filling out the FAFSA, you can access the Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2011-2012: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/Funding_Education_Beyond_HS_2011-12.pdf

Federal Student Aid at a glance: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/doyouneedmoney.pdf

You can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID with questions.

I haven’t filled out my FAFSA because my parents or I haven’t done my taxes? What do I do?

You might need some help filling out your taxes. If you made $49,000 or below, you can get help at an IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site.

VITA sites are available everywhere in the U.S.

Information about VITA: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=235201,00.html

Check here to see what sites are available in your state: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=219171,00.html

In addition, AARP also has locations available to give tax help: http://www.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action

In Nashville, TN, call 2-1-1 for the nearest VITA site.

Scholarships for High School Students, Deadlines Loom

2011-02-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

Scholarships for High School Students, Deadlines Loom

1. http://www.discusawards.com/list-of-scholarships

Discus Awards each month, $2000, and other scholarships for high school students. Very impressive list.

2. http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Grades K-12, $15,000 Scholarship, “Registration closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on March 2, 2011, and entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).”

3. http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/

Google Global Science Fair, ages 13-18, Deadline: April 4 2011, up to
$50,000, and lots of great prizes, including a 10 day trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions.

4. http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/index.asp

Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program, ages 6-18, over $415,000 in scholarships and prizes, nominations accepted Feb 1-March 15, 2011

College Goal Sunday and FAFSA Help

2011-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

College Goal Sunday and FAFSA 2011-2012

College Goal Sunday is a program that occurs in all 50 states. . You will find financial aid professionals available to help you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Free Student Aid).

Many colleges require you to fill out the FAFSA to determine aid, and many scholarships require the FAFSA as part of their application process.

Find out what you need to bring, what Sunday the event is occurring, and other information about College Goal Sunday here: http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/

College Goal Sunday will occur on various Sundays throughout the United States. Here is a list of days in various states:
http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/studentsFamilies/calendar.cfm

Also, on the national College Goal Sunday website are training resources and materials for people who want to volunteer to help on those days.

A 2011-2012 FAFSA line-by-line presentation will be available here after Jan. 24, 2011: http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/Volunteers/TrainingMaterials.htm

College Goal Sunday in Tennessee

College Goal Sunday in Tennessee happens on Sunday, Jan. 30, and Sunday, Feb. 13, from 2-4 pm.

College Goal Sunday occurs at various locations in Tennessee. To find out what you need to bring, locations around the state, and other information about College Goal Sunday: http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/

Look for more FAFSA help and suggestions as we go along.

Are you going to attend College Goal Sunday? Leave your answer in the comments section.

Olive Garden Pasta Tales Essay Contest, Deadline: Jan 21, 2011

2011-01-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Olive Garden Pasta Tales Essay Contest, Deadline: Jan 21, 2011

I wanted to let you know that the Olive Garden is running a Pasta Tales Essay Contest. Top prize is a trip to New York City and a savings bond of $2500 at maturity.

The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States and Canada in grades 1-12. Twelve first-place prizes, one awarded in each grade category will be a savings bonds of $500 and a dinner for four at an Olive Garden Restaurant.

The Essay Topic will be “Describe how furthering your education beyond high school will help make your dreams come true.”

More information here: http://www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp

Mike Turner (ScholarshipMan), scholarship coaching sessions available

2011-01-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Almost every year, I teach a class for University School of Nashville’s Evening Classes ( http://www.eveningclasses.org ) about how to find money to go to college debt free.

The money raised goes to fund scholarships for students who are low income and want to attend USN.

This year, USN has asked me to give coaching sessions entitled Scholarship Man 1 to 1

Here is the class description: “Is it possible to emerge from a college education nearly or completely debt-free? For more than a decade MICHAEL TURNER has coached students, parents and adults how to find money to pay for college.

Michael will show you resources to find the most scholarship and internship money. If you wish, Michael can also show you how to identify careers that will be the most in demand.

Each hour-long one-to-one session will include a free copy of Michael's book *The S.E.C.R.E.T Method to Winning the Scholarship Game: 55 Secrets For Financing Your College Education at Little or No Cost,* and a personalized scholarship report. Age 16 and up. Read Michael's blog at http://www.scholarshipman.blogspot.com “

If you are interested in this class or other classes, you can find it by clicking on Online Catalog on the left at http://www.eveningclasses.org .

If you wish to find my class, click on 900, and sign up for session 918-920.

Sincerely,
Mike Turner,

My book: http://bit.ly/8fiq6K

P.S. There are several classes available, including those who are interested in writing, songwriting, cooking, or anything else under the sun.

They are having a Kickoff Event this Wed, Jan 12, at 7 pm, by offering this class, “Attention, Multi-Tasking, and Modern Technology,” taught by Dr. Marois at no cost: https://www.usn.org/ftpimages/392/misc/misc_79598.jpg

$33,000 in Scholarship Money for November 2010

2010-11-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

I have four finds for you this month: KFC Twitter Scholarship is open to high school seniors; the Zinch $1000 “Three Sentence Essay Contest” and Zinch $10,000 Talent Showcase Scholarship is open to high school, college, and international students; and the Discus Awards is open to high school students in grades 9-12.

And at the end of this post, I provide a link to Discus Awards’ list of other scholarships that you can apply for.

$20,000 KFC Twitter Scholarship, Deadline: Nov 26, 2010

If you are a high school senior, then you can twitter your way to $20,000, but you must include the hashtag #KFCScholar in your tweet as well as “why [you] exemplify Colonel Sanders’ commitment to education and enriching [your community], and why [you] are deserving of a college scholarship” in 140 characters or less.

Read the official Kentucky Fried Chicken news release for all the details: http://www.kfc.com/about/newsroom/111610.asp

$11,000 Potential in Scholarships from Zinch

I would advise for the two scholarships below that you create a separate email account strictly for scholarships. Remember to write down your username and password, or email that information to yourself.

1. http://degrees.zinch.com/scholars/weekly

Zinch $1000 “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship Contest

Every week, Zinch offers a 3 sentence essay contest.

From website, “Write a two to three sentence answer to the question below, fill out the form, and apply to win $1,000.”

The deadline this week is Monday, November 22, 2010.

This scholarship is open to high school, college, and international students.

2. http://degrees.zinch.com/scholars/digital-portfolio.html?source=SC-digital

$10,000 Zinch Talent Showcase Scholarship, Deadline: Nov 30, 2010

This scholarship is open to high school, college, and international students.

From website: “Apply today--it only takes 2 minutes! You will then have until Nov. 30th, 2010 to build your talent showcase. You can upload your poetry, photography, videos, and other artworks to your Zinch profile for a chance to win $10,000. It doesn't just have to be artwork--you can submit pictures of the service project you did, or of the amazing adventures you've had.”

Discus Award, $2000 each month, grades 9-12, Deadline: Nov 30, 2010

http://www.discusawards.com/

Discus Awards, open to students in grades 9-12, are awards that honor students who excel in three of 10 possible key attributes: academics, arts, athletics, community service, faith, government, green, technology, work, or other achievements.

From the Discus Awards’ About Page: “Students in grades 9-12 can nominate themselves or their friends, and teachers, counselors, and parents can nominate a high school student they know. Nominations are free, and will be accepted at www.DiscusAwards.com and soon on Facebook. It’s simple. Nominees pick three attributes, write a short blurb for each one, and provide a reference. Students are encouraged to go the extra mile with photos and videos illustrating their accomplishments. A judging panel of education professionals will review the nominations and name the winners.”

Also, the Discus Awards lists several scholarships that many students can apply for.
http://www.discusawards.com/list-of-scholarships

Good luck, and tell me if you win any of these scholarships, so we can share your success to encourage others.

3rd Annual Life Lessons Essay contest--$3,000 and a trip to New York

2010-09-17T07:24:00.001-07:00

3rd Annual Life Lessons Essay contest--$3,000 and a trip to New York

I wanted to alert you to this essay contest. The deadline is Sept. 24, 2010.

From website: “Finish this sentence: “I never thought I’d. . .”

Have you ever taken a huge, surprising risk? Did you climb a mountain? Go back to school? Get married (again)? Tell us about it: Enter Real Simple’s Third-Annual Life Lessons Essay Contest and you could have your essay published in Real Simple; win round-trip tickets for two to New York City, hotel accommodations for two nights, tickets to a Broadway play, and a lunch with Real Simple editors; and receive a prize of $3,000.”

For guidelines and examples of the last 2 essays, http://tinyurl.com/kk5ajx

Fall 2010 Television Writers Program for Hispanic Writers

2010-09-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Fall 2010 Television Writers Program for Hispanic Writers

If you are not aware, the deadline for the Fall 2010 Television Writers Program geared toward Hispanics has been extended to September 20.

Details here: http://nhmc.org/writersprogram

For other programs offered by ABC/ Walt Disney Television for those interested in writing, directing, acting, and production, check out http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/index.html

$21,000 for Drawing or Writing, and Colleges to Make You Rich

2010-09-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

$21,000 for Drawing or Writing—Deadlines in Sept

For those who want to pay for college without going further into debt, I wanted to alert you to two possibilities.

1. http://www.redvines.com/drawingcontest.html

Red Vines Drawing Contest–$20,000 or more, Deadline: Sept. 30, 2010

For the artistic types, check out this contest where your ability to draw is what helps you win.

You have to be a legal resident of the 50 United States or Washington, D.C., who are 6 years of age or older. Minors are required to get the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

The three age groups for this contest: kids (6-12), teens (13-18), and adults (19+).

The first place in each age group is $2,500 Educational Scholarship and a Red Vines Prize Pack or $2,500 Visa Gift Card and a Red Vines Prize Pack.

Check the above link for more details.

2. http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx#shout

Shout It Out Scholarship—5 awards of $1,000 each, Deadline: Sept. 30, 2010

You create a profile at http://scholarshipexperts.com and then answer the question, ”If you could say one thing to the entire world at once, what would it be and why?” in 250 words or less.

Colleges to Make You Rich

http://tinyurl.com/2anlp5x

A recent article of Forbes.com by Natalie Doss lists colleges that help their students from all kinds of background prosper after they graduate.

Doss writes, “Our list doesn't just rank the schools where graduates make the most money. Instead, we're interested in schools that raise their students above salary expectations. These are the colleges who can take a group of students that, statistically speaking, shouldn't go on to earn much, and help them beat the odds and make big bucks.”

Why don’t you read the article and tell me what you think?

Up to $53,000 Available in Scholarships

2010-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here are several scholarships with approaching deadlines.

They are open to either high school students or college students or both.

If you are a college student, tell your brothers, sisters, friends, and others about the ones for high school.

If you are a high school student, tell your brothers, sisters, friends, and others about the ones for college.

This way, the good you do in the world can return to you.

1. http://www.levistuition.com/

Levi’s / JCPenny $50,000 College Tuition

You choose to give the money to yourself, a friend, or a loved one.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to U.S. residents age 13 and older.
Sweepstakes ends 9/6/2010.

2. http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx#do-over

“Do Over” $1000 Scholarship

Five scholarships of $1,000 each, Deadline: Aug. 31, 2010

From website: “Do Over’ Scholarship 2010

ScholarshipExperts.com is again offering the ‘Do Over’ Scholarship and will award five scholarships of $1,000 each. Applicants must:

Be thirteen (13) years of age or older at the time of application

Be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia

Be currently enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2016) in an accredited post-secondary
institution of higher education

Submit an online short written response (250 words or less) for the topic:
“If you could get one ‘do over’ in life, what would it be and why?”

You must create a profile at http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/ in order to enter. By creating a profile, you learn about other scholarships you are eligible for.

3. http://www.discusawards.com/list-of-scholarships

Discus Awards’ List for College Scholarships

This list includes scholarships open to students in high school and some in college.

Discus Awards is open to high school students and a $2,000 scholarship is offered every month.

From website: “Eligibility: Open to all high school students

Deadline: August 31, 2010

Amount: $2,000

The Discus Awards, which rewards all-around high school students for their achievements in a variety of attributes, offers a $2,000 scholarship to one of its winners each month of the school year.

Nominations must be received by the last day of the current month to be eligible for the following month's scholarship so nominate yourself now for an award and scholarship.
The Discus Awards scholarship rewards total $20,000 each year.”

There are several more scholarships on this page you may apply for. Check them out.

$50,000 Educational Grant—Dollar General Literacy Rocks Essay Contest, Deadline: Aug. 30, 2010

2010-08-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

$50,000 Educational Grant—Dollar General Literacy Rocks Essay Contest, Deadline: Aug. 30, 2010

Yes, the ScholarshipMan is back!

I’m revising my book, and I’ll have a special offer in a few weeks for those who want to buy my book and learn how to find money and go to school debt-free.

You can enter the Dollar General READiscover your Love of Learning Literacy Rocks Essay Contest.

You must write an essay in 200 words or less on the following: “Tell us your story of how reading and education have brought you closer to fulfilling your dreams in 200 words or less. The essay must be based on actual events.”

One Grand Prize of a $50,000 Educational Grant and Grand Ole Opry Weekend, hosted by Gretchen Wilson.

Five first prizes of $5,000 Educational Grants.

The essay contest ends at 11:59:59 PM (EDT) 8/30/10, or 10:59: 59 PM in the Central Time Zone.

More details here: http://www.dollargeneral.com/Promotions/Pages/essay_contest.aspx

You can only enter once. Multiple submissions are not allowed.

$9,000 worth of scholarships and more

2010-05-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I have been not updating. To make up for time, here are some great opportunities.

1. ScholarshipExperts.com is once again offering several scholarships for 2010.

http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

The first scholarship is $1000 and involves writing up to a 250 word response to the question, “If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?” Deadline is June 30, 2010.

The second scholarship is $1,000 “Do Over” Scholarship with a deadline of August 31, 2010.

There are 5 scholarships offered for 2010, including a $5,000 “Education Matters” scholarship with a deadline of October 31, 2010.

All require you create a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com, mentioned as one of the best scholarship search engines by Forbes.com.

