It's Thursday again (already?!), which means it's a time for a scholarship update.  Usually, I try to give you guys two or three scholarships with immediately impending deadlines.  Since Thanksgiving is next week and finals are right around the corner, I figure your plate is going to be rather full until the first of the year.  Therefore, for the next few weeks, I'll be focusing on scholarships with deadlines in the next four to six weeks.  That should give you plenty of time to eat some turkey, study for finals and write a winning scholarship essay!

This week, I've got a $1,000 scholarship for undergraduate majors in technology education, up to $10,000 in scholarships for young entrepreneurs, and $25,000 for all-around outstanding students with a real commitment to community service and social justice.  If you are in need of some serious money to help fund your college education, read on!

#1. The Foundation for Technology Education Scholarship: $1,000

The Foundation for Technology Education has one $1,000 scholarship for an outstanding undergraduate student majoring in technology education teacher preparation. The scholarship committee is looking for a student with a sincere interest in teaching, strong academic ability and glowing faculty recommendations. The applicant must be member of the International Technology Education Association (but if you are not, you can apply for membership at the same time that you submit your scholarship application.)  The applicant must also be enrolled full-time in a technology education scholarship and cannot be a senior at the time of the application.  A completed application will include a statement of personal interest; a resume not exceeding three pages; a college transcript showing a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher; and three faculty recommendations.  To learn more or for the address where to send your application, see the FTE website (linked above).  The application deadline is December 1, 2008. The recipient will be announced in March 2009.

#2. 2009 Young Entrepreneur Awards: $1,000 - $10,000

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award program provides up to $10,000 in tuition assistance to high school seniors pursuing higher education and their entrepreneurial dreams. For more information, contact the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation at yef@nfib.org.  Application deadline is December 15.

#3. AXA Achievers Scholarship: $10,000 - $25,000
The AXA Achievements Scholarship, in association with U.S. News & World Report, offers a one-time scholarship of $10,000 fifty-two high school seniors — one from each state, the District of Colombia and Puerto Rico.  From that pool of 52 winners, ten are selected as national winners, earning an additional one-time scholarship of $15,000. The top ten are also offered an internship with AXA. The successful applicants all share ambition, determination, respect for self and community, and the ability to succeed academically at college.  To learn more or two apply for the AXA Achievers Scholarship, download the application from the link above (see the right side of the page for the Word download.)  The application deadline in December 15.

Remember! There are literally millions of scholarships out there with more than $3.5 billion in assistance for students just like you. The Financial Aid Finder has the low-down on how to find scholarships and how to write a scholarship essay.

Sorry for the late posting of these scholarship announcements.  I'm going to move to a biweekly format for scholarships starting next week as the cold weather signals the start of a much more robust scholarship season.

Today, I've got three college scholarships with deadlines for this week, but in the coming weeks we will be looking at scholarships with late November, December and early January deadlines.

It's time to start getting your duck in a row, so to speak, so that you can the most out of your scholarship opportunities.  If you are a high school senior, that means fine-tuning your scholarship essays and making sure your letters of recommendation are in tip-top shape.  If you are in college, looking for money for later this year or for the '09-'10 school year, you will want to be sure that your transcripts are ready and all your other paperwork is good to go.

Without further adieu, here are the top three scholarship opportunities with deadlines for later this week:

1. Intel Annual Science Talent Search: $5,000 - $100,000
The Intel Annual Science Talent Search (Intel STS) is America's premiere pre-college science competition, bringing together the 40 best and brightest young scientific minds in America to compete for $1.25 million in awards and scholarships. Every year, some 1,600 American high school seniors enter the competition with original projects from a wide range of mathematics and science disciplines. The field of 1,600 is then narrowed to 300 semifinalists, and then further culled to the 40 finalists. Each of the 40 finalists will receive $5,000 from the Intel Foundation; a new laptop with Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology; an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they will meet with government officials, including the President or Vice President; and the opportunity to display their research at the National Academy of Sciences.  The grand prize winner will be awarded a $100,000, four-year scholarship. The second place winner will receive a $75,000, four-year scholarship and the third place winner will receive $50,000. The fourth through sixth place winners each receive $25,000, while the seventh through tenth place winners each receive $20,000. The 66-year history of the Intel STS has honored some of the world's most accomplished scientists: six former finalists have gone on to win a Nobel Prize. Applications must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

2. Toyota Community Scholars: $10,000 - $20,000
Toyota's Community Scholars program annually provides 100 four-year college scholarships, valued at either $10,000 or $20,000, to recognize academic excellence, leadership and commitment to community service. High schools nationwide may each nominate one scholar per year for the scholarship program, which is administered by the Educational Testing Service.  The nomination deadline for the 2009-2010 Toyota Community Scholars Program is November 14, 2008.

