August 7, 2008 by Mara Strom The scholarship pickings are a bit slim this week. I’ve pulled together three scholarship opportunities, though – two of which you should be able to knock out quickly. And the third is only for doctorate students, so if that applies, you’re probably used to a lot of work anyway ;). In addition to applying for a scholarship or two, why not take advantage of this slower week to focus on getting ready for the start of school. Review your budget, plan your expenses and make sure you have enough money to cover all those start-up costs. (Yes, this is a not-so-subtle plug for my new Monday mini-series on budgeting for school. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out this Monday’s article about buying textbooks on a budget. And...

July 31, 2008 by Mara Strom I can’t believe it: The last day of July. With August upon us, the start of school is right around the corner. Are you ready? Are your finances?If you’re still searching for some last-minute scholarship opportunities, we’ve got three great suggestions for you this week, all with deadlines in the next week. 1. Calm-A-Sutra of Tea National Scholarship Competition: $20,000 Yup, you read that right. $20 Grand. Even if you don’t love tea, you’ll love this prize. The Tea Council of the USA, an organization of tea importers, packers and others, is behind this whopping prize. How do you snag it? Make a 1-2 minute YouTube video about the health benefits of tea drinking. The more off-beat, the better. The Council could care less about your gr...

July 24, 2008 by Mara Strom We’ve got some great opps for your today — big and small. You’ve got a whole weekend ahead of you, so why not sit down, fill out a few applications and whip up a couple of essays. Who couldn’t use several thousand dollars more for college? 1. The OP Loftbed $500 Scholarship Award: $500 The OP Loftbed Company is awarding a $500 scholarship to the student who answers their questions best. Unlike many other scholarships, OP doesn’t discriminate based on your GPA, involvement in the community, or even your writing skills. They just want to read original, creative answers to the following questions: What personal characteristics are most important to you in a Presidential candidate and why? Some psychologists say all families are dysfun...

July 20, 2008 by Mara Strom Wisebread had an interesting post yesterday about students whose families’ middle class income status has squeezed them out of the golden Medina of federal and state financial assistance: Financial Need. Blogger Xin Lu cites two college friends whose families were well off enough to be denied financial assistance to their top picks — Harvard and MIT. When their families decided the Ivy League was out of their league, the friends went to their second choice: public in-state schools, where they presumably managed to graduate debt-free. There’s a wealth of food for thought in this post — and especially in the comments section. For me, one of the most salient issues comes down to the following question: What is the true value of a college e...

July 17, 2008 by Mara Strom July is more than half-way through, which means you’re probably starting to think about heading off (or back) to school. Believe it or not, it isn’t too late to earn a few more thousand dollars for your college education. This week, we’ve got a list of three great opportunities, that could net you over $23,000! So amidst your busy back-to-school shopping schedule, be sure to leave yourself some time to fill out a few scholarship apps. 1. CosmoGIRL of the Year Scholarship: $20,000 You’re odds are about one in a million to land this scholarship, but it’s still one sweet deal (and not a lot of work.) In 300 words or less, express why you deserve to be CosmoGIRL of the Year. (Yes, you must be a female to apply!) Focus your essay on what...

July 10, 2008 by Mara Strom Welcome to Scholarship Thursday! Did you know that scholarships are FREE money for college? This week we’ve got three great opportunities for you to earn some of that FREE money. Each of these scholarships has a deadline of July 15, so time is of the essence. Good luck and please let us know if you land a scholarship that was featured here. At FAF, we love a happy ending! 1. Emc2 Election Multimedia Contest: $2,000 Do you have an opinion on energy security, genetic engineering, stem cell research or space militarization? If you could share your thoughts about a science, technology or health issue with the next American President, what would you tell him? Student Pugwash USA (SPUSA), a nonprofit educational organization devoted to multi-dimensional scientif...

June 30, 2008 by Mara Strom Last week, we spotlighted the views of Barack Obama, the (presumed) Democratic nominee, on higher education and financial aid. I promised you then that I wasn’t being partisan — and that we’d look this week at what the Republican nominee John McCain has to say about funding your college education. Well, I’m keeping my promise, but in all honesty, there isn’t *that* much to say. On Scholarships For Veterans We know that McCain doesn’t like the Democrat’s proposal to give veterans a free-ride to college. But McCain’s criticism of the bill isn’t a knock on full scholarships to veterans (per se) as much as it is a critique of the bill’s terms: McCain says to give these benefits after only three years (as th...

June 23, 2008 by Mara Strom A few weeks ago, I mentioned the brouhaha that was brewing between Barack Obama and John McCain over the Democrats’ proposal to fully fund scholarships for 3-year veterans. Well, that’s not the only financial aid issue making its way onto the ‘08 campaign trail with the presumed Presidential candidates. We know that figuring out how to pay for college is probably the bane of your existence, but what do the candidates think about financial aid? Here’s a look at what Obama says on the subject (and before anyone freaks out, we’ll be talking about McCain next week. Stay tuned!) On Tax Credits For Students Obama says he would give anyone paying college tuition a $4,000 tax credit to help cover their higher education costs. His campaign e...

June 16, 2008 by Mara Strom If you need financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year, then heads up: You’ve got two weeks from today to complete your FAFSA. FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it tells you and your school how much — and what kind of — federal financial aid you’re eligible for. Plus, a lot of private scholarships that include “financial need” as one of their eligibility requirements will want to see it, too. The FAFSA can be completed on-line and the filing deadline for next year is midnight Central Daylight time on June 30. If you’re looking for tips on filing out your FAFSA, we posted some great ones here. You’ll also want to check out the FAFSA site for a list of all the documents you need to c...

June 8, 2008 by Mara Strom Unless your last name is Rockefeller, you’ll need to think long and hard about the expense of your college education. Even though more than 90% of college grads say their degree was “worth it,” the cost can still be staggering. If you’re in college — or planning to attend — here are five online calculators that can help you get a handle on your higher education finances. #1. Budget Calculator You got into the college of your dreams! Congratulations! But… can you afford it? The first step to figuring out whether Dream U is in the cards is to determine your total college-related expenses and estimate your (and your parents) available income to cover those expenses. This handy budget calculator from the U.S. Department of E...