2. 2010 Big Sun Scholarship, Deadline: June 24, 2010; Award:$500

http://www.uarts.edu/images/development/Big_Sun_Scholarship.pdf

Answer a short essay question, “How has your participation in sports affected the person you are becoming?”

Open to student athletes, high school seniors or those attending a post secondary institute.
3. Scholarships Found on other Websites

http://www.uarts.edu/admission/scholarshipbb.html

An art college scholarship bulletin board with several interesting scholarships; I found the 2010 Big Sun Scholarship on this one.

http://www.eastchance.com/index.asp

I found several interesting scholarships on this website.

Search over 60,000 scholarships using MyCollegeOptions.org

2010-04-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Search over 60,000 scholarships using MyCollegeOptions.org

http://www.mycollegeoptions.org/

I stumbled upon MyCollegeOptions.org, which is a pretty substantial website to assist you in your college and scholarship search, helping you to go to college debt-free.

According to its website, MyCollegeOptions.org “is a comprehensive, free online college planning service that is a division of the National Research Center for College & University Admissions. NRCCUA is a non-profit education research organization based in Lee's Summit, MO. For over 38 years, NRCCUA has conducted the largest nationwide survey of high school students, which serves as a communications link between college-bound high school students and public and private colleges and universities.”

Scholarship Search at MyCollegeOptions.org

http://www.mycollegeoptions.org/scholarship-advanced-search.aspx

You can search from a list of over 60,000 scholarship matches by location, major, ethnicity, and religion.

For more advanced searches, you can register at the website.

Admissions Advice Blog

http://notjustadmissions.com/

Dr. Andrew Flagel has also paired with MyCollegeOptions.org to offer admissions advice.

According to a press release, “Flagel is a leader in using technology and social media to communicate with students about the college planning process and increase college access among underserved student populations. He has been a blogger for many years, bringing humor and often blunt and biting views on college admissions to his audience.”

$25,000 AFLAC 10 Second Challenge, $50,000 Free Enterprise Video Contest

2010-04-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

$25,000 AFLAC 10 Second Challenge, $50,000 Free Enterprise Video Contest

http://www.aflac.com/10seconds/

Recently, you may have noticed a commercial on TV in which the Aflac insurance company challenges you to make a 10 second commercial explaining Aflac insurance.

Grand Prize: $25,000; three $1,000
Deadline: Ends on 4/18/10 at 11:59:59 P.M., ET

Information in quotation marks comes from the website:

1. “Make a video summarizing what Aflac does in 10 seconds or less, but keep the total video length under two minutes.”

2. Upload the video at the appropriate websites.

3. “Tell your friends, your neighbors, your mail carrier, everyone. The more votes you get, the closer you are to $25,000 and a custom You Don't Know Quack showboard . . . Three runners up will receive $1,000.”

4. “Open only to eligible legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age as of date of entry. Residents of Puerto Rico are not eligible to enter or win.”

Other Video Contests & Competitions

http://vidopp.com/

I discovered a blog that list other video contests and competitions. You can use any money from these competitions to go toward paying for college debt-free.

For example, here is one competition I found on this blog:

http://www.freeenterprise.com/

I am Free Enterprise Video Contest

Awards: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $30,000; Third Place, $20,000
Deadline: received by Friday, April 9, at 6 p.m. EDT

Eligibility: “This Contest is open to all individuals who are business owners, aspiring business owners, or entrepreneurs. You must be a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia. You must have reached the age of majority in the state where you reside as of the start date of this Contest.”

Other criteria: “You must create one (1) original video no longer than three (3) minutes in length . . . Create a video explaining what free enterprise means to you – the successful launch of a business, the invention of an innovative product, or how your idea will generate new jobs to boost the economy.”

Read all the rules and eligibility guidelines.

Tell me about your adventures with these competitions.

Scholarships for Those in Foster Care, Legally Blind, or Interested in the Automotive Field

2010-03-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have listed three scholarships for your information, and at the end, I include a secret of how to use google to find other scholarships that you can apply for.

1. http://orphan.org/index.php?id=30

Casey Family Scholars Scholarship, Foster Care To Success Scholarship, 2010-11 Casey Family Graduate Scholarship

Deadline: online application, midnight March 31, 2010

From website: “These scholarships are awarded based on a combination of merit and need, and funding levels are determined based on cost of attendance and other resources.”

“Applicants must...

1. Have been in foster care for one consecutive year at the time of their 18th birthday OR have been adopted or taken into legal guardianship out of foster care or upon the death of their parents after their 16th birthday OR have lost both parents to death before the age of 18 and not been subsequently adopted or taken into legal guardianship.

2. Be enrolled in or accepted into an accredited post-secondary program at the undergraduate level (university, college, community college or vocational/technical institute.)

3. Be under the age of 25 on March 31, 2010.

4. Have been in foster care or orphaned while living in the United States. U.S. citizenship is not required.”

There are several more programs available from the Orphan Foundation of America. Look around its website: http://orphan.org/index.php

Look under Programs.

2. http://www.nfb.org/nfb/scholarship_program.asp

National Federation of the Blind 2010 Scholarship Program, up to 30 scholarships, ranging from $3,000 to $12,000

Deadline: March 31, 2010

3. http://www.castrolsyntec.com/CastrolScholarship-2010.aspx

The Eric Medlen Automotive Scholarship, $10,000; $5,000 or $2,500; Deadline: before April 30, 2010

From website: “The Eric Medlen Automotive Scholarship powered by Castrol SYNTEC awards aspiring auto technicians, ages 16-25, with scholarships to pursue education in the automotive field . . . tell us in 500 words or less why you should win the Eric Medlen Automotive Scholarship powered by Castrol SYNTEC.”

To find more scholarships, go to http://www.google.com and type in the search field, scholarship March 31 2010.

Then, you can find scholarships with deadlines of March 31, 2010 (where do you think I found scholarships 1 and 2?)

I would also suggest typing in the search field, scholarship March 31 or scholarships March 31 or scholarships March 31 2010.

Scholarships Galore! Deadlines in Feb, March, April

2010-02-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Scholarships Galore! Deadlines in Feb, March, April

1. http://www.aarpfoundationwlc.org/

AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program, Deadline: March 31, 2010

From website: ”Who is eligible to apply? To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be:
Women
Age 40 or over by March 31, 2010
U.S. Citizens
Able to demonstrate financial need
Enrolled in an accredited school or technical program in the U.S., within 6 months of the scholarship award date."

Also, included on this website is free 43 page ebook entitled, Back-to-School Financing Guide: A Financial Guide Book for Midlife and Older Women Seeking Education and Training.

2. http://www.cfmt.org/index.php

Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) Scholarships, Deadline: March 15, 2010

CFMT administers several scholarships for the local Middle Tennessee community. Look at some of the following scholarships offered, especially at the Jerry Newson Scholarship, Drue Smith/Society of Professional Journalists Scholarship, Emmett H. Turner Scholarship, Teddy Wilburn Scholarship, The Woman's Club of Nashville Scholarship, and John W. Work III Memorial Foundation Scholarship.

Some of these are very specific, pertaining to what high school you went to, what county you resided, and what particular university you are attending.

Explore them all to see which pertains to you.

3. http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subptyschol.inc

2010 Tylenol Scholarship Program, Deadline: May 14, 2010

From website: “Now in its 18th year, the TYLENOL® Scholarship program helps students getting a healthcare-related education manage the rising costs of education.

This year, we’ll be awarding $250,000 in scholarships to forty students based on leadership qualities and performance. We encourage any student who is pursuing a career in healthcare to apply.

Additional scholarship details:
Scholarships awarded to students pursuing healthcare-related education.
Ten students will be awarded $10K scholarships
Thirty students will receive $5K grants”

4. http://www.gkscholarship.com/

$1,000 Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship, Deadline: July 31, 2010

Scholarship Opportunities and Other Possibilities

I do not have time to write up and analyze every scholarship opportunity that I find. Below you will find scholarships I haven’t had time to investigate fully, but there are wonderful opportunities if you are willing to do the research.

Some of these deadlines are in the next day or two.

1. http://www.girlsgoingplaces.com/

Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Program. Deadline: Feb 26, 2010

2. http://bit.ly/d0kq1b

American Cancer Society Cancer Survivor College Scholarship Program—various scholarships are listed in this article

3. http://scholarshipamerica.org/open_scholarships.php

Scholarship America—Available Scholarships; various deadlines: Feb. 15, 2010; April 15, 2010; Feb. 25, 2010; Mar 10, 2010, and more

4. http://scholarships.fatomei.com/

Nationally Coveted College Scholarships, Graduate School Fellowships & Postdoctoral Awards

5. http://www.jkcf.org/

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

6. http://bit.ly/9QNhCe

Golden Key International Honour Society Scholarships & Awards

7. http://orphan.org/index.php?id=programs

Orphan Foundation of America programs and scholarships (foster care)

8. http://bit.ly/V4q4N

Rotary International—opportunities for students and youth

9. http://www.glamour.com/about/top-10-college-women

Glamour's Top 10 College Women Competition. Deadline: Dec 1, 2010

10. http://bit.ly/9UsckT

Article at Scholarships.com about Scholarships for Women

11. http://bit.ly/a1vFzc

Article about scholarships for Tennessee residents

12. http:/bit.ly/183hBR

VFW $30,000 Voice of Democracy Scholarship, Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010

13. http://bit.ly/HamcD

VFW $10,000 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest, Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010

Deadlines Passed

Deadlines already passed, but you can check them out for next year and prepare

1. http://www.gmsp.org/

Gates Millennium Scholars Program—you can study the requirements for next year

2. http://www.kfcscholars.org/scholarships/

KFC Colonel’s Scholars Program—class of 2011, process begins Dec. 1, 2010

3. https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/index.jsp

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

4. http://www.axa-equitable.com/axa-foundation/AXA-achievement-access.html

A list of all AXA Achievement Scholarships and programs; to register and learn about when the 2011 AXA Achievement Scholarship becomes available, click here: http://www.axa-scholarship.com/

5. http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Vegetarian Scholarship—open to high school seniors who are living the vegetarian lifestyle; Deadline: Feb. 20, 2010

6. http://www.axa-equitable.com/axa-foundation/community-scholarships.html

AXA Achievement Community Scholarship Program, Deadline: Feb. 15, 2010

FAFSA Survival Guide, Part 2

2010-02-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of the FAFSA Survival Guide.

1. http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp

Federal Student Aid Publications

Several good publications are available in PDF format, informing students and parents on how to file the FAFSA, how to choose a college or career, and how to avoid student loan scams.

Of particular interest to those who have students in middle and junior high schools is a publication called My Future, My Way: How to Go, How to Pay—A Workbook for Students in Middle and Junior High Schools.

Also on this page is the publication, Closed School Guide for Students, which details what students should do if their school suddenly closes and they are not through with their program.

Another publication, Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employees, can make some interesting reading.

2. http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/01/avoid-student-aid-traps.html

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine web site has a great article entitled, "11 Student-Aid Traps to Avoid," which would make for timely reading: 3.

3. http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/financialaid-form-gets-a-facelift.html

Another Kiplinger article, “Financial-Aid Form Gets a Facelift: The new FAFSA is shorter, more helpful and less confusing”:

4. http://www.fafsaonline.com/fafsa-guide-ebook.php

FAFSA Guide eBook – Line By Line FAFSA Help! If you look at the endorsements, this ebook comes highly recommended!

Choosing a Major May be More Important
Than Your College

According to Marc Scheer, author of No Sucker Left Behind: Avoiding the Great College Rip-Off, what major you choose may have more of an impact on your starting salary than the college you attend: “An interesting quirk of college pricing is that every ‘major’ (area of academic concentration) within a school usually costs the same price(even after financial aid is considered)—but different majors lead to different salaries . . . in fact, students’ choice of major has more of an impact on their salaries than where they go to college, and this has been supported in various research studies.”

I highly recommend Marc Scheer’s No Sucker Left Behind. The book has several strategies to maximize your value in searching for a college.

College Goal Sunday and FAFSA 2010-2011 Survival Guide, Part 1

2010-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday is Sunday, Feb. 14, a program which occurs in all 50 states, where financial counselors will help you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Free Student Aid).

To learn where in your state you can get help and when, click here: http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/

In Tennessee, College Goal Sunday starts at 2 pm. More details here: http://www.tn.gov/collegegoalsunday/

FAFSA 2010-2011 Survival Guide, Part 1

1. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Students can go to Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online and apply. If you apply online, the process is faster.

Also, students and parents can receive assistance in completing the FAFSA online by calling 1-800-801-0576.

Since this is a government website, .gov will be in the web address. Any .com in the web address will charge you money and is a rip-off, and that .com is not associated with the federal government.

2. http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/fafsa.jsp

Information about filling out the FAFSA on the web

3. http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html

Information about completing the FAFSA can be found here, including the PDF versions of the Dept. of Education's Completing the FAFSA, 2010-2011.

On Friday, I will list more resources in FAFSA 2010-2010 Survival Guide, Part 2

Have the Federal Government Pay Back your Student Loans?

2010-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have been reading Lynnette Khalfani’s Zero Debt for College Grads: From Student Loans to Financial Freedom.

I highly recommend you look into her book, either by buying it or checking it out from your library.

Ms. Khalfani writes this about the Federal Student Loan Repayment Plan: “Under the Federal Student Loan Repayment Plan, the government allows any federal agency to repay your FFEL, direct, Perkins, or HEAL loans in order to attract or retain highly qualified workers in the federal government. Interestingly, each agency sets its own definition of highly qualified.”

She points out that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the best source to learn about this program.

Here I provide you with a direct link to the Student Loan Repayment Program Fact Sheet: http://www.opm.gov/oca/pay/studentloan/index.asp

Office of Personnel Management: http://www.opm.gov/

Ms. Khalfani also tells where you can find a listing of “all federal departments and agencies in America”; the link has slightly changed since the publication of her book. Instead of firstgov.gov, it is now usa.gov.

