The weekend is nearly upon us, all you scholarship seekers! How has the summer been treating you in your neck of the woods? I’m off on vacation, writing up this post lakeside and feeling rather lucky indeed! As I have been saying for the past couple of weeks, August is slow season for scholarship committees, but never fear: As the weather starts to cool in September, the scholarship deadlines will heat up. In fact, I three awesome leads for you this week, all with September deadlines — plenty of time for you to perfect your scholarship essay and make sure to get your scholarship applications in on time. 1. Student Web Mapping Competition: $500 Recognizing the importance of the Web in the future of cartography, the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) is s...

We have been conditioned to think that student loans are inevitable. A necessary evil for today’s college student. But yesterday’s New York Times article on student loan debt has an optimistic message: One out of three students earn their BA degree with no student debt. That’s right — one-third of all undergrads will get through their degree without owing a penny in student loans, according to a new survey conducted by the College Board. So what’s that we keep hearing about how all students are drowning in student loan debt? According to one of the College Board’s researchers, Sandy Baum: People think students are drowning in debt, and there is a small proportion of students that borrow an exorbitant amount, but most students graduate with a manageable d...

Welcome to the second part of my new series on ways to reduce the cost of college. Even if you have been savvy college shopper and received financial aid, you might still be suffering from sticker shock.  So last week we talked about how to save one-quarter of your tuition, room and board costs by graduating college in three years rather than four. This week I’m exploring how community college can help you keep your costs down. One of the best ways to cut college costs is by enrolling in a local community college for the first two years, then transferring to a four-year school. Your diploma will be from the four-year institution, but your out of pocket expenses won’t be. Take for example my neighbor, who just finished her freshmen year at Johnson County Community College (...

It’s the first week of August, which means there is going to be a brief lull in the number of scholarships with upcoming deadlines. That’s because everyone is focusing on back-to-school preparations — including the scholarship committees! Now if you are looking for local scholarships, such as opportunities through the Kiwanis club or your local church or synagogue, you may still be in luck. But I try to focus in our weekly Scholarship Announcements on national leads, of which there are definitely fewer options this time of year. So, instead of my regular format, today I am bringing you some wonderful scholarship opportunities for women. You will definitely want to mark your calendar for these great scholarship programs — and I’ll be sure to remind you when...

President Obama visited George Mason University yesterday morning to mark the start of a new GI Bill with expanded higher education benefits for post-9/11 veterans. The law’s new programs, expected to provide $78 billion in assistance over the next decade, issued their first payments to colleges on August 1st. In his address to some 350 veterans, Obama confirmed his obligation to America’s servicemen and women. “We owe a debt to all who serve,” said President Obama. “And when we repay that debt to those bravest Americans among us, then we are investing in our future — not just their future, but also the future of our own country.” Among other new benefits, post-9/11 veterans will be able to attend any in-state public university at no cost. “...

I am initiating a new series of posts here at FinancialAidFinder on how to reduce the cost of college. According to the College Board, the average in-state Bachelor’s degree will run you $50,000 today. That figure covers tuition, room and board. The average American family earns $50,000 a year, so cash flowing that kind of money is absolutely impossible. That’s why I’m launching this new series. I’ll be looking at creative or non-traditional ways to reduce the cost of college and make it more affordable for more Americans. This week I am looking at a new trend among some colleges: the 3-year degree. The topic of three-year degrees has recently come into vogue, causing a great deal of debate among college administrators and educators. Setting aside the potential ac...

I can’t believe it’s the last day of July. The start of school is right around the corner. Are you ready? Are your finances? If you are still trying to scrounge up cash to pay for college, look no further. I’ve got three great scholarships to help you fund your higher education. There is a $5,000 scholarship for doctoral students of physical therapy; a $750 photo essay competition entitle “Who’s Got You Covered?”; and a $10,000 essay competition about poverty, called “In the River They Swim.” You can learn more about college scholarships by visiting our scholarship section , which has helpful articles on everything from the scholarship application process to scholarship essays. 1. Florence P Kendall Doctoral Scholarship: $5,000 It’s...

The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report describing the characteristics of college graduates who have received Pell Grants and comparing them to non-Pell Grant graduates.  Here are some of the findings from their study: 36 percent of 1999-2000 bachelor’s degree recipients received at least one Pell Grant while in college. Pell Grant recipients had greater undergraduate “risk characteristics,” including delaying post-secondary enrollment or failing to graduate from high school than non-recipients Pell Grant recipients whose parents did not attend college took longer to finish their Bachelor’s degree than recipients whose parents held a least a bachelor’s degree. They also enrolled in graduate school at a lower rate. When con...

Did you know that the average college student spends $1,000 a year on textbooks? With a whopping bill like that, it’s definitely worth it to try to save as much as you can on books — however you can. So before you hit the campus bookstore, be sure to read these six tips for saving cash on your textbooks. Buy online. But be sure to choose a vendor that offers free expedited shipping. Choosing ground can cost you a few weeks at the beginning of the semester without your books! Some of the most reputable online vendors include textbooksRus.com, Alibris.com and AbeBooks.com. Buy used. But be sure to check that the textbook is in good to excellent condition. You can save 30-50% of the cost by buying used, but a book that is missing key pages is obviously not much of a savings! Ch...

Happy weekend, all you scholarship seekers! It’s another record hot day here — but hey, all the better to stay inside, in the cool air conditioning, applying for scholarships, right?! As you know, every weekend at FinancialAidFinder, I try to make your search a little bit easier by posting about hot scholarship opportunities with upcoming deadlines.  With the summer dwindling down and back-to-school sales taking off, the scholarship world is a little quieter than usual. So this week, I have two great scholarship leads for minorities: one for Asian American women studying business and one for students attending a Historically Black College or University. I also have a piece of advice for all your scholarship seekers: While the application market is a bit slower, now is a grea...