Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The definition of educational scholarships

Education has always been a highly debated topic in society because it is a vital fundamental system in which will continue to determine on a global scale society’s crime rate, economic & moral stability. This means that if the Board of Education continues to delay reaching financial resolve to the problems facing the educational system, educators, schools and extra circular activities will continue to be downsized and face foreclosures. However there is still hope for us parents that the current and upcoming generations will be able to continue the cycle of economic stability of the world after we have passed on. This hope is complementary of teachers (such as the ones refused to let a decreased in their salaries stop them from educating their students) who strive to educate their students so that they will be academically eligible recipient of educational 

Scholarships defined 

The common misconception that a lot of people associate with scholarships is that they are only beneficial to the college population and that they all have the same type of requirement criteria. Therefore in order to dismiss this misconception we will start by defining what scholarships are & then learn about their practical and diverse usage as it pertains to education. Scholarships are defined as a detail orientated written binding document agreement that entitles the recipient thereof, to subsidize financially aid to be used to pursue higher education. In Laymen’s terms scholarships are rare types of financial aid that provides those who qualify with the opportunity of pursing higher education by significantly reducing the cost of tuition.

Furthermore because scholarships are typically sponsored by local charities and through government agencies, in order to qualify for them your academic record must meet the prerequisites defined. The following are the names of the five different types of Scholarships College, Career & student specific, Merit based and Need based. The most common amongst the five types of scholarships for higher education that college bound applicants seek after, are Student specific, Need & Merit based. The requirements pertaining to qualifications regarding a Need based scholarships, are determined based upon financial independence and your family’s income. Therefore most college students at some point during their college experiences has filled out an application known as a FAFSA to see if they qualify for the Need based scholarships. 

Now the eligibility and the qualifications for the Merit based scholarship is solely based on your academic record, extra circulars and any other talent that you might have. Here are some examples of extra curriculum activities which may increase your eligibility for this particular scholarship; football, basketball and artistic ability. Additionally Merit based scholarships are usually are subsidize through a private agency. Last but not least are the educational scholarships which cater to specific genres of applicants who might be pursuing higher education in a specific field. For example the Millennium scholarships are award to minorities students monthly based upon their family’s background. In order to qualify for Career & College specific scholarships you must have a certain GPA and noticeable achievements, sometimes these particular scholarships are awarded through college institutions.

Four types of scholarships for teachers


Every one of us can remember the name of at least one teacher that had an impact on our lives and help us make it through our twelve years of education experience. Perhaps the reasons why you remember the name of your impressionable teacher, is because they made a personal investment into your life. Or maybe it was how your teacher boost you’re confident by frequently calling on you and volunteering you for the role of leadership during group events. Therefore because of the reasons mentioned above (and ones that are not mentioned) you might now have a strong desire to go to college to achieve a degree in education. Due to the continual rise of college tuition you will need to do research to learn about the different types of teaching scholarships that are available. Thankfully listed below are the names of four different types of teaching scholarships. 

Straight forward Teacher scholarship 

These particular scholarships are unique because of their unprecedented low financial aid value of $500, and because they are disbursed multiple time throughout the year. Straight forward scholarships are distinctive scholarships programs which offer qualifying applicants various types of scholarships such as nursing, teaching and medical scholarships. Furthermore straightforward scholarships are open to national & international students and all are endorsed at outlawstudent.com. Now for those who are considering becoming a teacher you have two options enter the “no essay Teacher Scholarship contest drawing to win ten thousand dollars or you can fill out an application to see if you qualify for the $500 scholarship.

 Applegate future Teaching Scholarship

Thanks to the Applegate Future Teaching Scholarship students who are classified as high school undergrads and have maintained a certain grade point average, can apply for a chance to receive $1,000 in subsidized financial aid. It is required of all applicants that including high school graduates that they have major in the field of education. Between the calendars dates of October 1 and December 31 of every year applications for the Applegate Teaching Scholarship are accepted.  In order to apply for this particular scholarship you must visit their website and then download and print out the application, complete it and mail it in.

International teaching scholarships

International scholarships are sometime referred to as national scholarships and are specifically for applicants who are inspiring to become educators in a particular subject such language arts, math, reading and foreign languages.  Bright Horizon & The Phi Delta Kappa are the names of two types of national teaching scholarships, the latter present award scholarships in the amount of $1,000  to seniors and undergraduates of high school. The Bright Horizon scholarship is worth $2,500 and only full time students who are pursuing a degree in elementary education can apply for. In addition applicants must submit letters of recommendation, resume, a 500 word essay and educational transcripts along with their application.
UPS endorsed scholarships 

These teaching scholarships are distributed annually and nationwide by the UPS Foundation to first time applicants on a first come first served bases.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Financial Aid Options for Students

When it comes to financial aid for college there are primarily two sources: privately funded financial aid and federally funded financial aid. When applying for or receiving either you need to make sure that you are fully aware of all the fine print involved. Most people find that the expenses of college are much too great to afford without assistance of some sort. If you are a parent chances are that you will some day face the need to pay college tuition along with the worry of how on earth you will manage to accomplish that goal.

The problem is that not every student who wishes to attend college qualifies for either federally funded student aid or the vast majority of scholarships that require either exceptional grades or a specific and exceptional talent in order to receive. For those students thinking outside the box may be necessary in order to receive the much needed educational assistance or financial aid.


If you do not qualify for federal financial aid for your children, then you may want to consider the benefit of other scholarship options. One common scholarship option that is often overlooked is the ROTC program that most universities offer. There is a price to pay for these scholarships but many find that price provides valuable experience and is well worth the education and the experience received during the process. If your child is interested in the possibility of a military career or becoming a military officer, this is a great way to go.

As a parent you may want to see what sort of, if any, flexible spending accounts your state has set up that can help you set aside money for college expenses for your children. Many states have these and there are programs such as Upromise that allows you and others to dedicate the spending from a credit card to be used as a 'match' program for your child's college funds. While it isn't a dollar for dollar match of your credit card spending every little bit helps. The real beauty of programs like Upromise is that you can enlist the help of family in friends when saving for your child's college educational expenses. Regardless, it is never too early to begin saving for your child's college education and these expenses seem to be rising exponentially.

There are many programs that exist to help minorities and women pay for their educational expenses. Some of these scholarships are needs based while some of them are solely merit based. On all levels competition is fierce, however, if you qualify for any of these scholarships you would be doing yourself a disservice not to apply for them. You never know when your application might be the one that captures the attention of the scholarship committee. The one thing you should keep in mind is to read all the instructions, make copies of everything, and follow the directions. You'd be amazed at how many worth applicants are denied scholarships each year because they did not follow the directions on the application properly. Another thing you should keep in mind is neatness. You are much more likely to win a scholarship if the committee can actually read your application.

There are many great opportunities for financial assistance when it comes to college. The trick is typically in finding the great sources. Your college's financial aid office is an excellent source of information for financial aid as is your high school counselor. See what your options are before you sacrifice the dream of a college education.