Here is the new link: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml

For a thorough discussion of this program and places that you can work, including independent agencies--such as AmeriCorps, CIA, or Export-Import Bank of the United States (ExIm)—or quasifederal agencies—such as Legal Services Corporation (LSC) or the Smithsonian Institution, I highly recommend you read the section of Ms. Khalfani’s book, “Repayment Assistance Programs Nobody Told You About” in Chapter 9, Eliminate Student Loans with Loopholes: Qualify for Loan Cancellation or Get Others to Pay.

My next entry will be FAFSA 2010-2011, A Survival Guide, Part 1.

“Danger of Debt” Contest--$1000, Jan. 31 deadline

2010-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to the Consumers Union newsletter, and I learned about this organization’s “Danger of Debt” Contest.

From the newsletter: “We know you’re furious about the recent wave of credit card interest rate hikes – especially since it appears the banks did them to beat a new February law that will crack down on their abusive tactics.

What better way to channel your anger than to capture it in your own drawing, cartoon, photograph or other image – and possibly win $1,000! That should help pay off those bills!

Consumers Union’s “Dangers of Debt” contest is returning again this year to highlight unfair credit and lending tactics, and you have until Jan. 31 to submit your entry. Put your passion to work and help us spread the word about bringing some common sense reforms to credit and lending practices in the United States.”

Here is the link to the contest and its details: http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/15558

Deadlines near—Apply today! $36,000 Potential in Scholarships

2009-12-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

I am writing this entry from the Italian Market (http://italianmarket.biz/) in Nashville, Tennessee, a great place to eat authentic Italian food, drink coffee, and compose blog entries using their high speed access.

I wanted to let you know about these opportunities before they slipped away.

1. http://bit.ly/78BtE8

Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program

Amount: $5,000 (one); $1,000 (four given)

Deadline: Dec 31, 2009

Criteria: From article: “The Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program encourages students to offer innovative ideas and solutions to ‘solve the foreclosure crisis’ in the form of an essay. Essay submissions must be between 1,000 and 2,500 words and all accepted freshman and enrolled under-graduate and graduate students are eligible to apply. First place prize is $5,000 and second through fifth place will be awarded $1,000 each.”

Other info: This Fastweb article contains a direct link to the competition.

2. http://bit.ly/8IVN2f

ScholarshipExperts.com’s “Top Ten List” Scholarship

Amount: $1,000; 5 scholarships

Deadline: Dec 31, 2009

Criteria: Open to almost everybody, age 13 or above, legal residents of the 50 United States or DC, and currently enrolled (or enrolled no later than 2014) in an accredited post-secondary institution

Other info: Create a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com and answer the following in 250 words or less: “Create a ‘top ten list’ of the craziest or most unique scholarships you have heard of, and briefly describe each scholarship. Note: The awards may be real or fictional.”

3. http://bit.ly/430m8G

Talbots Women’s Scholarship Fund

Amount: $30,000 (one)
$15,000 (up to 10)

More details: “Up to ten (10) scholarships of $15,000 and one (1) $30,000 scholarship will be awarded. Only applicants seeking a bachelor's degree are eligible to receive the Nancy Talbot Scholarship Award. Awards are one-time only, are not renewable, and are paid in U.S. currency.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.”

Deadline: 11:59 p.m., January 2, 2010

Criteria: “Applicants to the Talbots Scholarship Foundation must:

• Be women currently residing in the United States or Canada;
• Be women who earned a high school diploma or their GED on or before September 2000;
• Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full- or part-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-, three- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in the United States or Canada;
• Be attending the full 2010-11 academic year and receiving a degree no earlier than May 2011; and
• Have at least two semesters (24 credit hours or more) remaining to complete an undergraduate* degree as of the beginning of the 2010 fall academic term.

Only the first 5,000 eligible applications submitted will be processed.”

All quotation marks represent text taken directly from their respective websites.

I hope this information helps you, and share your success.

If you wish help in finding scholarships and internships, use the method outlined in my new ebook, now available on Scribd: http://bit.ly/8fiq6K

6 Athena Scholarship Awards--$21,000 for Women at Stake

2009-12-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

6 Athena Scholarship Awards--$21,000 for Women at Stake

The deadline is approaching for the 2010 Athena Award & Scholarship Program: Friday, December 18, 2009.

There are six categories that women of various ages and stages of life can apply.

Category 1—Traditional: Two scholarships are available for female high school seniors “graduating from public or private high schools located in Davidson and contiguous counties in the amount of up to $5,000 for first place and up to $2,500 for second place.”

At stake: $5,000, $2,500

There are four different types of non-traditional scholarships available.

Category 2—Non-traditional scholarships “will provide two scholarships in the amounts of $5,000 and $2,500 presented to women who have chosen to pursue an associate or bachelors degree later in life.”

At stake: $5,000, $2,500

Category 3—“Non-Traditional Women in Technology of Tennessee (WiTT) provides a $3,000 scholarship to a woman currently in the workforce who has chosen to pursue a degree in science, technology, engineering or research field.”

At stake: $3,000

Category 4—A “3,000 scholarship to a woman currently in the workforce who has chosen to pursue a degree in a healthcare related field.”

If you are a non-traditional candidate, you can apply to category 2 and either to category 3 or 4, with each application reviewed separately.

You must also write an essay of 300 words or less based on the ATHENA story: “What is the greatest gift you have to give and to whom would you give it?”

Each category has its specific guidelines and criteria. Please read all information to see if you qualify . . . and then apply.

More information: http://www.nashvilleathenaawards.org/awards/

Health Insurance for College Students & Healthcare for Everybody

2009-11-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance for College Students & Healthcare for Everybody

Options for College Students and Health Insurance

The New York Times has information on what to do to make sure your college student is insured.

In a recent article I found on New York Times’s website, “A Maze of Options on Health Insurance for College Students,” I learned that 20% of traditional age college students do not have health insurance.

Also, parents should check their health policies to make sure what the definition of full-time student is, because such a definition may vary, affecting health coverage.

As people lose their jobs, many college students are losing their coverage.
Here is the article: http://bit.ly/F7S2p

I highly recommend reading this article, and doing the follow up this article suggests.

Also, on this page on the left side, you’ll find a podcast of over 10 minutes detailing information about health insurance for college students.

Health Care Centers

Health Care Centers are centers for people who have little or no health insurance. You pay according to your income on a sliding scale.

Some statistics from the website: “In 2008, Health Centers cared for more than 17 million patients, including 3.1 million who received dental services and 678,000 who received mental health care. Health Centers also employ more than 113,000 people in underserved communities and leverage more than $8 billion in other health resources.”

For the story on Health Centers and to locate one near you, http://www.hrsa.gov/ourStories/healthCenter.shtm

I looked up Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, and I found 13 such health centers serving the city where I live.

Bolles has Got Your Back

I was in the bookstore, drinking coffee and checking out the latest edition of Richard Nelson Bolles’s 2010 What Color Is Your Parachute?

The most recent edition of this perennial job-hunting classic deals with how to find a job in these difficult times.

On page 11, Bolles gives out three websites for people who have been recently unemployed and need to search for health insurance.

Those websites are
http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net —from website: “The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute has written A CONSUMER GUIDE FOR GETTING AND KEEPING HEALTH INSURANCE for each state and the District of Columbia — fifty-one in all. These Consumer Guides are available at this web site and will be updated periodically as changes in federal and state policy warrant.”

http://www.ehealthinsurance.com -compare health insurance policies, coverages, and rates

http://www.freelancersunion.org —a national membership organization that is free to join and provides health insurance and other benefits to its members. You might check it out if you do some kind of independent work or freelancing.

Who’s Got the 211? Public Resources at Your Fingertips

http://www.211.org/

211 is a national movement to establish 211 as the place to call to find out about free resources in the community.

You can find out about all kinds of resources in your community.

From website: “2-1-1 provides free and confidential information and referral. Call 2-1-1 for help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling and more. Learn more about your local 2-1-1 by looking it up here.”

Information about Healthcare and Other Resources for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, Residents

http://btc.nashville.gov/

Bridges to Care is a program to help the uninsured of Davidson County, Tennessee.

My understanding is you must seek this out before you need medical care, so if you don’t have medical insurance and live in Nashville, Tennessee, seek out this information immediately.

http://www.resourcehouse.com/en/dev/cgi-bin/location.asp

This is a resource database for Nashville, Middle and East Tennessee residents.

The database contains “information on the community services individuals . . . need to sustain and improve their daily lives--health care and childcare, job training, education and recreation, retirement, disability and social service information.”

I found this resource by using the 211 directory above.

Disclaimer: I provide this information to assist you. I am not rendering legal, healthcare, or other advice. I sound like a book and its disclaimer.

These are starting points to assist you in your investigation. This took me a little over two hours to compile and many days of researching.

I hope this information assists you in bettering your life.

Oh, if you enjoy this blog and want to support my efforts in providing such information, feel free to view a copy of my ebook and purchase it if you like:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22781742/Secret-Method-2-0

Congresswoman Supplies Informative Free Scholarship Ebook and I Sold My First Book!

2009-11-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

1. Free Scholarship Ebook

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard has compiled a Student Resource Guide (including scholarships, internships, fellowships, books, and websites). This resource guide has scholarships listed by monthly deadlines, spring deadlines, monthly deadlines, and no deadlines.

Here it is: http://bit.ly/4qDERC

Once you download this book to your desktop, you can see what scholarships have November deadlines. Then, you can click on links to gain more information about that particular scholarship.

Scholarships with deadlines are arranged by month, so you can look at deadlines for December and January. Start investigating those scholarships that apply to you.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard also has a valuabe students section on her website. That section is also worth checking out: http://roybal-allard.house.gov/Students/

2. I Sold my First Book!

I would like to inform you that I have sold my first ebook.

If you want to take a look at my book and purchase a book that can change your life once you start applying the principles, try it out here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22781742/Secret-Method-2-0

O*Net System--Career Exploration for Free

2009-11-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

In researching a presentation I did for a major heathcare organization on scholarships and work opportunities in the heathcare industry, I came across the O*Net System.

I also mention this system in my ebook.

1. O*Net Online System

http://online.onetcenter.org/

http://www.onetcenter.org/

The O*Net System is the "nation's primary source of occupational information" and stands for Occupational Informational Network.

Basically, you can now go online and found out what will be the projected need and growth for a certain occupation in the next ten years, how much education will that occupation most likely require, and what are the wages for that occupation across the nation, including a breakdown of wages by state and major metropolitan areas.

The wage information is very informative, going beyond the average. Salaries are given in the bottom 10% and 25% (the range for starting salaries), the Median income (the average salary), and the top 75% and 95% range (the salary at the high end). This gives you a more accurate picture of salaries and what to ask for when you get to that stage in the interview process.

2. O*Net Career Exploration Tools

http://www.onetcenter.org/tools.html

O*Net also provides a set of career exploration tools. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for career assessment, you can use this free resource.

Here is a description of the tools and the concept behind them from the website:
"The O*NET team has designed a set of self-directed career exploration/assessment tools to help workers consider and plan career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. They also are designed for use by students who are exploring the school-to-work transition. The assessment instruments, which are based on a "whole-person" concept, include:

O*NET Ability Profiler
O*NET Interest Profiler
O*NET Computerized Interest Profiler
O*NET Work Importance Locator
O*NET Work Importance Profiler

These instruments will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes. Users of the tools may link to the more than 800 occupations described by the O*NET database, as well as to occupational information in CareerOneStop. This allows individuals to make a seamless transition from assessing their interests, work values, and abilities to matching their job skills with the requirements of occupations in their local labor market."

When I look at this system, I am amazed.

This is a resource provided by our federal government. Your tax money paid for this informative and accurate guide.

Go forth and prosper!

Ebook Has Arrived!

2009-11-19T17:40:00.001-08:00

Hello scholarship seekers!

I have just uploaded my ebook, The S.E.C.R.E.T. Method to Winning the Scholarship Game: 55 Secrets for Financing Your College Education at Little or No Cost, on Scribd.

You can see a preview and purchase the book (if you like) at the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22781742/Secret-Method2-0

You also get a special code, so that when you send me email, I answer your questions first.

Turkeys! Scholarships in November for Humans

2009-11-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

I'm very sorry I haven't been keeping up my blogging, but I have been updating my ebook.

I have had several people test the ebook links to make sure they work, so look forward very soon to my ebook release.

Let's get started with some November scholarships.

1. eCornell Entrepreneur Video Contest

Cornell University's College of Engineering is offering a certificate in A Systems Approach to Product and Service Design

"1 winner will win a scholarship for the eCornell Systems Approach to Product and Service Design Certificate program, free of charge (a $3,500 dollar value). Two additional entrants will win 2 free courses each ($1,250 dollar value each)."

Deadline: November 30, 2009

Info here: http://www.ecornell.com/l-entrepreneur-video-contest/

2. Many websites for high schools and colleges collect links and information about scholarships that might be of interest to their students.

Of course, these resources are available to us all. I will list a website or two and discuss briefly some of the scholarships I found on them.

There are even more scholarships on these websites that you should access and check out.

http://oaklandtech.com/staff/scholarship/

This is a list of current scholarships found on Oakland Technical High School's website.

Some I found on this website were

CH2M Hill Scholarship
Deadline: November 20, 2009
Prizes: First prize – $500.00; Second Prize –$300.00; Third Prize - $200.00

Open to seniors in high school interested in pursuing careers in engineering.

3. On the website above, I found out about the MetroPCS Community Scholars Program. I clicked on the link and discovered more information.

Deadline: November 25, 2009
From website: "Awards $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors who plan to continue education in college or university programs. In addition, MetroPCS and Kyocera will award a grand prize scholarship of $25,000 to one lucky finalist.

The MetroPCS Community Scholars Program was founded by MetroPCS to encourage high school students to become involved in volunteer activities that give back to their community, and to help young people pay for a college education."

These scholarships are only open to high school seniors in the MetroPCS areas: Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacremento, San Francisco, and Tampa.

4. Also, don't forget the following scholarships I mentioned before in my blog: Vanguard Scholarship Program, Vanguard Women in Information Technology Scholarship Program, and AXA Achievement Scholarship.

