College financial assistance comes in many forms, such as college loans, state loans, federal loans, paid internships, work study programs, grants, fellowships, athletic scholarships, academic student scholarships and more. A student’s first recourse should be to find college scholarships and grants, which do not need to be repaid. Next, if further financial assistance is required, they can apply for a loan. Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics report that 66% of students received some form of financial aid during the 2007/2008 school year, so the likelihood of getting approved is probable if one applies.
As you may know, colleges often have their own block of money set aside to attract the best and the brightest students. School-specific college scholarships are given to students who display academic excellence, are pursuing a certain major or who meet certain eligibility requirements. At the University of South Alabama, for instance, 3 fellowship scholarships in computer and information sciences will be given to female students each year. Montana State University wishes to attract more students into their aerospace program, so they offer 8 to 12 undergraduate grants scholarships annually. Albany State College awards 10 students a presidential college scholarship of $5,000, if they have high marks and maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher. For more information on these scholarship opportunities, you will need to check with the schools to which you’re applying.
A college scholarship can also be given out by a private organization, some of which offer from $50 to $20,000 to aspiring students. A scholarship can come from a corporation who wants to attract new employees and support their community. Businesses like Best Buy, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Intel, Wegmans, Sunoco, Target, Dell, Toyota, General Motors and Sallie Mae offer awards to local students. A good place to start your scholarship search is with your own employer or your parents’ employers. The Chamber of Commerce will also have details on community players with scholarships for local students. Indirectly, students may also seek paid internship opportunities, which provide real world experience and training in exchange for a decent wage. The best fields for internships are accounting, hospitality, manufacturing, engineering, consulting, insurance and consumer goods. Some of these jobs pay as much as $25/hour and typically 80 to 100% of all interns are offered full-time jobs after their intern session is over.
Additionally, religious scholarships and grants may be given out to affiliates of a particular group. For instance, Catholics can check with the Catholic Aid Foundation or the Knights of Columbus for college scholarships. Baptists can check with the WMU Foundation or the American Baptist Financial Aid program. Episcopalians can try the ECF Fellowship Partners program or the Estelle Beaumont Ellison Scholarship Fund. Lutheran scholarships are available from the Lutheran Community Foundation or Scholarships for Lutheran Women. Presbyterian congregation members may find aid through the Lydia Scholarship Fund, National Presbyterian College Scholarship, Native American Education Grant or Samuel Robinson Scholarships. Methodists have the UMHEF Scholarships or the United Methodist Scholarship program. The Islamic Scholarship Fund covers Muslims, and the Barakat Foundation Grants are for Jewish students, who can seek financial aid through the Jewish Community Center, the JVS Jewish Community Scholarship or the Posen Foundation Program for the Study of Secular Jewish History and Cultures.
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