3. Scholarships.com College Health Scholarship: $1,000
Scholarships.com, one of the leading free scholarship searches, offers a variety of $1,000 to students pursuing a variety of majors. Posted with deadlines throughout the years, these scholarships cover everything from English to Engineering.  This week's opportunity is for undergrads pursuing a career in medicine and health care.  The online application is available through Scholarships.com and includes a brief application form and a 250 to 350-word essay on the topic: "What has influenced your decision to pursue a career in health care/medicine?" Application deadline is November 30, 2008

Can you believe it's Thursday already?  What's on your To Do list this weekend?  Filling out a few scholarship applications, I hope. 

Today, I've got three money-makers that you should check out. All three of these scholarship opportunities have upcoming deadlines - two are the first of November and one is the 14th - so you'll definitely want to get started on these right away.

# 1.Joe Fossi Veteran's Day Scholarship Contest: $5,000
Is your college budget about $5,000 short?  Here's a great opportunity for you to win that 5 grand, plus another $500 for your school. Submit an original essay of at least 1,5000 words on the topic, "Veteran's Day: How I intend to Observe This Day."  The contest is open to junior and senior high school students currently studying in the United States (homeschoolers are welcome to apply as well).  Entries must be postmarked or emailed no later than November 14.  The final winner will be determined and announced by December 14. You hear about unusual scholarships, well this is one of those!

#2. Ron Brown Scholar Program: $40,000 (over four years)
The Ron Brown Scholars Program offers a minimum of ten African-American high school seniors an annual scholarship of $10,000, for a total of $40,000.  Scholars must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. Only high school seniors are eligible to apply. Scholars may apply their scholarship to pursue any academic discipline. Applications are screened in February and finalists are invited to participate in a weekend selection process in Washington, D.C. in March. During the all-expense paid trip, finalists are interviewed by members of the Ron Brown Selection Committee.

Application materials include transcripts and letters of recommendation, application form and essay.  It should all be mailed together (email and faxes are not accepted). There are two deadlines for the Ron Brown Scholars program: You can apply by January 9th, or you can apply by November 1st, in which case not only with the Ron Brown Committee consider your application, but they will also forward it to a select number of additional scholarship providers. For more information, visit the Scholars site at www.ronbrown.org.

#3. Tim Moore Design Scholarship: $500 - $1,500
Tim Moore was a painter, graphic designer and musician, who saw travel as an essential part of the creative experience. He died suddenly at the age of 54 and now the AIGA Boston is sponsoring a scholarship in his honor.  To qualify, you must be a junior or senior design student, who is planning to study design abroad.  Scholarship recipients must be willing to keep a sketchbook of their adventure abroad and submit it to the Board of Directors of AIGA Boston, which may be used in fundraising materials at a future date. The Discovery Award is $500 for students studying 1-3 weeks abroad; the Explorer Award is a $1,000 grant for a 4-6 week study period; and the Pioneer Award provides $1,500 to students studying abroad for 7 weeks or longer.  The application form can be downloaded online. Application Deadline: November 1st.

Good luck with your apps! And please stop by and let us know if when you win one!

Due to some technical difficulties, our weekly scholarships post is making its appearance on Friday this week instead of Thursday. 

Fortunately both of the great opportunities I've got today have end of the month deadlines - so you've still got plenty of time to get working on your applications.

#1. Annie's Homegrown Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship

Here's a scholarship opportunity you don't hear about every day.  But if you are a farmer and an organic fanatic, this one might be right up your alley. Annie's Homegrown is an organic commercial food company, best known for their eye-catching purple boxes of mac-n-cheese. This year, Annie's is adding to its good deeds with $50,000 in scholarships for students of sustainable organic agriculture.  You can find the nomination form and application information online.  Both full-time undergraduate students (in either a two-year or a four-year program) and graduate students are eligible to apply.  For the 2007-2008 school year, the company awarded eight $2,500 scholarships and three $10,000 scholarships.  The application deadline is October 30th.  Final decisions will be announced by March 3, 2009 and funds will be dispersed for the 2009-2010 school year on June 15, 2009.