Link to blog entry: http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/10/three-scholarships-you-need-to-know.html

Scholarships for Women

2009-10-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

I googled scholarships for women, and I found this great article at Scholarships.com: https://www.scholarships.com/scholarships-for-women.aspx

One scholarship mentioned in the article is the Guardian Girls Going Places Entreneurship Award, open to girls ages 12-18. From article: "Guardian grants a total of $30,000 in scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, to 15 winners who demonstrate budding entrepreneurship and are taking the first steps toward financial independence while making a difference in their communities. Nominations are accepted from September to February each year."

Entries must be postmarked by or on February 26, 2010.

Another scholarship mentioned is the Glamour Top 10 College Women Competition, in which college juniors who have "excellent academic records, leadership experience on and off campus and inspiring goals." 10 winners will receive $3,000, in addition to being featured in the magazine and winning a trip to New York City to be recognized and to meet professional businesswoman.

Applications must be received by December 1, 2009.

There are several more scholarships for women of all ages. The article contains a link to each scholarship or opportunity.

$5,000 Education Matters Scholarship

2009-10-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

"Education Matters" $5K Scholarship 2009
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: Oct. 31, 2009

You are required to create a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com. Not a bad deal, since ScholarshipExperts.com has been touted by Forbes.com "Best of the Web" Review as "the best scholarship search engine we found."

ScholarshipExperts.com boasts "2.4 million scholarships worth over $14 billion."

You must be 13 year of age or older, a legal resident of the U.S. or the District of Columbia, be currently enrolled (or enrolled no later than the fall of 2014) in an accredited college or university, and submit a short written answer (250 words or less) to the question, “What would you say to someone who thinks education doesn’t matter, or that college is a waste of time and money?”

More information here: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx#5K2

VFW $30,000 Voice of Democracy competition & VFW $10,000 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest

2009-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

VFW $30,000 Voice of Democracy

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) sponsors the Voice of Democracy completion, where students in grades 9th-12th can write and record a broadcast script on the 2009-2010 patriotic theme, “Does America Still Have Heroes?”

First place is $30,000.

State winners receive a free trip to Washington, D.C., and compete for $149,000 in scholarships—the total monies are more than $2.5 million.

Entry deadline is Nov. 1, 2009.

More information here: http://bit.ly/183hBR

VFW $10,000 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest

VFW also sponsors this contest, in which 6th-8th graders can compete and write an essay on the 2009-2010 theme, "When is the Right Time to Honor Our Military Heroes?"

Students compete on the local, state, and national level. State winners compete for over $91,000 in U.S. Savings bonds.

The national winner receives a $10,000 U.S. Savings and a free trip to Washington, D.C.

Entry deadline is Nov. 1, 2009.

More information here: http://bit.ly/HamcD

VFW Teacher of the Year Program

VFW recognizes educators with its Teacher of the Year program, where three teachers will be chosen for “their outstanding commitment to teach Americanism and patriotism to their students.”

For more information about the VFW and its scholarship programs, check out the organization’s website: http://bit.ly/xAx6G

Look for information about the Teacher of the Year programs on the top left of the page.

You will also find information about the VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship.

MeritAid.com--11 Billion in Merit-Based Aid

2009-10-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

MeritAid.com is a website that promises to connect $11 Billion available in merit-based aid to the college you are thinking about attending.

You can look up scholarships for particular colleges you are interested in going to.

Also, if you create a profile, you can download a free "Save Money on College" ebook.

http://www.meritaid.com/index.jsp

Crash the Doritos Superbowl Ad Contest –Become a Millionaire

2009-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Crash the Doritos Superbowl Ad Contest –Become a Millionaire

Deadline: Nov 9, 2009

Though this isn’t a scholarship, it is an opportunity.

Use your creative ability and intelligence to win the Doritos Crash the Superbowl Ad Contest.

You can win anywhere from $25,000 to $1 million. Yea, you read that right: $1,000,000.

Taken from the official rules: “CREATIVE ASSIGNMENT: Here's the setup for the biggest Crash ever. Get together your idea for a Doritos® brand Super Bowl XLIV commercial. Go for action-packed. Or go for funny. It's up to you. Then write it, shoot it and submit it.

Make it as one of the six finalists and win $25,000. Then, if America votes it in our Top 3 submissions, your video will be aired as a Doritos® brand commercial during Super Bowl XLIV.
But that's not it. If you get first place on the USA Today Ad Meter, we'll give you $1,000,000. Second wins $600,000, and third wins $400,000. If we take the Top 3, everyone gets another $1,000,000. Sound good? We thought so.

* The criteria for the USA Today Ad Meter is determined solely by USA Today, which is not affiliated with this promotion in any way.”

My advice. Read all the rules. Get creative. And tell me if you enter.

Main website: http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/

Official Rules: http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/official_rules.html

Forum: http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/forum/

Be a Coca-Cola Scholar, or a Community College Coca-Cola Scholar

2009-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation gives out $3.4 million annually through its two programs, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, open to high school seniors, and the Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team Program, open to participating community college members.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program is open to seniors who meet eligibility requirements at the time of application. The deadline is before October 31, 2009.

From the webpage: “50 students are then designated as National Scholars and receive awards of $20,000 for college; 200 students are designated as Regional Scholars and receive awards of $10,000 for college. “

Eligibility requirements from webpage: “APPLICANTS MUST BE:
• CURRENT high school (or home-schooled) seniors attending school in the United States (or select DoD schools);
• U.S. Citizens; U.S. Nationals; U.S. Permanent Residents; Temporary Residents (in a legalization program); Refugees; Asylees; Cuban-Haitian Entrants; or Humanitarian Parolees;
• anticipating completion of high school diploma at the time of application;
• planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution;
• carrying a minimum 3.00 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school.”

To learn more about both programs, consult the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation page: https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/index.jsp

Three Scholarships You Need to Know About

2009-10-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

I learned about three scholarships administered by Scholarship America.

Scholarship America, according its website, "is the nation's largest non-profit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization." It has distributed over $2 billion to almost 200 million students.

1. Vanguard Scholarship Program--Deadline: Nov. 29, 2009; up to $10,000

From website: "Merit-based scholarships of up to $10,000 to minority students pursuing studies in business, finance, economics, accounting, information technology or the liberal arts.

To be considered, the student must be a racial minority, be entering their senior year of undergraduate study in the fall of 2010, be enrolled full-time in a four-year accredited college or university in the United States, and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The student must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States."

2. Vanguard Women in Information Technology Scholarship Program--Deadline: Nov. 29, 2009; up to $8,000

From website: "Merit-based scholarships of up to $8,000 to female students studying computer science, computer engineering, Web design, or another IT-related field.

To be considered for the program, the applicant must be a female undergraduate entering their senior year of college in the fall of 2010, be enrolled full-time in a four-year accredited college or university in the United States, and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The student must be a U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States."

3. AXA Achievement Scholarship--Deadline: Dec. 15, 2009; $10,000-$25,000

From website: "Open to high school seniors who plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university. Applicants must be United States citizens or legal residents and must have demonstrated ambition and self-drive as evidenced by an outstanding achievement in a school, community, or workplace activity."

Links and more details about these opportunities can be found here: http://scholarshipamerica.org/open_scholarships.php

Fastweb.com Tech Quiz Sweepstakes, $1,500

2009-10-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

FastWeb.com is offering a $1,500 scholarship if you answer a 10 question technology quiz by October 7, 2009.

Also, if you take the quiz, Fastweb.com will choose a random participant for a $2,500 scholarship.

You can find the quiz and information here: http://bit.ly/pxCpr

You must have a profile created at Fastweb.com. I would suggest signing into Fastweb; then, click on the link above; then, take the quiz.

Two Possibilities--Deadline: Now!

2009-09-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you know about two opportunities whose deadline is either tonight or tomorrow.

1. Shout It Out Scholarship, five $1,000 scholarships; fill out a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com and complete the application online, which involves answering the question, 250 maximum, http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx#shout

Deadline: Sept. 30, 2009; 11:59 pm EST

2. Accounting Doctoral Scholars Program, Deadline: Oct 1, 2009

http://www.tscpa.com/hotwire/accounting_doctoral.htm

From website: "Launched in 2008, the ADS program provides funding for up to 30 individuals each year, with a focus on those currently working in public accounting, to help them make a permanent transition to teaching and research in accounting at the university level. The funding supports application to doctoral programs in accounting and also provides an annual stipend of $30,000 up to four years of enrollment. Priority is given to those committed to teaching and research in audit and tax - the areas of greatest need. "

"Applicants to the program must be U.S. citizens and have three years of recent meaningful public accounting experience in auditing or tax. A full description of the program, complete eligibility requirements, application procedures and a current list of participating universities are available on line at www.adsphd.org. The ADS Program application, for enrollment in an accounting doctoral program for fall 2010, will be available online June 1, 2009. The application deadline is Oct. 1, 2009. "

Shortage of Workers Cause Scholarships to Rise—Get on the Gravy Train!

2009-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

There are not enough qualified workers to fill jobs that will soon be vacant.

Because current employees are retiring and the jobs they are vacating require some degree of specialization, many employers are finding that there are not enough current graduates to fill those positions.

FAA Needs to Recruit More Air Traffic Controllers

According to an article in USA Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is hiring more air traffic controllers since many more are retiring than expected. Read the article here: http://bit.ly/3ukvjP

The FAA has decreased training from 3 years to 1 year for air traffic controllers by dividing the job responsibility held by one person into two positions. They are looking for people 31 and under.

To learn more about these jobs, click here: http://bit.ly/UekdK

To learn how to become an “air traffic control specialist,” find out what you need to do: http://bit.ly/d4bcU

There are different paths if you are a U.S. citizen with prior experience, no experience, or enrolled in an Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) Program.

Not Enough Qualified Lab Folk

In my research of the coming workforce shortage, I discovered that there weren’t enough people in the “clinical laboratory workforce.” According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that by 2012, 138,000 lab professionals will be needed, but fewer than 50,000 will be trained.”

Salaries range from $27,000 for phlebotomists to $70,000 for medical laboratory technician managers.

Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/12AcqU

What is a phlebotomist? Don’t know. You can find out about this career and others on ASCP’s website: http://bit.ly/Ht9yd

ASCP also offers several scholarships: http://bit.ly/4gA6Hw

Where Do My Passions Lie?

Don’t just seek a career because it pays well. Remember, it’s best to marry your passions and dreams to your vocation.

Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to the Work You Love, wrote about choosing a career and the new philosophy of job hunting in this article: http://bit.ly/2RTMj

His website has many resources, including a podcast about careers and his books about career change: http://www.48days.com/ .

A book I find very useful by Dan Miller is the 48 Days to the Work You Love Workbook. I have a copy for myself and have bought some for friends: http://bit.ly/VtiFz

Another famous book about making career choices is Richard Nelson Bolles’s What Color Is Your Parachute? You can either buy his book or check it out from the library. I would check in the index about informational interviewing, or the PIE process.

Bolles's website contains information about the job hunting process, including quizzes you can take online for free to determine interests: http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/

Also, if you are currently an employee, sometimes Human Resources may offer career assessments to determine your interests and skills and inform you about possible careers you don’t know about.

If you are a student in high school or college, some career assessment and advising may be available. Take advantage of these programs if they are offered. Career assessment can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars if done privately.

Free career advice and assessment can also be found at One Stop Career Centers, located all over the country and administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Here you can find a One Stop Career Center near you: http://www.servicelocator.org/

The Deadline Has Passed--What Do I Do?

2009-09-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

When I am researching scholarships and internships on the Internet, I come across several where the deadline has passed.

Here are a few I have come across:

1. http://bit.ly/OLVUd

Rotary World Peace Fellows

2. http://www.talbotsinc.com/brands/talbots/charitable.asp

Talbots Women’s Scholarship Fund

Associate Scholarship Fund(For Children of Talbots, Inc. Associates)

Most of the time, these fellowships and/or scholarships will post information later in the year for programs in 2010, but the information may be posted in fall 2009.

For example, the Talbots Women's Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to women looking to pursue a college education later in life. In 2009, six women each received a $10,000 scholarship and 60 women each received a $1,000 scholarship.

More information from the website: "The Talbots Women’s Scholarship Fund is open to U.S. and Canadian residents. All applicants must be seeking an undergraduate degree from an accredited two- or four-year college or university or vocational-technical school. Scholarship awards are based primarily on financial need and previous achievements for women who earned their high school diploma or GED at least 10 years ago."

While the deadline was January 2, 2009, information should be posted this fall.

Make a note somewhere (in a calendar) to check back. Include this link in your favorites. Or use a web program like Evernote found at http://www.evernote.com/ to save the information (I'm experimenting with this one currently).

Credit Cards Targeting Students this Fall

2009-09-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

According to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, credit card companies are targeting college students this fall before reform enacted by Congress can take place.

From the website, "Make sure your student and others you know have the facts about easy credit. The average undergrad carries a $3,170 balance, and can face interest rates up to 35 percent if they miss a payment. A mistake made at 18 can stay on their credit report until they are 25 hurting their chances at renting an apartment or buying a car."

Go back and read that paragraph. Let the information sink in. One missed payment can result in interest rates up to 35 percent.

I have known some students who have had to quit school in order to pay off their credit cards.

Here's the kicker: if they fell behind on payments, then that credit report could keep them from getting higher paying jobs. Employers routinely pull credit reports to see if people will be responsible employees.

Check out the article, other resources, and the "Money Mom Care Package" at this website:
http://cu.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/cell_ToCatchACreditor

Want to Go to School and Have No Paycheck? Here's Some Help!

2009-08-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

If you want to go to school but have no paycheck because you have recently lost your job, then you should read this New York Times article by Tara Siegel Bernard, "How to Bear the Tuition Burden Without a Paycheck": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/education/20COST.html

There are several links within the article that are worth exploring.

One such link is http://opportunity.gov , which collects all financial information and other opportunities for unemployed workers.

A friend also told me about a program that pays 65% of your COBRA premium while you are unemployed.

