Stu Thinks...: August 2013

A few weeks ago I decided to apply for graduate school and during the process, I quickly realized the cost per credit hour for each class is somewhat higher than undergraduate classes. Fortunately for me, the Military Tuition Assistance Program covered 100% of the cost for my two undergraduate degrees, up to $4,500 per year. The program will also cover up to $250 per credit hour for graduate level classes, up to $4,500 per year.

At the university I chose to attend for graduate school, tuition per credit hour for undergraduate students is $350 per credit hour (approx $1,050 per class) for regular students and $240 per credit hours for Active Duty Military students. Tuition per credit hour for graduate students is $480 per credit hour (approx $1,440 per class) for regular students and $385 per credit hour for Active Duty Military students.

That leaves about $135 per credit hour I will need to pay out of pocket, but there are a number of scholarships that are accessible to people just like me that could offset these costs!

I am going to share some information about scholarship opportunities that are available to people all over the world. These scholarships are out there, but no one is going to knock on our doors and ask if we would like to have one. There are a number of companies and organizations that have donated monies for academic scholarships but unfortunately, a great deal of this money is being returned because of a lack of interest or applications.

Most scholarships require written essays, letters of recommendation, and copies of your transcripts (either high school or college). Others are need-based scholarships, where you are required to provide proof of income. Some of the applications can be filled out totally online, while others ask you to mail in the application. Some of the scholarships target specific degree seeking students, while others are based on gender, ethnicity, or religious affiliation.

I slept on a lot of these scholarship opportunities during my undergraduate studies because I had the Military Tuition Assistance Program. When my $4,500 yearly allocation dried up, I was applying for scholarships left and right. For every 20 scholarships I applied for, 18 or 19 went to other students.

I would not be honest if I told you that discouragement did not creep into my spirit from time and time, but I kept applying. I did get tired of writing essays and asking people to write letters of recommendation on my behalf, but I kept applying. You are going to have to read through a lot of material and sift through scholarships that are not applicable to your particular situation. Time, effort, patience, and persistence are mandatory in this endeavor.

Regardless to how many scholarships you do not win, keep applying!

Please pass this information on to your family members, nieces, nephews, and friends with college-aged children. For those of you without a college-aged child at home, share this with someone who does. If you have children, take the initiative to get them involved and invested in their own futures. There is no need for money to be returned to donating companies because we fail to apply.

If you are a college student or getting ready to become one, you already know how useful additional money can be. Below are a few links to many websites where scholarship information can be found.

*If clicking on the link doesn't work, copy and paste the URL in your web browser.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Finaid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid & Scholarships

www.finaid.org/

College Scholarships.org

http://www.collegescholarships.org

Student Inventors Scholarships

www.invent.org/collegiate/

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

http://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/applicants/#programs

Ron Brown Scholar Program