#2. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Since 1995, Prudential Financial has been honoring young people in middle school and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Together with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Prudential Financial has honored more than 80,000 young volunteers over the last 13 years.  Each year, two honorees are designated for each state, plus the District of Columbia.  Honorees win a $1,000 college scholarship plus an all-expenses paid trip to the nation's capital for a special award dinner.  To apply online, visit the 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The application deadline is October 31, 2008.

Can you believe it's already Thursday again? For many of you, this is the start of a long holiday weekend.

If you've got Monday off for Columbus Day, why not dedicate a few hours to completing some college scholarship applications?  Here are two great opportunities:

1. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Back in August, I told you about this phenomenal scholarship opportunity. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation provides $3.4 million in annual scholarships through its two nationally recognized programs: the four-year award and the two-year award. October 31st is the deadline for Coca-Cola four-year award program, which provides 50 high school seniors with a four-year $20,000  scholarship (that's $20K/year for for years!), and it gives another 200 high school seniors a four-year $10,000 scholarship. Scholarships are intended to reward leadership and excellence, with a focus on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community service. As you can imagine, these scholarships are uber-competitive, so you will want to be sure that your application is perfect. Apply on-line at the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. (Coca-Cola also offers a scholarship program for students in two-year programs, which you may recall me posting about back in May.)

2. Golden Key International Honor Society General Electric Engineering Excellence Scholarship

Are you an engineering student? Are you a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society?  If so, you may be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship. To apply, start by registering your scholarship application, then polish up your best engineering related paper or report, not in excess of 10 pages of text. Next, write a 500-word essay describing the assignment for writing the paper, your greatest challenge in writing the paper, the lessons your learned from completing the assignment, and, if you could rewrite the report, what would have done differently.  Your application will also need a letter of recommendation from a professor of engineering and a current academic transcript.  Application deadline: October 15.

It may be late in the day, but it's still Thursday and I've got two really great scholarship opportunities. 

So make some time in your busy weekend schedule to write some essays and fill out some applications.

1. Horatio Alger Association Scholarships: $20,000
The Horatio Alger National Scholarship is one of the nation's largest scholarships program, annually awarding 105 high school seniors with a $20,000 scholarship.  The scholarship committee is looking for candidates who will use their college degree to serve others.  Ideal candidates will also have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, and strength of character.  Candidates must have at least a 2.0 GPA and critical financial need (family adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less).  In addition to their scholarship, national scholars also receive an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. during their senior year to attend the National Scholars Conference. Go here to apply on line. The application deadline for the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship is October 30.

2. Akademos / TextbookX.com 2008 Scholarship: $2,000
TextbookX.com is a discount online bookstore, offering up to 90% off retail prices on more than 900,000 titles. Founded by Akademos, TextbookX.com is running its second annual scholarship essay contest.  To win the grand prize of a $2,000 scholarship (or two runners-up prizes of $250 in book credits), current undergraduate students must answer the following question: What should be done, if anything, to stop nuclear proliferation? Your essay must be no fewer than 250 words and may not exceed 750 words.  All content must be original and must demonstrate a strong grasp of grammar rules. The essay must also reference at least one book that influenced the student's answer and provide complete bibliographical information. All essays must be submitted on the TextbookX.com website by October 31, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST.

Good luck with your scholarship essays!  See you on Monday.

June 5, 2008 by Mara Strom

Each Thursday, The Financial Aid Finder offers you a list of outstanding scholarship opportunities with looming deadlines. If you're looking for free money to help pay for your college education, then you might enjoy one of our archived articles about writing scholarship essays, the four qualities scholarship committees look for, and free college scholarship search engines.

This Thursday we've got three exciting scholarship opportunities with June deadlines. If you won all three, you'd be able to put an extra $8,000 into your college fund kitty. With June deadlines, you don't have much time — so get to it!