On the website, "The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after February 17, 2009 and lasts for up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009 due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred during that period."

For more information on this program, http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html

Some more information I found: http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/private-insurance/understanding-cobra-premium.html

I hope you find these links helpful and a good starting point, but answering questions about COBRA and medical extensions is beyond the scope of this blog.

3 Scholarships Offered by ScholarshipExperts.com--Potential $7,000

2009-08-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

In the next five months, ScholarshipExperts.com will be offering three separate scholarships, each requiring less time than two hours to complete.

Shout It Out Scholarships 2009
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Sept. 30, 2009

"Education Matters" $5K Scholarship 2009
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: Oct. 31, 2009

"Top Ten List" Scholarship 2009
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2009

For more information, explore the guidelines here: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

All of these scholarship applications require you create a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com. Not a bad deal, since ScholarshipExperts.com has bee touted by Forbes.com "Best of the Web" Review as "the best scholarship search engine we found."

ScholarshipExperts.com boasts "2.4 million scholarships worth over $14 billion."

If you have completed a scholarship profile at http://www.fastweb.com and http://www.scholarships.com , it wouldn't hurt to complete one at http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/ .

40+ Ebook, Using Google and RSS Feeds to Find Scholarships

2009-08-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Very short post today.

I wanted to alert you to a 40+ page ebook about how to use such tools as google and RSS feeds to help you find scholarship money.

The ebook is downloadable here: http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ebook/

If you find the ebook useful, tell me your experience in the comments.

Get Started by Entering Competitions—Essays and Songs, Oh My!

2009-08-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up Louise Doughty’s book, A Novel in a Year: from First Page to Last in 52 Weeks : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3649184/A-novel-in-a-year.html

In the introduction, she wrote that she got her start by entering a literary competition.
There are two competitions I want to bring to your attention. Winning them would be like winning scholarships.

1. Life Lessons Essay contest--$3,000 prize

The magazine, REAL SIMPLE, has a yearly Essay Contest.

The top prize is $3,000, essay published in REAL SIMPLE, round-trip tickets for two to New York City, and more.

The deadline is Sept. 7, 2009, and there is no entry fee.

Details here: http://www.realsimple.com/lifelessonscontest

2. NSAI Song Contest presented by CMT

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) sponsors this songwriting competition.

Whoever wins the Grand Prize will get a 90 minute mentoring session with Jewel, your song pitched to music industry executives, and a three-day trip to Nashville.

There are more prizes and possibilities.

Details here: http://www.cmt.com/asm/contests/nsai/2009/

Read all official rules.

The entry cost is $35 per song for NSAI members and $45 per song for all non-NSAI members.

Deadline to submit your song is October 31, 2009.

Why I Deserve A Scholarship Video Contest, $2500, Deadline: Sept 7, 2009

2009-08-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

The second leg of FastWeb’s Scholarship Triathlon is on. Why I Deserve a Scholarship Video Contest runs from August 1-September 7, 2009.

Details here: http://whyideserveascholarship.com/index

The Grand Prize is $2,500.

Also, one voter will get $1,000 for voting in this competition.

Some information from the official rules: “To enter, submit a 1-3 minute video describing/showing/depicting “Why you deserve a scholarship”. Video must be no more than one to three minutes in length, in a compressed Quicktime, Flash or Windows Media format. Entries must include a title and description for your video."

Read all rules. Also read about Leg 3 and Leg 4 of the Scholarship Triathlon: http://whyideserveascholarship.com/rules

Mine university websites for scholarships and Muhammad Yunus

2009-08-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

When you begin searching for scholarships, you can find all kinds of information about scholarships in the strangest places.

I found the following list of scholarships on the Theatre and Dance departmental website for Winthrop University:

http://www2.winthrop.edu/vpa/Theatre_&_Dance/scholarships/UndergraduateScholarshipsdownload.pdf

There are over 10 pages of scholarships with deadlines dating from August 1, 2009 – July 31, 2010.

Two of these scholarships are the

Maureen V. O'Donnell/Eunice E.Kraft Teacher Training Scholarships, deadline Dec. 1, 2009, with scholarships for people interested in teaching Latin;

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Management Internships, deadline Oct. 25, 2009, with internships for college junior and seniors, graduated students, and recently graduated students who are interested in beginning careers in performing arts management and/or arts education.

This list is worth exploring at length.

The university website is Winthrop University: http://www.winthrop.edu/

Muhammad Yunus, Education into Action

Education is more than just ideas, but ideas put into action. Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He taught for three years at Middle Tennessee State University. He saw poverty in his native Bangladesh, and he started to see a different way to approach the problem of poverty by using microloans.

Listen to this podcast when the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus delivers the Vanderbilt Senior Class Day address http://bit.ly/15z5lE

His website is http://www.muhammadyunus.org/

Xeric Foundation--Self-Publishing Comic Book Creators--up to $5,000

2009-07-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Xeric Foundation was founded by Peter A. Laird, best known for creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. According to Xeric Foundation's website, "The Xeric Foundation has awarded in excess of $2,000,000 to comic book creators and non-profit organizations since its first grant cycle in September 1992."

Peter Laird's foundation helps to fund self-published comic books. If you're interested in art or graphic novels, then you might want to check out the information.

Grants usually don't exceed $5,000 and the next grant deadline is September 30, 2009.

http://www.xericfoundation.org/index.html

In searching for this grant, I found the following scholarship, The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, open to college students in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico in their Junior and Senior academic year. You send 5 examples of your cartooning artwork. The deadline was February 9, 2009; even though the deadline has passed, you can created a file for such scholarships or bookmark the website.

http://www.reuben.org/ncsf/scholarship/

Then, the next time December 2009 comes around, you can see whether the website has been updated with information for 2010.

Many people will claim that people should be practical and get a practical job, but such grants and scholarships above are given to encourage people to follow their dreams.

Schools often test and emphasize linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences, failing to encourage other intelligences, such as spatial (artistic) or musical intelligence. (For an explanation of Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences, you can check out these two websites: http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm and http://www.howardgardner.com/FAQ/faq.htm )

What got me on this kick anyway?

I've been relistening to Brian Tracy's The Ultimate Goals Program on audio tapes. The lettering in white on those tapes is smearing and hard to read.

Anyway, Tracy mentioned Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences, and the point above is a paraphrase of one of Tracy's points. And I remembered that I had seen something about the Xeric Foundation and its grants to self-published comic book publishers when I was checking out Foundation Grants to Individuals, which I found in the Nashville Public Library.

This blog entry has gotten too long.

Other resources mentioned in this entry.

Brian Tracy's Ultimate Goals Program: http://www.nightingale.com/prod_detail~product~Ultimate_Goals_Program.aspx
Brian Tracy's book about Goals, Goals!: http://tinyurl.com/kshmcz

Foundation Grants to Individuals, published by the Foundation Center, and found in "funding information libraries" around the country. See if such a library is close to you: http://foundationcenter.org/collections/

Scholarship Deadlines Approach--$25,500 Potential Money

2009-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Over the last two months, I have written several posts about scholarships and opportunities. The deadlines are approaching, so I thought I would list the most current scholarship deadlines along with the money amounts.

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/07/howcast-how-to-video-challenge-2000.html
HowCast How-To Video Challenge
Amount: $2,000 Deadline: July 28, 2009

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/07/9000-fastwebs-scholarship-triathalon.html
FastWeb's World Shortest Essay Contest
Amount: $1,500 Deadline: July 31, 2009

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/07/resolve-to-evolve-essay-scholarship-5.html
Scholarships.Com's Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship
Amount: $1,000 Deadline: July 31, 2009

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/06/three-scholarships-to-pay-your-way-and.html
Gen and Kelly Tanabe $1,000 Scholarship
Amount: $1,000 Deadline: July 31, 2009

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/06/fifteen-thousand-dollars-for-thee-yes.html
Tea Council of the USA's Benefits of Tea Video Competition
Amount: $15,000 Deadline: Aug 2, 2009

http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/06/write-for-dr-seuss-get-5000-for-your.html
Dr. Seuss's 2010 Oh! The Places You'll Go! College Scholarship Program
Amount: $5,000 Deadline: Feb 15, 2010

Actually, FastWeb's Shortest Essay Contest is most likely the easiest to complete. Second easiest would be Gen and Kelly Tanabe's $1,000 Scholarship.

Next level of difficulty would be Tea Council of the USA's Benefits of Tea Video Competition, but we're talking about 1 hour of research and maybe 5 hours or less creating a 1-2 minute video.

The HowCast How-To Video Challenge may take more time, but if you know your subject well and you have the equipment (or borrow the equipment from a friend), this may not be that difficult.

The Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship may take more time.

Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You'll Go! Scholarship Program is only open to 12th grade high school students graduating spring 2010, age 21 years or under, but if you qualify, you can check that out in August.

Financial Aid for Students Guide, Congressional Research Service

2009-07-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works for the United States Congress and supplies policy and legal analysis to members, regardless of party affiliation.

Anyway, the CRS compiled a Financial Aid for Students Guide, updated March 2009. A very thorough source: http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Services.StudentAid

Now, here is where a little intuitive web searching can come into play. Your scholarship and internship guru decided to google Congressional Research Service. Of course, there were several opportunities for internships on their website.

http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/internships/
Student Diversity Internship Program
One program I looked at had a deadline of July 31, 2009; one deadline had already passed; you will have to check the deadlines of the various programs.

http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/lawrecruit.html
Law Recruit Program

http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/pmf.html
Presidential Management Fellows Program at CRS

HowCast How-To Video Challenge--$2,000 Opportunity

2009-07-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just found out about the Howcast How-To Video Challenge.

First prize is $2,000. Deadline is Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

Information here: http://www.howcast.com/contests/The-Howcast-Emerging-Filmmakers-Program-HowTo-Video-Challenge

$9,000 FastWeb's Scholarship Triathalon; $1,500 in July

2009-07-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

FastWeb is sponsoring scholarships from July-October 7, 2009.

The first leg is the world's shortest essay contest, where you submit an essay by email with a maximum of 140 characters.

You will answer one of the following questions (from the website):

"To enter write a short essay (not to exceed 140 characters in length) on one (1) of the following topics:

Option 1: The best way you have used technology to your advantage in school in the past year.
Option 2: How do you think technology will impact your college career? "

The deadline for entries is July 31, 2009.

The grand prize is $1,500 and you will automatically be entered into the Grand Prize Sweepstakes for $2,500 in October.

Read the information and official rules here:
http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/1323-fastwebs-scholarship-triathalon-9k-in-prizes

$1,500 Video Contest, Deadline: July 15, 2009

2009-07-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

I just read about this video contest worth $1,500 on the Scholarship Spotlight on FastWeb.com.

What Can YOU Do? Video Contest is open to everybody, regardless of age, and asks you "to make a video on best practices within the workplace that allow every employee the opportunity to contribute, specifically fellow co-workers with a disability." (taken from article)

More info here: http://tinyurl.com/lsgz4q

For those under 18, you must submit parental consent along with the video.

Deadline is July 15, 2009.

Scholarships.com Scholarships--Yes, there is a Santa Claus, Virginia

2009-07-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I posted how Scholarships.com has five $1,000 scholarships to those who enter the website's Resolve to Evolve Essay competition.

Scholarships.com also offers "Fund Your Future" College Scholarships worth a $1,000 each. Some of the areas are art, business, computer science, cooking, education, English, engineering, just to name a few.

From the website: "The Scholarships.com 'Fund Your Future' Area of Study College Scholarships are based on just a handful of criteria- citizenship, study major, and year of attendance. That's it!"

You have to attend undergraduate school in the coming year. However, if you create a profile at http://www.scholarships.com/ , then your eligibility will automatically be noted in your results.

For all the areas of study covered (several areas, such as computer science, has several subareas) and the complete information, you can click here: http://www.scholarships.com/college-scholarships/college-scholarships.aspx

Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship--5 $1,000 Scholarships--Deadline: July 31, 2009

2009-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

The web site, Scholarships.com, is holding a Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship. The website is giving away five $1,000 scholarships, but your completed entry must be postmarked by July 31, 2009.

You must be a U.S. citizen, registered user of Scholarships.com, and meet one of the following criteria: "Applicant must be a currently enrolled full-time undergraduate or a full or part-time graduate or non-traditional/returning student who will be enrolled at a U.S. Department of Education accredited college, university or vocational school at the time the prize is awarded. Graduate and non-traditional/returning students may be enrolled part-time. Must be age 19 or older to apply. Proof of enrollment required."

Be sure to read all information and complete the entry process. It's very involved, but if you do all the work, that just increases your chances of winning.

Here is the information: http://www.scholarships.com/ResolveToEvolve.aspx

You will be offered several free offers: look them over and decide if you wish to sign up for them. However, you don't have to sign up for them in order to qualify.

Write for Dr. Seuss-Get $5,000 for Your Efforts

2009-06-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Oh! The Places You'll Go! College Scholarship Program is open to 12th grade high school students graduating spring 2010, age 21 years or under.

There is one scholarship awarded of $5,000.

You must answer the following essay question: "Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go! delivers an important message about the chances and the troubles that life presents. Thinking about the book, Oh, The Places You'll Go!, what kinds of opportunities and challenges do you think your education will present in the future?"

Full details here: http://origin-www.seussville.com/ohtheplaces/

Let Mickey Mouse Show You the Way!--Disney/ABC Writing Fellowship

2009-06-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

From May 1-July 1, 2009, Disney/ABC Television is accepting submissions for the 2010 Disney / ABC Television Writing Fellowship.

You can earn $50,000 as a writer for a year.

Read the details here: http://abctalentdevelopment.com/index.html

Also included on this page are more opportunities for writers, directors, actors and production people.

$10,000 Scholarship Giveaway Ends June 15, 2009

2009-06-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

At Free College Scholarships, you can fill out information and possibly win $10,000. The deadline this month is June 15, 2009, so if you fill out the information today before midnight, you will have a chance this month.

You have to be 18 years old to enter. Also, when you go through the form, you are required to "visit all our free offers," though you are under no obligation to accept the free information.

