Now that you’ve graduated with an undergraduate degree, it’s time to start thinking about your next step in life. Either you head into the workforce or you head back to school for an advanced degree. You can go to graduate school, or medical or law school. You can then go on to get a PhD if your career path takes you that way.
Chances are if you do want to go to graduate school, you are going to need financing. The federal financial aid system offers some financing, but you might need to look into private companies for your graduate student loans. Some students are able to work full time in addition to going to grad school, but that isn’t the right move for everyone. You need to decide for yourself what will work best – working full time and not taking as many loans, or to get help funding your school so you can focus on making the grade.
If your dream is to become a doctor and you don’t have a large trust, you’ll probably need to look into med school loans from Sallie Mae. Medical school is very expensive and very time intensive so it’s not always a good idea to work even part time when attending.
You will recollect your college years long after your graduation. A wave of nostalgia will definitely wash over you at least once a month, whenever you pay your college loan.
Unlike employment and high salaries, college graduates can be certain of their loan debt. The extended repayment plan, for instance, can last up to 25 years. By that time, they are likely to need a new college loan for their children’s education. The college loan debt is like a deep scar on your budget that will take decades to heal.
Here are some simple, but effective suggestions to ease that burden: Read the rest of this entry »
While more and more people can now afford to go to college, can they actually afford it? Getting financial aid is easy, as long as it’s in student loans. But what about grants and scholarships and work study programs? The financial aid system is becoming more complicated and it’s hard to get lost. Here’s a helpful infograhpic to show you how the financial aid system works.
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4 Tips for Writing Scholarship Essays
The majority of scholarships need a scholarship essay to be applicable. This has to do with the fact that essays help scholarship committees get a feel for the kind of person you are. They also make it so students from different backgrounds with different accomplishments are equally applicable to receive a scholarship. So how do you write a fantastic scholarship essay? This article will provide 4 tips to get you started.
1. Determine the Theme
Depending on the essay, you may be required to develop a theme. If not, you’ll have to make sure that your essay fits the theme of the scholarship. For instance, if you’re applying to a sports scholarship, you should write an article that’s relevant to the world of sports.
If the scholarship provides you with no theme, there’s a simple way to decide what your theme should be. The theme needs to be inline with the award, scholarship, or organization. Usually, there’s a reason or a purpose why they’re giving out a scholarship. Your essay needs to be in sync with that reason.
2. Create Goals
In your essay, you should include some of your goals. Why do you need the scholarship? Why do you want to go to College? What for?
When you’re writing about your goals, think broadly, and consider what qualities the scholarship committee is looking for. This section of the essay can show a number of things. Here are some ideas:
- If the scholarship is named after someone, consider the traits of that person, and try to demonstrate those traits in your essay.
- Be optimistic and use present tense.
- Demonstrate balance between academic and family life.
- Talk about the things that contribute to your success.
3. Keep an Eye Out for Underlying Questions
Scholarship essays often have an underlying issue, or question that they’d like you to address. They won’t ask this question up front, they want you to dig deep and find it yourself. It’s important that you answer this question in a unique and interesting way.
Keep in mind that you’re one of many applicants. This is a competition where all the applicants have similar goals. This means the scholarship committee has to thumb through a large number of applications that all look very similar. Use the underlying question as a tool to make yourself stand out from the bunch. Prove to them that you’re the ideal choice.
4. Create an Outline
Before you even begin writing your essay, you should create an outline determining exactly what you’re going to say. Here are some benefits to writing an outline:
- With an outline, your thoughts will be clear, concise, and easy to read.
- The outline will guarantee that you cover all the points you want to cover.
- The points will be in the right order.
- You’ll have the freedom to build the essay in any way that you’d like, which can create a more dramatic and compelling effect.
After the outline is complete, write the essay, and then rewrite it. Do this to make double sure that there are no mistakes.
Guest post by Alexis, who writes on a variety of college and education topics.
One of the biggest concerns for college students and their parents is how you’re going to pay for your higher education. While some parents pay for their kid’s college, some students are on their own and resort to taking out students loans or trying to find scholarships and grants. The best thing about grants and scholarships is you don’t have to pay them back and there are so many scholarships for college students.
Finding scholarships is a lot easier these days because of the internet and the available resources. You can browse through their entire database of available scholarships to find the right ones for you. You can also search for specific types of scholarships. They add new scholarships all the time so you can keep checking for new ones.
There are many different types of scholarships by many different organizations, like Best Buy, Ronald McDonald House Charities ScholarshipKFC Colonel’s Scholars Program. You can also find tips to be the most effective scholarship applicant you can be, as well as other resources.
Websites like these really help high school and college students find appropriate scholarships and education grants so you can easily afford college.
More and more employers are requiring a college education, but with the rising cost of tuition, it’s hard for low and middle class students to afford one. There are many financial aid packages available and some are contingent on your school, but some of them are only about you.
Scholarships are one of the best ways to get help paying for college because you don’t have to pay the money back. Something many college students don’t realize is there are scholarships out there for almost everyone. You don’t have to be the best student or a star athlete to qualify.
There are many different types and categories for scholarships and one of the most popular areas is minority scholarships. You can qualify for one of these by simply being a part of a minority group. There are also career-based scholarships if you already know what career path you want to take. Other areas include religious and military scholarships.
When looking for scholarships, first talk to your school(s) of choice and their financial aid department. They can point you in the right direction and hopefully give you some guidance. Many universities offer scholarships from endowments or alumni programs. Another way to find scholarships is the internet. There are many search engines that will help you find the right scholarships for you.
True Cost of College
Online universities used to be few and far between, but now they are pretty common. Two of the biggest benefits of getting an online degree is cost and flexibility. You are able to stay home while getting your degree from an accredited college, saving you time and money. You are also able to study and take classes on your schedule, so you can work and enjoy free time. There are plenty of resources to find the best online degree for you.
It’s much easier now to pursue an accredited online degree than it was just a few years ago. And it’s much more cost-effective, especially when you are working part-time or full-time. This infographic explains how much more you would spend pursuing a degree from a traditional university compared to an online college. Between tuition, housing and textbooks, you’re looking at a $60,000 difference, not including any student loans you have to take out.
In addition to tuition and textbooks, online colleges generally don’t have lab or other school-related fees. At some universities, you have to pay for club activities, sports, libraries and computer labs. These fees are usually as much or more than actual tuition costs.
Something else most students forget is that you can still get financial aid for online colleges and universities. You can still apply for grants, scholarships and student loans even though you aren’t attending a traditional college or university. You still fill out the FAFSA and apply for any grants and scholarships you can find on your own. Most online colleges have a financial aid department that can help you find additional funding.