1) The Developmental Fund for Black Students in Science and Technology Scholarship
This renewable scholarship provides up to $2,000 per year to African-American undergraduate students majoring in a scientific or technical field at one of twenty Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Winners are selected based on academic record, personal essay and demonstrated financial need. You must obtain an application from your science or engineering department and your school will prescreen you. Scholarships are currently available for students attending the following colleges and universities:

* Bennett College
* Clark Atlanta University
* Elizabeth City State University
* Fisk University
* Florida A&M University
* Fort Valley State Collect
* Hampton University
* Howard University
* Langston University
* Lincoln University (PA)
* Morgan State University
* North Carolina A&T State University
* Prairie View A&M University
* Southern University
* Spelman College
* Tennessee State University
* Tuskegee University
* Wilberforce University
* Xavier University of Louisiana

The scholarship deadline is June 30th. Winners will be notified in early September.

2) The Christophers Video Contest
Do you believe that "One Person Can Make a Difference"? Can you shoot and edit video footage to tell a compelling story? If you answered yes (or even maybe) to both of these questions, than you might be the next winner of the Christophers Video Contest for students. First prize is a $3000 scholarship (2nd prize is $2000, third prize is $1000 and there are five honorable mentions of $100 each).

You can use any style and genre you wish, including drama, comedy, documentary, news, music video or animation. You must submit your five-minute or less entry in NTSC format on a full-sized VHS tape or regionless DVDs. All currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply.

The Christophers is a non-profit organization founded in 1945 that uses print and electronic media to encourage all individuals to raise the standards of public life.

Entries are due June 6th (TOMORROW), so run, don't walk on this one!

3) Stuck at Prom, Duck Tape Brand Duct Tape Scholarship Contest
We've reported on this oddball scholarship before, so it might sound familiar to you. If you're a fashion forward high school junior or senior — or if you just really need the money — then this scholarship might be the one for you. You can earn a cool $3,000 for college by going to your high school prom dressed in duck tape. No joke!

The Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest is open to all U.S. citizens, age 14 and older, who attend their spring prom with a date — and both of you are dressed in duck tape. Just accessorizing is okay, but past winners all went for the total duck tape ensemble. Download the release form and send in a picture of you and your date.

The contest ends next Wednesday, June 11th and the top ten candidates will be announced on Friday. You then have two weeks to campaign for every vote you can scrounge up before the winners of the three grand are announced on Tuesday, July 1st. The top 10 will be chosen based on originality, workmanship and quantity of Duck Tape used.

Good luck to you! And since we love celebrating success stories, please leave us a comment if you land a scholarship from one of scholarship listings. Cake's on me!

May 29, 2008 by Mara Strom

After a rather long spring break, the Financial Aid Finder is back with our Scholarship Thursday update. This week, we've got three hot scholarship opportunities with deadlines of this weekend.

You don't have much time, so get to it!

1) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholars
Remember our article on Monday about the growing need for financial aid among community college students? Well, here's the perfect way to nip that need in the bud: Coca Cola is awarding 350 one-time $1,000 scholarships to students attending a two-year college. Applicants must demonstrate leadership and excellence through their academic record, as well as their involvement in community service and/or employment. To apply, you can be a high school senior or an already matriculated 2-year college student with a minimum 2.5 GPA. The deadline is May 31, and you have to be nominated by your school — so get on the phone now!

2) Scholarship.com Business Scholarship for Undergraduates
May 31 is also the deadline for Scholarship.com's $1000 scholarship for undergraduate students majoring in business (or any one of 18 other related fields — like marketing, accounting, hotel management and even sports management.) Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, registered user of scholarships.com (it's free), and a high school senior or matriculated 4-year college student. To win, just write a 250 to 350-word essay (no more, no less, or you'll be disqualified) on the topic: "What has influenced your decision to pursue a career in business?"

3) The Joe Foss Memorial Day Scholarship
Memorial Day has come and gone — but you've still got a few days left to enter this amazing $5,000 Memorial Day "Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death…" scholarship. The scholarship is sponsored by the Joe Foss Institute, which was founded in 2001 to teach students about American history and to foster their sense of patriotic pride. In honor of Memorial Day, the Joe Foss Institute is awarding the winning junior and senior high school student a $5,000 scholarship to be applied to the cost of their future higher education. Applicants must write a 1,500-word essay on the topic: How My Life Today is Effected by Patrick Henry. Essays must be your original work, as verified by your teacher. Application deadline is May 31.