Once again, this is why I suggest you create a separate email account just for scholarships. The site is registered with the Better Business Bureau and is legit. The reason why Free College Scholarships can exist is because they advertise to students, and thus you must realize that you are being advertised to.

Here is the link: http://www.freecollegescholarships.net/index.php

In addition, you can sign up for this scholarship and give the money away to someone who wants to further his or her education.

The money can be used for any education opportunity. It's good to study the Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.freecollegescholarships.net/faq.php?c=184580947

Here you get a sense of how to proceed through the registration. You must view all educational offers, but "you may either request information or simply click 'Next School'"

You are done with the registration when you reach the last page that says "Thank you."

You should also get an email confirmation.

After going through the process and receiving the "Thank you," you might also been sent to another website. You can click on the X in the corner of the web browser if you don't want to read the material.

Three Scholarships to Pay Your Way . . . and Parents Can Help You Too!

2009-06-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are two experts I recommend to help you finance your college education at little or no cost. Acquiring more than $100,000 to go to Harvard and author of such books as The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009 and 1001 Ways to Pay for College, Gen and Kelly Tanabe offer two scholarships from the profits they make from their books.

The first scholarship is for parents who want to help their children finance college. Gen and Kelly Tanabe offer a $1000 Parent Scholarship! Parents of current high school students or college students can apply. The application deadline is June 15, 2009.

Click here for more information: http://www.parentscholarship.com/

The second scholarship is the Gen and Kelly Tanabe $1,000 Scholarship for students. Students can be any age, from high school (9th-12th grade), college, or graduate school. You must also be a legal resident of the United States.

The application deadline is July 31, 2009, and you must include a 250-word short answer where you write an essay on the topic of your choice.

For application to this scholarship, click on this link: http://www.genkellyscholarship.com/

Gen and Kelly Tanabe maintain a website that offers resources to help you in your search for money and a free database of scholarships to search at their website, http://www.supercollege.com/

The third scholarship is offered by ScholarshipExperts.com.

ScholarshipExperts.com is giving away five $1,000 scholarships if you answer the following question in 250 words or less, “What one event or moment from your school years would you ‘do over’ and why?” and complete a scholarship profile.

Anyone who is 13 years or older, a legal resident of the United States, and is currently enrolled or will be enrolled in an accredited college by 2014 is eligible. Deadline for this scholarship is June 30, 2009.

Full details can be found at http://tinyurl.com/pllt84

Fifteen Thousand Dollars for Thee; Yes, If You Drink Tea

2009-06-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

The Tea Council of the USA is sponsoring a $15,000 national scholarship competition in which you "create a 1-2 minute homemade Internet video about the health benefits of drinking tea."

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Puerto Rico; you must be at least 16 by July 1, 2009.

All entries must be received by August 2, 2009.

For more information, click here: http://www.teausa.org/calmasutra/index.cfm

Study the web site, read the complete contest rules; get out there and be creative, and you may be $15,000 closer to your goal of financing your college education for little or no debt.

Scholarships for the Aspiring Auto Mechanic or Spy, and a little Hope for the Rest

2009-05-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

For all those aspiring auto mechanics or spies, and for the rest of you, there is Hope.

Check out what I found for you.

1. Eric Medlen Outperformers Scholarship Program, Deadline: before May 31, 2009

These scholarships are for those "aspiring auto techs, ages 16-25 . . . [who want] to pursue education in the automotive field." Grand Prize is $10,000, First Prize is $5,000, and Second Prize is $2,500.

You must complete the form and a 500 word essay question.

Details here: http://www.castrolsyntec.com/OutPerformers-Scholarship-2009.aspx

2. Undergraduate Scholarship Program at the CIA, applications accepted July 15-Nov. 1, 2009

Yes, you can be a spy of sorts. The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States has an undergraduate program. Applications for this program are accepted from July 15 - November 1.

From the website: "If you are a high school senior planning to enroll in a 4-or 5-year college program, or you are a college sophomore enrolled in a 4-or 5-year college program, who is looking for career experience in a dynamic environment, apply to the CIA's Undergraduate Scholar Program and contribute to the work of the nation before you graduate."

Details here: https://www.cia.gov/careers/jobs/view-all-jobs/undergraduate-scholarship-program.html

And just because I like you, one more scholarship opportunity.

3. Hope Initiative Scholarships, Deadline: May 31, 2009

Several scholarships are given away in this program.

Four scholarships for any high school or college students nationwide

Four scholarships for high school or college students of Vietnamese descent in the greater Houston area

Two scholarship for high school seniors who attended the 2008 Rice University College Leadership Workshop

Details here: http://www.hionline.org/Projects/ScholarshipProgram/2009Scholarship/tabid/289/Default.aspx

Secret Hint: As I mentioned before, if you want to find other scholarships with a May deadline, you can type into the search field of google.com, scholarships May 31.

Too lazy to do it yourself, click here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=scholarship+may+31&btnG=Search

Explore and see what you find. Tell me what you find.

Good hunting.

Odd Scholarships--How Not To Be A Turkey!

2009-05-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

Kelly Tanabe discusses odd scholarships and other helpful hints to help you win money for school.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27164034#27164034

Several of the scholarships noted in the story are

Top Turkey Contest Scholarship: Information about others who won here: http://www.ciachef.edu/admissions/finaid/turkeycontest.asp

While Top Turkey Contest winners have already been announced, I bet you can keep an eye on this web site for a possible scholarship opportunity in 2010.

The Culinary Institute of America gives out several other scholarships and opportunities: http://www.ciachef.edu/admissions/finaid/available.asp

Two other odd scholarships noted are the

Unathletic award: Also known as Gertrude J. Deppen Scholarship.

Duct Tape Scholarship: Also known as Stuck at Prom® DUCK® Brand Duct Tape Scholarship Contest

To find out more about these scholarships plus other odd scholarships, check out Scholarships.com list: http://www.scholarships.com/unusual-college-scholarships.aspx

More listings about odd scholarships can be found here: http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/unusual.phtml

Extra note: Gen and Kelly Tanabe are two writers that I recommend as being top scholarship experts. Some of the titles of their books are 1001 Ways to Pay for College, 3rd ed; The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009; Adult Students: A Painless Guide to Going Back to College, 2nd ed; Get Into Any College, 6th ed; and How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay, 2nd ed.

You can check these books out at your bookstore or at your local library.

For a complete list of their books and other information to help plan for college, their website is worth exploring: http://www.supercollege.com/index.cfm

There is a free database of scholarships, grants, and contests.

Also, Gen and Kelly Tanabe offer a $1,000 Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship. Information is available here: http://www.genkellyscholarship.com/

Also, check out $1,000 Gen and Kelly Tanabe Parent Scholarship at http://www.parentscholarship.com/

Scholarships for the Unemployed and the Young (14-24)

2009-04-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

In this current economy, it's good to know that there are retraining opportunities available for people who are unemployed.

In Tennessee, WSMV recently reported how one worker, Alvin Phillips, who had recently been laid off may qualify for a $4,000 scholarship to go to college or a technical school.

Worker retraining programs are getting recent stimulus money, encouraging workers laid off to strengthen their skills or change careers, especially in fields like technology, health care, and transportation.

Story and video are here: http://www.wsmv.com/money/19304876/detail.html

Money for this program are being administered through One Stop Career Centers. The one mentioned in the story, the Nashville Career Advancement Center, can be found here: http://www.ncacworkforce.org/

Besides money for training, there is also money for youth employment. For example, in Tennessee, there are 11,639 jobs available for disadvantaged youth between the ages of 14 and 24.

This chart reflects the money and general criteria for those who qualify:
http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/EconomicFunding.html

What if you are not in Tennessee?

Your friendly neighborhood ScholarshipMan has done the heavy lifting.

Here is a news release from the US Department of Labor describing how about $3.5 billion will be used to "help Americans get back to work through the national network of One-Stop Career Centers": http://tinyurl.com/dcmn3p

To locate service centers in your state, I have pulled out the pertinent information from the article: "Americans can access these services through the national network of One-Stop Career Centers. To find a local One-Stop Career Center, visit http://www.servicelocator.org or call 877-348-0502 or TTY 877-348-0501. Online resources to support job searches, career exploration and planning for education and training can be found at http://careeronestop.org."

Please share this information with everybody you know.

April 30-May 1, 2009: Deadlines! Deadlines!

2009-04-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Several deadlines for scholarships and other opportunities are looming!

Here are a few you might want to learn about and enter.

1. 2009 Digital Media Sandbox Consortium Governor's Challege Academic Media Tournament, May 1, 2009, deadline

If you are a student or faculty member at one of the following institutions in Tennesseee, North Carolina, Virginia, or Texas, you can enter this competition. Here is a list of participating institutions: http://www.tnsandbox.com/site.php?content=institutions

Competition homepage: http://www.tnsandbox.com/site.php

Eligibility guidelines: http://www.tnsandbox.com/site.php?content=eligibility

Prizes/categories: http://www.tnsandbox.com/site.php?content=prizes

2. Co-Alliance Scholarship, April 30, 2009

Information here: http://tinyurl.com/dfkly7

3. Google Scholarship 2009 administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), April 30 deadline

Open to college juniors and seniors, college graduates, and graduate students who are enrolled in one of the following: computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and software engineering. Potential of $10,000 scholarship at 2009-2010 academic year at participating schools (http://www.uncf.org/members/index.asp).

Details here: http://tinyurl.com/claurh

In researching this scholarship, I discovered that the UNCF also has a complete section for students, where you can explore other opportunities:
http://www.uncf.org/ForStudents/index.asp

I knew about the first competition; the other two I typed into the search field at google.com scholarships april 30 deadline. There are several more.

Click on the link below and find out what they are.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=scholarships+april++30+deadline+&btnG=Search

Once you click on the link above, notice the search terms I used in google.com. You can use similar terms for May, such as scholarships deadline May 15 or scholarships deadline May 30.

Here, then, is another trick to use in search of scholarships. Go to google.com and type scholarships April May 2009 to learn about other scholarships.

Try several different tricks and tell me what you learn.

Several More Scholarship Resources

2009-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have listed below several scholarship resources.

I have included some resources for getting through these difficult economic times: more resources to help pay necessities mean more money to go to school.

1. AARP Foundation and the AARP

http://aarpfoundationwlc.org/content/view/27/62/

AARP Foundation Back-to-School Financing Guide: A Financial Aid Guide Book for Midlife and Older Women Seeking Education and Training

http://www.aarp.org/about_aarp/aarp_foundation/

The AARP Foundation also sponsors several helpful guides, including information about benefits for people 50 and over. The Benefits QuickLink is described this way on the website: "Last year, 90,000 adults in all 50 states used AARP's Benefits QuickLink to find financial help to cover the costs of groceries, utilities, health care, and medications."

http://www.aarp.org/internetresources/

These are internet resources on Aging.

2. Smart Money Article

http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/college-planning/free-money-13275/

Free Money for College: This article contains links to three scholarship databases: CollegeAnswer, FastWeb, and the College Board.

Also included in this article is a link to Scholarship America and its chapters that feature scholarships.

Only click on the orange links in this article.

The Scholarship America web site includes interesting resources.

http://scholarshipamerica.org/

Scholarship America is a highly rated charity which features many scholarships.

http://scholarshipamerica.org/chapter_search.php

The Dollars for Scholars Program of Scholarship America--you can research which states have chapters.

http://scholarshipamerica.org/open_scholarships.php

Available Scholarships that Scholarship America administers.

Look for Solutions, Not Problems

2009-04-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

A friend recently sent me a link to a Times article, "Colleges Face a Financial-Aid Crunch," that details the admissions process at one private college. Many students, due to the economic times, are not finding it as easily to get into college.

Since many colleges receive their funding from students' tuition, the loss of revenue can affect the programs at the college.

Here is the article: http://tinyurl.com/cycok9

After reading this article, I have to admit I got a sense of hopelessness. The article conveyed accurate and valuable information, but what I perceived from the article was doom and gloom.

What is important here is the word "perception." I may perceive something, but that perception is being filtered through my expectations, my values, my world view. Perception is not reality.

Many people are having a difficult time finding money to pay for college. Many people who used to finance their way through college did so by loans, and now those loans are not as available.

The problem of not getting easy loans can become an opportunity. Some statistics about students and debt:

From 2001-2007, an estimated 60% of bachelor's degree recipients borrowed to fund their education.

From 2001-2007, average debt per bachelor's degree recipient increased from $10,600 to $12,400.

In 2007, nearly 2-out-of-3 college students reported having one credit card, with seniors in college having an average debt of $2,623 on their card.

More statistics about students and debt can be found here: http://www.amsa.com/policy/resources/stats.cfm

Now, for some solutions:

1. In this page of educational statistics about students and debt, I saw the following information:

According to 2008 study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, 81% of organizations offer some kind of tuition assistance.

If you are employed, check out your human resources department and company's web site for information about tuition assistance for both you and/or your children.

Notice I said to do both. Sometimes one person in an organization (a person in the human resources department) will not know about all the possibilities. Ask, inquire, be positive and polite. Send thank you notes for all help you receive.

2. In the Times article, there is a link to College Confidential (http://www.collegeconfidential.com/) , a web community for college bound students, dealing with searching for college programs, financial aid, and the college admissions process.

Here you can find information and discuss topics that might interest you.

3. I learned from a financial aid book review by Dave Berry about Chris Vuturo, author of The Scholarship Advisor, Fifth Edition. This is the latest edition of the book he wrote.

Chris Vuturo got over $885,000 in aid award offers.

Berry writes that Chris Vuturo goes into detail about how to search for money: "For starters, there's information on more than 100,000 scholarships with a complete explanation of the scholarship application process. This includes sample essays and interview tips . . . Chris tells you how to organize your scholarship search, focusing on not-so-obvious sources such as employers, companies, and not-for-profit organizations."

Much like the other authors I recommend like Ben Kaplan, Marianne Ragins, and Gen and Kelly Tanabe, Chris Vutoro has actually found money for school and describes the process.

