Thursday, November 4, 2010

2011 Student Award for the Health and Dignity of Women

For all undergrad students: Would you like to travel on an all expense paid trip to visit a UNFPA-sponsored project, receive a $1,000 stipend and blog about your experience in a national online publication? Apply for the 2011 Student Award for the Health and Dignity of Women! You could visit and be a part of a life-saving work in countries like Guatemala, Rwanda, Uganda and Bangladesh.

Application Deadline for Summer 2011 is December 10, 2010.

http://student.americansforunfpa.org/

Monday, October 25, 2010

Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

  • Thirty Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans will be awarded in 2011 on the basis of a single national competition.

Please review further on the website: http://www.pdsoros.org/competition/

  • Each fellowship supports up to two years of graduate study ր in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program ր in the United States.
  • Each award is for up to $25,000 in maintenance grants and up to $20,000 in tuition support for each year of graduate study supported, a total of as much as $90,000.
  • The deadline for submission of completed applications is November 1, 2010.
  • To be eligible, you must be:
    • A New American (a green card holder or naturalized citizen if born abroad; a child of naturalized citizens if born in this country).
    • Not yet 31 years old, as of the application deadline.
    • A college senior or holder of a bachelor's degree.
    • Not beyond your second year ր if already enrolled -- in the graduate degree program for which you request support.
  • Selection criteria emphasize creativity, originality, initiative, and sustained accomplishment.
  • The program values a commitment to the constitution and the bill of rights.
  • The program promotes a strong sense of community among fellows and alumni through fall conferences for fellows and numerous events for fellows and alumni held throughout the country.
  • The top 84 applicants will be designated "finalists" and will be asked to appear for interviews in New York City or Los Angeles in mid-January of 2011. Reasonable expenses will be covered by the Fellowship Program.
  • The 30 fellowship winners, selected from among the 84 finalists, will be announced in February of 2011.



Friday, October 22, 2010

Tips: Finding money for college


Finding money for college can be a difficult task, especially with the economy as it is. Luckily, there are a few options when it comes to getting college at a lower price so that getting the money for college isn't as difficult. These options might not be for everyone, but they definitely can help get some ideas flowing for those having a tough time rounding up resources.

One such option is going to a community college instead of a four year college to knock out some of those prerequisites. When the desired number of classes are taken, then the student can transfer those credits to the college of their choice. This way, college students only have to pay a community college price for some of the classes that are unrelated to their degree that they're going to have to take anyway! It is important, however, to know ahead of time which classes will transfer and which won't so that money is not wasted on a class that will not transfer.

Another option for cheaper college is tuition free colleges. There are several tuition free colleges which are colleges that charge nothing for tuition. Of course, the college do get SOMETHING but each college that offers this has their own catch. By completing a program from a school that doesn't charge tuition, students can get a four year degree and leave college owing no money on loans. This can definitely give peace of mind as most people who leave college take a large chunk of debt with them.

A final option to try is going to college through work. Many employers will pay a decent percentage of an employee's tuition. This varies with each employer as do the rules. Some employers require that the degree program be related to the job and many require a certain grade point average to be attained. This usually works on a reimbursement program which means that the student pays for the tuition ahead of time and then the employer reimburses the student after they complete their semester. Often employees interested in the tuition reimbursement program must get this settled with the company before the semester begins to qualify for the reimbursement.

It is important to figure out a plan of action in affording college before applying to schools so that a surprise tuition bill doesn't show up and there is no money to pay it. There are several options and ways students can get the education they desire at a lower cost.