Good luck to you! And since we love celebrating success stories, please leave us a comment if you land a scholarship from our Scholarship Thursday listings. Cake's on me!

April 21, 2008 by Mara Strom

Summer is just around the corner. Which means, it's time to start your search for the perfect summer job or internship — you know, the one with enough earning potential to cover your contribution to tuition, room and board for next year.

Summer jobs are undoubtedly a cash cow for many working students, but if you're looking for a less labor-intensive way to earn some extra money for college, then check out our scholarship update. Today's update includes two great opportunities with deadlines coming up this week. You don’t have much time left, and one of these requires a serious essay, so check them out quickly!

1. The Student-View Scholarship
This is more like Publisher's Clearing House than a traditional scholarship, but hey, $1,000 is a pretty sweet pot to take for just a little luck of the draw. Regardless of your GPA, athletic prowess, extracurricular activities or even financial need, you can be entered into the student-view.com's random drawing to win one of their $1,000 scholarships. The catch? You’ve got to fill out the site's survey about local colleges. (But it should only take you 15-20 minutes, so do it! Stat!) The deadline is April 22.

2. The Fountainhead Essay Contest
We wrote about this Ayn Rand-inspired competition in our 10 Most Unusual Scholarships article, so maybe you've already got your essay signed, sealed and delivered. If not, here’s the run-down for you: The Ayn Rand Institute's Fountainhead Essay Contest awards hundreds of scholarship prizes each year to winning amateur essayists who can eloquently share their thoughts on the philosophy of the novel The Fountainhead. The competition is open to high school juniors and seniors and requires an 800 - 1,600-word essay (typed, double-spaced) on one of three questions. Check out the website for this year's topics. The judging process is intense: Four different panels of expert judges are looking for both style and content; but the reward is well worth the investment: The grand prize winner gets a $10,000 check. There are also 5 second-place prizes ($2,000 each), 10 third-place prizes ($1,000 each), 45 finalists ($100 each) and 175 semi-finalists ($50). Essays must be postmarked no later than April 25, so get to your computer now.

Good luck!

Check out: Scholarship Essays >>>

Taxes Are Due… And So Are Some Scholarships Applications

April 14, 2008

With the IRS filing deadline looming, you may not even realize that the week of April 15th is also a popular deadline for many scholarships.

Hopefully you’ll be getting some money back from the government’s stimulus package (unless, of course, your parents still claim you as a dependent) – but even still, applying for scholarships is a better long-term strategy to pay for your educational future. You don’t have much time for these three scholarships with deadlines later this week, so check them out now!

1. Sallie Mae Fund American Dream Scholarship
The United Negro College Fund has teamed up with the Sallie Mae Fund to offer scholarships to African American students from low-income families. Scholarships range for $500 – $5000. Applicants must be attending a two- or four-year college, university or vocational school anywhere in the United States. Only Pell Grant-eligible students who have American citizenship or are permanent residents of the United States may apply. The application deadline is tomorrow, April 15th. Online applications are available.

2. The 12th Annual Signet Classics Student Scholarship
If you're a fan of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you're in luck! This year’s annual Signet essay contest is awarding five high school juniors or seniors with a $1,000 scholarship (plus a Signet Classics library for their high school) for writing a winning essay on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic. The four optional topics and other application details are listed on the Signet website. Entries must be postmarked by tomorrow, April 15th and submitted by your English teacher (who can only submit one junior and one senior essay.) If you've struggling with major writer's block, don't forget about The 8 Steps to a Better Scholarship Essay.

3. The National Candy Technologists Scholarship
Sugar addicts look no further! Your college financing woes are over (or at least reduced by $5,000) if you can win the American Association of Candy Technologist’s annual scholarship for confectionery technologists. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, be a junior or senior, and be majoring in food science, chemistry, biology or related field. The Financial Aid Finder wrote about the candy scholarship in our article on the 10 Most Unusual Scholarships – and we still maintain that five grand is one sweet prize! The submission deadline is April 18th.

One more Tax Week update: If you’re applying for financial aid through your school, April 15th is the closing date to file your FAFSA in Alaska and Delaware. (The federal deadline is June 30th, but many states and private colleges set their own closing dates – so be sure to check with your school’s financial aid office.)

>>> To learn how to search for more college scholarships, see the Financial Aid Finder's
Guide to Free Scholarship Searches