Chris Vuturo's latest book was published in 2002. What's important is the process, which you can duplicate in your search for money, not the publication date.

If you are looking for scholarships within this book, you will have to look for more up-to-date information about those scholarships using the Internet.

Chris Vutoro has some good advice in this 2009 article: http://tinyurl.com/d9gkx7

$6,000 Dollars in Six Hours--Let Me Tell You How

2009-03-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Did that headline capture your attention?

Why?

Because it promised money for very little work.

Let me emphasize something about this blog and my new upcoming book, The SECRET Method to Winning the Scholarship Game: 50 Secrets for Financing Your College Education at Little or No Cost.

There is enough information and links here to get you started on your journey of financing your college education at little or no cost. But you have to start by taking the first step.

By March 31, 2009, you can write a 250 word response to a question and qualify for a $1,000 scholarship.

By April 30, 2009, you can create a profile at ScholarshipExperts.com and write a 250 word response to another question and qualify for a $5,000 scholarship.

Begin your journey and set aside six hours for it.

Here is the information about these scholarships: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

If you study other posts, there are deadlines approaching for other scholarships that you can apply for.

Ask me questions on posts, share information, because these will help others who read this blog.

The headline got you to read, but the next step is up to you. And it has always been up to you.

God speed you on your journey.

Let Congress Show You the Money!

2009-03-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Aren't you glad that you have your friendly, neighborhood ScholarshipMan to do the heavy lifting for you?

Anyway, I discovered a treasure trove of information about scholarships and internships are available on various Congresspeople's web sites.

1. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard has a wonderful students section:
http://www.house.gov/roybal-allard/students.shtml

Also on this web site she has compiled a Student Resource Guide (including scholarships, internships, fellowships, books, and websites). This resource guide has scholarships listed by monthly deadlines, spring deadlines, monthly deadlines, and no deadlines. This guide sent chills along my spine.

Here it is: http://tinyurl.com/cjvjw5

2. Congresswoman Corrine Brown has a section that lists scholarship and internship possibilities on her website:
http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/scholarships.shtml

Links to other possibilities are included here: http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/grants.shtml

There is also a link to Federal Funds Express, a full list of grants and other funding opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/dxhdet

Here is the section on Federal Funds Express that deals with Educational Resources for Students, Schools and Colleges: http://tinyurl.com/ccfrd7

3. Congressman Joe Baca has several resources on his congressional website, including many resources for Hispanic and Latino students: http://www.house.gov/baca/resourcecenter/educational_financial.htm

On this website, I discovered that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute has instituted need-based scholarships. You can go to the CHCI web site for these opportunities: http://www.chci.org/

In looking over the CHCI website, I discovered another guide, 2008-2009 National Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Fellowships for Latino Youth. Here is a tinyurl link to that guide: http://tinyurl.com/cfbw3d

The document is a PDF document of 191 pages, 2.57 mb, so it might take a while to download.

In my upcoming book, The S.E.C.R.E.T. Method to Winning the Scholarship Game: 50 Secrets for Financing Your College Education at Little or No Cost, I will tell you how you can easily find more web sites like those above.

I might have to change the title to 51 or 52 Secrets.

Government Recovery--How it Can Help You!

2009-03-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent of a student entering college or a student yourself, any time you can receive help paying mortgages or other expenses, you can put that extra money towards college.

Many people are having problems paying their mortgage,so you can go quickly to this web site to see if you can receive assistance: http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/

I found this web site off of HUD's web site ( http://www.hud.gov) ; also you can get reliable foreclosure avoidance counseling locations: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc/

Remember, I have mentioned this web site before; you can go to this web site, put your information in anonymously, and see what government programs you can apply to: http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal

Matthew Lesko, the guy running around TV late at night wearing a question mark suit, says that much of the information he compiles comes from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: http://www.cfda.gov/

To follow programs involved with the recovery act, you can check out this web site: http://www.recovery.gov/

Your local library is a good place to also begin searching. Just ask your reference librarian if there is any information about whatever problem you're facing.

If you live in Nashville or Davidson County in Tennessee, you can check out this web site about housing assistance: http://www.nashvillehousingfund.org

U.S. News and World Report E-Learning Guide

2009-03-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

U.S. News and World Report has an E-Learning Guide, which explores distance learning, e-learning, and technology.

Here is the tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/blea9b

A description taken from the web site: "U.S. News and World Report has gathered information from more than a thousand traditional and virtual universities. We have a searchable directory of graduate and undergraduate providers offering courses, certificates, and degrees via the Internet and other distance learning media."

This web site is definitely worth exploring before signing up for any distance education program.

No Sucker Left Behind--Avoiding College Rip-offs

2009-03-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I was in Borders on Sunday, and I came across a book by Marc Scheer, No Sucker Left Behind: Avoiding the Great College Rip-off. What a provocative title!

Several interesting endorsements are on the cover, including Seth Godin, internet marketer, and Janne O'Donnell, a member of the Board of Directors for Americans for Fairness in Lending, so I decided to do a little research. The paperback book costs about $19.95 at Borders, and $15.56 at Amazon.com.

At Amazon, this book has several reviews, implying that the information was very good, describing the various "scams" and maneuvers that colleges use to encourage students to apply for school by taking out loans.

Many reviewers said that the title was misleading, and that the information was thoroughly researched. There are over 100 links to help in the college decision making process.

To get a taste of Marc Sheer's writing, you can check out his blog: http://nosuckerleftbehind.blogspot.com/

His most recent blog entry details "The Student Loan Scam."

Another interesting blog entry is a radio interview where he discusses how high schools and colleges can better assist students in career planning.

Also, on Amazon, I found a list of books Marc Sheer recommends that might also be helpful in your research: http://tinyurl.com/de9c82

You might disagree with some of his conclusions, but he seems to bring up some interesting issues that you might want to explore.

Once again, your helpful friendly ScholarshipMan is at your service!

Deadlines Are Approaching--Start a Scholarship Calendar

2009-03-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Start a Scholarship Calendar

If you have a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, you can often get templates for calendars, which you can then print out.

Another resource for calendars is Printfree.com (http://www.printfree.com). Here is the direct link for calenders: http://www.printfree.com/Calendars.htm.

Basically, start putting due dates of scholarships on this calendar. Also put dates of when the FAFSA is due, as well as early admission deadlines for colleges you would like to attend.

Look through all the entries on the Scholarshipman blog and put the dates to scholarships you would like to apply for on your calendar.

Here are some coming up deadlines:

1. http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/02/march-16-2009-deadline-for-more-than-60.html

Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee—up to 60 scholarships, Deadline: March 16, 2009

2. http://www.scholarshipworkshop.com/highschool.html

Here is a list of scholarships and opportunities for high school students. Even if several of these award dates have passed, you can review the material and plan for next year.

For example, notice the deadline for Coca-Cola Scholarships is October 31 of your senior year. You can read and start planning for this, even as a sophomore.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards makes material available on its web site in September, the deadline being the last weekday in October. You can still read the material ahead of time and plan ahead.

The Yoshima Award is expanding its program, making its new material available in 2010. You can read ahead, seeing what you need to do to be nominated. Funds do not have to go toward college tuition.

3. http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/2009/02/two-essay-competitions-let-words-lead.html

Writing Rewards Competition—only open to students in a developmental writing class, Deadline: May 31, 2009

SuperCollege Essay—Deadline: July 31, 2009

4. http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

ScholarshipExperts.com is noted by Forbes to be one of the best scholarship search engines. ScholarshipExperts.com will sponsor six scholarship programs in 2009, and they will award $30,000 in free scholarship money.

Some of these scholarships require a 250 word essay, and "US students who are 13 and up may be eligible to compete for these scholarships--high school students, college undergrads, grad school students, and adult learners are all invited to apply!"

The first competition is March 31 and requires a 250 word essay ($1000).

The second competition is April 30, requires you complete an online scholarship profile at scholarshipexperts.com, and write a 250 word essay on how $5,000 for education will make a difference in your life.

These both may take you up to 2 hours each, and the payoff is fantastic!

Break completing these scholarships into smaller steps.

For example, for the March 31 competition, you might break this down into these steps:

study web site, noting the rules and what you need to have to apply
create a profile at scholarshipexperts.com (required to submit essay)
spend 30 minutes making notes and writing response
look it over the next day
have an English instructor look it over and make suggestions
revise the essay
if I have time, let the same English instructor look it over
submit the essay online, double-spacing between paragraphs, paragraphs single space

You can then put these steps into your calender, making sure you follow through with the process.

AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program--Deadline: March 31, 2009

2009-03-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program is for women who are 40 or over, demonstrate financial need, and enroll in an accredited institution within 6 months of the scholarship award date.

More information here: http://www.aarpfoundationwlc.org/

And Now for Something Completey Different--PDF Document Finder and Hispanic Scholarship Fund

2009-03-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

In my wanderings around the net, I found this search engine, PDF Search Engine:

http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/

Many individuals and institutions put PDF documents on the Internet. PDFs are Adobe documents that can be read with Adobe Reader, on both Mac and PC computers.

Anyway, I entered Scholarships into the search engine. I also recommend typing Scholarship. You can do variations of this, typing in women scholarships or African American scholarships.

One of these documents had the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Here is the page for the Scholarship program of the HSF:
http://www.hsf.net/Scholarships.aspx?id=72&ekmensel=c580fa7b_10_0_72_1

Here is the front page of the HSF (sometimes referred to in posts as the front matter): http://www.hsf.net/default.aspx

In listings, often internal web pages are changed, so many times people will list the front matter so that you can go to the home page and click on the link for scholarships.

Check out the PDF Search engine and tell me what you discover.

Once again, if anything asks for your money as an entrance fee, don't do it.

Signing off, your friendly neighboorhood ScholarshipMan.

Three Resources for Everybody--Hours of Research Ahead of You!

2009-03-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

I wanted to alert you to three sources that list all kinds of scholarships, fellowships, and other aid resources from high-school to undergraduate to graduate to postdoctoral.

1. http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3subject.htm

Jon Harrison of Michigan State University Libraries maintains this database of Grants for Individuals, mostly scholarships and financial aid. It stays pretty current, and John Harrison does a great job.

You can search by Academic Level (for example, Precollege Funding or Graduate Funding); by Population Group (for example, Disabled, Minorities, or Veteran); or by Subject (for example, Animal Science & Veterinary Medicine, Communications, and Writing).

2. http://scholarships.fatomei.com/

Nationally Coveted College Scholarships, Graduate Fellowships & Postdoctoral Awards

Here you will find, as the web site describes it, "Free financial aid, scholarship grants, fellowship awards, student loans, internships, prizes, and stipends. Highly competitive and prestigious scholarship, fellowship and internship awards for college study, graduate school and postgraduate research."

Some of the categories on this page include Women, College-Bound High School Seniors, Study Abroad, and Native Americans.

3. http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/respostdoc.html

This is a list of Postdoctoral resources maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Careers Office. Several good resources here to explore.

Just your friendly neighborhood ScholarshipMan working on your behalf, wishing you well and money galore!

Tyra Banks wants to give you money! and Loan Forgiveness Programs

2009-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Tyra Banks Show, in conjunction with projectworkingmom.com and elearners.com is offering "Project Working Mom . . . And Dads, Too!" Scholarship Awards.

There are several opportunities here, but read the information carefully. You agree to have one of the representatives from an accredited online campus to contact you.

http://www.elearners.com/projectworkingmom/project-working-mom-ane-terms-and-conditions.asp?name=about_tmp

The deadline is March 8, 2009.

I noticed information on the left, and elearners.com has a tool which explains loan forgiveness programs and tax breaks.

Here is that information: http://debtfree.elearners.com/how-to-pay-for-school/

Once again, do you research. Check with your contacts in whatever industry or job you're entering whether that college or online degree program is respected.

Also, you can check out the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited PostSecondary Institutions and Programs: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

Free Ivy League Education--Let's do some Research!

2009-02-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

Free Ivy League Education--Let's Do Some Research!

Many of you may have read or seen on television about many Ivy League schools offering free or reduced tuition.

I decided to do a little google searching and found these interesting links.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22186316/

If your family makes under $60,000 a year, you can go to Harvard for free. If your family makes between $60,000 and $120,000, you will be required to pay a percentage of your income.

http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/

The best thing to do is to follow up some reading on news sites with actual research at the college. Here you can directly read about Harvard University's initiative.

http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com/2008/02/sharing-knowledge-tip-8-college-for.html

This list was put together by Essential Essence. This is a blog by Tanisha Mathis, a first year law student and blogger. Here you get a list of major universities.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-cash-101/2008/10/10/texas-am-bu-and-vanderbilt-expand-their-aid-programs.html

I know I read something about Vanderbilt University offering tuition reductions, so I googled Vanderbilt and found this blog post. Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and Texas A&M are expanding their aid programs. Of course, this is an interesting blog about paying for college available on U.S. News & World Reports web site, College Cash 101 by Kim Clark: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-cash-101

http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php

Within this blog entry, I came across the mention of 53 institutions who were reducing the cost of tuition for low income familities. The list can be found at this Project on Student Debt's web site.

Researching this information took me about an hour. I used terms I had recently heard in the news. I used google and links found in other web sites.

I wanted to give you an idea of how you could also conduct such a search.

Travel Scholarships and Dave Ramsey

2009-02-20T10:16:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share with you the following information.

Travel Scholarships

Do you like to travel? Would you like to explore the world? First, WorldNomads.com gives several scholarships.

For example, the2009 Worldnomads.com Travel Podcast Scholarship has a deadline of April 5, 2009.

More information here: http://journals.worldnomads.com/scholarships/post/27876.aspx

For the many travel scholarships this web site gives, click here: http://journals.worldnomads.com/scholarships/about.aspx

Dave Ramsey Tells You How to Afford College in Difficult Times

Second, in August 2008 Dave Ramsey discussed how to go to college debt free. He has several good ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLJBZ8FVmY

In Dave Ramsey's book, The Total Money Makeover, he mentions several interesting ideas about how to think about a college education that goes against the norm. I would recommend this book as a good source about financial concepts.

Even if you don't buy the book, go to your local library or your local bookstore and read Dave's concept of how many students finance unnecessary expenses. I remember reading about 2-3 pages that I wished that everybody going to college could read.

Watch Out for Student Loan Scams!

2009-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

I found this video detailing student loan scams from CBS News Video.

Even though the report is from 2007, the information is still relevant. You are given things to watch out for in order to a student loan scam. Also, how you can check to see if a student loan program is too good to be true.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3183952n%3fsource=search_video

You can check previous posts where I have given information on how to avoid scams.

Here are a few more articles.

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/common.phtml
Common Scholarship Scams

The Federal Trade Commission has a list of warning signs, including a list of defendants who are accused of student loan and scholarship scams.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship/

Remember, this weekend is College Goal Sunday, where you can get help on your FAFSA:
http://www.collegegoalsundayusa.org/

You can find out when and where in your state the event is occurring. Also, you can find out what you need to bring in order to receive help.

Research and Planning for College

2009-02-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

Use the Internet to Assist You in Researching and Planning for College

In Tennessee, a web site that is sponsored by Tennessee.gov walks you through the process of researching and planning to attend college, including the ability to fill out applications for Tennessee colleges online: http://www.collegefortn.org/

Many universities and colleges have virtual tours and information on their web sites, so that's another resource you can explore.

Other web sites that can assist you in planning for college:

http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/default.asp?sponsor=2859

http://mappingyourfuture.org/

http://www.petersons.com/

Are you using other web sites to help you plan for college or do you want to comment on the ones listed?

Leave a comment with your experiences with the above web sites or the web addresses of other college research and planning sites.

What If I Lose My Job? and Other Questions

2009-02-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

I went to a podcast directory to see if there were any podcasts about scholarships.

I found one interesting podcast detailing the case of one parent who had lost his job, changing the amount of money he could contribute to his daughter's education. The commentator gave a very succint answer: http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/2009/02/06/cnbc-financial-aid-for-unemployed-parents/

There were several podcasts found here: http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/

Since this podcast is brought to you by the Student Loan Network, the Student Loan Network might want to emphasize loans over scholarships. Since one of the major aims of this blog is to encourage you to go to college with little or no debt, do not think that loans are the only way to go to school.

There were several other interesting finds on this web site:

http://www.scholarshippoints.com/free-college-scholarships/ Scholar Points: Free College Scholarships

http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ a Free Scholarship Search Engine

http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ebook/ Free ebook on how to find scholarships over the Internet

http://www.studentloannetwork.com/10K/index.php?sp=Financialaidpodcast@gmail.com $10,000 Scholarship Application--No Essay, No Recommendations

Once again: a warning--I would not give out my social security number on any of these things.

Most likely, information provided may be good, but remember that they also want to tempt you into using loans. You are the market: beware and be aware.

March 16, 2009--deadline for more than 60 scholarships

2009-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

March 16, 2009, is the deadline to apply for more than 60 scholarships administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Local scholarships are often the hardest to find in your scholarship search, but easier to acquire because there is a lack of competition.

Each scholarship has different criteria; check each out to see if you qualify, especially if you live in Middle Tennessee or Tennessee.

http://www.cfmt.org/index.php

Scholarships for Adults and Returning Students--Marianne Ragins, a $400,000 expert

2009-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Marianne Ragins, author of Winning Scholarships for College, 3rd ed., won over $400,000 in scholarships while she was a high school student.

She has listed several scholarships for adult and returning students on her web site, including this one with a deadline of March 1, 2009.

http://www.scholarshipworkshop.com/future.html

Here are more scholarships for adult and returning students:

http://www.scholarshipworkshop.com/adultrtc.html

Here is her entire web site, which would be good to explore, because there are scholarship opportunities and information for everybody.

http://www.scholarshipworkshop.com/

College Goal Sunday--Getting Help Filling Out your FAFSA

2009-02-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

College Goal Sunday is a program which occurs in all 50 states where financial counselors will help you fill out your FAFSA.

To learn where in your state you can get help and when, click here:
http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/

In Tennessee, College Goal Sunday is Sunday, Feb. 22. More details here:
http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/

Win A Trip With Nick--Change the World! Deadline: Fri, Feb. 13, 2009

2009-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

On YouTube, I recently caught a video describing how a college student can "Win A Trip with Nick Kristof," in which the student will go to Africa with him and explore the many causes and solutions to global poverty.

Here is the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoXY8S4iknE

As described in the copy on YouTube, "New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof invites college students to win a trip to Africa with him. The winner will report, blog and vlog from the field. To apply, upload a video response here or submit an essay."

Information can be found at http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/

The contest ends at midnight on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009.

Scholarshipexperts.com--Forbes Best of the Web and Scholarships Galore!

2009-02-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

I discovered a web site, ScholarshipExperts.com; Forbes.com calls the ScholarshipsExperts.com in its "Best of the Web" Review, "The best scholarship search engine we've found!"

Create a profile at this web site and get unlimited access to a scholarship database of 2.4 million scholarships worth over $14 billion.

http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/

In addition, ScholarshipExperts.com will sponsor six scholarship programs in 2009, and they will award $30,000 in free scholarship money.

Some of these scholarships require a 250 word essay, and "US students who are 13 and up may be eligible to compete for these scholarships--high school students, college undergrads, grad school students, and adult learners are all invited to apply!"

Here is the info: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/apply.htx

Two Essay Competitions--Let Words Lead You to the Money!

2009-02-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let everybody know about two essay competitions and other possible money sources.

1. SuperCollege Scholarship

This essay is open to high school students, undergraduates, and graduates. You write a less than 1,000 word essay. Online submissions must be registered by July 31, 2009. Awards range from $500-$2500 dollars.

http://www.supercollege.com/about/about.cfm?area=7

The money for this scholarship comes from Gen & Kelly Tanabe, author of such books as The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009, How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay and 501 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College.

Try out their web site for a scholarship search engine, articles, and other helpful information:

http://www.supercollege.com/

2. Writing Rewards Competition

Pearson Education is having a writing competion which is open to all students who are enrolled in a pre-composition writing course at the time of submission.

Submission deadline is May 31, 2009.

There are three places: 1st, $500; 2nd, $350; and 3rd, 200.

For submission guidelines and thirteen topics from which to choose to write your essay, click here: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/writingrewards/

FAFSA--Fill One Out!

2009-01-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

The FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) is required by many scholarships to determine need.

The FAFSA can be found online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Information about filling out the FAFSA on the web: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/fafsa.jsp

Information about completing the FAFSA can be found here, including the PDF versions of the Dept. of Education's Completing the FAFSA, 2008-2009 and Completing the FAFSA, 2009-2010: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine web site has a great article entitled, "11 Student-Aid Traps to Avoid," which would make for timely reading: http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/01/avoid-student-aid-traps.html

There is a comment in the reader's comments by Mark Kantrowitz, author of FastWeb College Gold: The Step-By-Step Guide to Paying for College and FinAid, The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid, one of the best free resources for college financial information on the Internet (http://www.finaid.org/). Pay attention to that comment.

Scholarship Gold: Finding Money Online

2009-01-20T12:29:00.001-08:00

The University School of Nashville offers evening classes for the Nashville community, monies benefiting USN's endowment for need-based scholarships.

Here is the web address: http://eveningclasses.org

Here is the description of the class I will be teaching.

Class #201 Scholarship Gold: Finding Money Online
Thursday, 2/12/2009
Time: 7:00-8:30 pm USN

Description: Is it possible to graduate from college with little or no debt? How do you find legitimate scholarship opportunities on the Internet? For more than a decade, Tennessee State University instructor MICHAEL TURNER has coached students on how to find money to pay for college. This hands-on computer class will show you exactly how to search the Internet for scholarships and internships online and offline. Ages 16 and up.

Items needed to bring to class: Paper, pen

Class Fee: $35 per person

I call the classes offered at USN's evening classes as classes for living.

Some other classes featured are Make Your Music Marketable, Song Critique from a Pro, Essential Songwriting taught by Tom Kimmel, The Wisdom of Scrooge, and Got Search? Secrets of Online Marketing.

I view this as Nashville's own Learning Annex (located in New York City and also has an online presence: http://www.learningannex.com/ ).

Synergy: Vanderbilt Students Help K-12 students Prepare for College

2009-01-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Synergy is an organization of Vanderbilt Students that help prepare students K-12 for college.

Here is a description from the web site: “SYNERGY is an undergraduate organization that provides the skills and resources to empower K-12 students to successfully complete high school and advance to college by means of developing one-on-one relationships with consistent college mentors.”

Every Tuesday, Synergy is holding a college workshop (also college help and tutoring) from 6 pm—8 pm at Hadley Park Community Center.

Check out there web site for more details: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/synergy

Free College Tuition!

2009-01-15T14:27:00.001-08:00

I found the following video searching for college tuition information on the Internet:

http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/21608025/free_college_tuition.htm

This details the School of the Ozarks, where students can work for tuition and go to college for free. Many of these schools, Berea College is a well-known example, have endowments, which allow them to assist students in paying tuition.

To explore these schools and see what programs are offered, check out this web site:
http://www.workcolleges.org/

Video Student Competitions

2008-11-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't blogged in a long time, but I am gearing up to publish my ebook next year, so I decided I better do the Web 2.0 thingie and provide some information.

Anyway, I had a student who was interested in becoming a film director, so I googled video student competitions and found this great handout from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

This pdf file of 6 pages has links, which if you move the pointer over the web address, the pointer becomes a hand and you can click on through:

http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/misc/Studentcompetitions.pdf

Win $25,000 Toward College Tuition Video Contest

2008-02-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let people know about this opportunity.

Win $25,000 toward College Tuition Video Contest

http://upromise.eprize.net/tuitiontales/

Deadline: March 23, 2008 (read the official rules)

The person going to college or anyone who supports them can make a video, which could win up to $25,000 dollars toward college.

I found out about this contest on this web site, which contains many more video competitions: http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/onlinevideocompetitions/a/vidcontest.htm

Scholarships for Adults and Matthew Lesko

2008-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Scholarships for Adults and Matthew Lesko

In Matthew Lesko's January 2007 newsletter, he has posted scholarships for adults:
http://www.lesko.com/newsletter2005/jan07-b.htm

Matthew Lesko is good at collecting information. Here is the archive of his past newsletters:
http://www.lesko.com/backnewsletter2005.php

Here is his web site, which you can explore for more free information: http://www.lesko.com/index.php

Matthew Lesko is a salesman, so he has a tendency to exagerate, but he still has good information.

I would suggest checking out one of his books from your public library or checking out his book in the reference section of your library.

That way you can see whether you would find that book beneficial and decide if you want to purchase any of his books.

Much like anything, information is most likely useful if you use it.

I will be updating this blog more often. Look for my post about my upcoming ebook and the philosophy of my publishing company.

If you are a GED student and live in Tennessee, read this first!

2007-03-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Many people don’t realize that they can qualify for the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship if they are a GED student who scored a minimum of 525 AND who scored a 21 ACT (or 980 SAT). These students must apply to an approved list of Tennessee colleges or universities within 16 months after earning their GEDs.

Many students who get a GED don’t realize this and apply for college before taking the ACT, missing their opportunity to get a lot of money for school.

It’s always good to read the fine print: http://www.collegepaystn.com/mon_college/lottery_scholars.htm.

There are many different lottery scholarships, and there’s even a nontraditional student component.

The Tennessee Lottery Scholarship is administered by Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC), which admininsters more than just the lottery scholarships. Check out its web site and check out all the programs administered by this state agency: http://www.collegepaystn.com/index.html.

Internships--Get Paid to Work!

2007-03-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

Internships are like a paid vacation—you get to explore something you’re interested in while getting paid.

Here are some internship opportunities.

1. http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_wdwcp/index.html

Disney Theme Parks & Resorts College Program

2. http://www.boeing.com/educationrelations/internships/index.html

Boeing Internships

3. http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=students.html&sid=intern

Google Internships

4. http://www.latimes.com/classified/jobs/counselor/la-counselor-010705,0,3303455.htmlstory?coll=la-class-employ-counselor

An article in the LA times which lists places to look for music internships

Funding an Education using the S.E.C.R.E.T. Method, Part 5

2007-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

I created the S.E.C.R.E.T. method—Selective Efforts Create Rapid Effects Tomorrow—to replace FEAR—False Expectations Appearing Real.

5. Explore web sites for information

I will pinpoint several sources you might not be aware of.

The federal government has a web site where you can put in your information and see what government benefits you qualify for: http://www.govbenefits.gov/

The federal government gives over $60 billion a year in federal aid.

Visit Federal Student Aid (FSA) for Students: http://studentaid.ed.gov/

Also, check out Students.gov, the student gateway to the federal government. Check out information under the headings of plan your education, pay for your education, and career development: http://www.students.gov/

Also, explore the official website for exploring the federal government: http://www.usa.gov/

Funding an Education using the S.E.C.R.E.T. Method, Part 4

2007-03-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

I created the S.E.C.R.E.T. method—Selective Efforts Create Rapid Effects Tomorrow—to replace FEAR—False Expectations Appearing Real.

4. Do not let lack of money be an excuse; plan your dream.

Barbara Sher recounts the story of Diane, who was twenty four and a secretary. Sher had a BA, but she wanted to become a city planner. She had no money.

What she did was join local city planning-board meetings. Her enthusiasm was so apparent that many people from all over New York City were calling her for advice and help. By volunteering, she met all the right people who could give her honest recommendations. She received a full paid tuition to Hunter College.

She recounted Diane’s story in her book, "Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want". This book is available for free at http://www.wishcraft.com/. In Chapter 6, Sher describes how volunteering on pages 117-119 can lead to a scholarship.

This entire chapter is valuable, in that Sher describes how you can make any dream a reality by using a form of project planning. She uses the pursuit of a medical degree and the steps involved to show how you can map out a plan of action for your dream.

You can find out more about Barbara Sher at http://www.barbarasher.com/, and find out about her success teams at http://www.shersuccessteams.com/.