First things first: though the term EFC or Expected Financial Contribution sounds like the amount you have to pay towards your college education, it is seriously not so. It is a parameter or measure used by the federal grant departments and financial aid office in institutes and universities to determine a student’s need for financial aid and calculate the amount aid/grant that can be extended out to him/her. Read more…

Apart from your SAT scores, one thing you got to consider is the college tuition fee. Your parents are probably already thinking about it and doing the best they can to send you to the best university in the country. Only the most affluent can claim to go bear the entire education cost without seeking any form of financial aid. A good, rather, very good part of the American population is dependent on various forms of financial aid universities to fund their children’s college education. Read more…

Do you play any of the following sports?

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Bowling
• Cross Country
• Diving
• Fencing
• Field Hockey
• Football
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Ice Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Rifle
• Rowing
• Skiing
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track & Field
• Volleyball
• Water Polo
• Wrestling

If yes, you may be eligible for an Athletic Scholarship to attend college. Over 600 U.S. colleges offer sports scholarships to athletes. Athletic Scholarships are awarded to an individual based on his or her ability to play in a sport. They can range from as little as $500 to as much as $30,000. Grants in aid, are awarded to individuals in return for competing on a college’s sports team. Read more…

There are plenty of people who are ready to dupe you in the name of acquiring for you a scholarship. As a scholarship aspirant you need to research meticulously on the funding procedures. Otherwise you can fall a prey to any scholarship scam. Here are some tips on how to identify and not fall into a unsuspecting trap -

• 1. Application Fee: Scholarship scams are used by organizations that charge fees for availing procedures or application submissions that can be undertaken free of cost. Never pay for scholarship application fees.
• 2. Guaranteed Scholarship Award: Scams that guarantee an award- Now this trap can be tempting to an aspiring student. Nobody can guarantee a scholarship. If you are worthy and your concerns are true you will certainly get it. Don’t get into the trap called ‘Scholarship guarantee’. No such thing exists.
• 3. You “Win” a Scholarship that You Never Applied: Scholarships scams will contact college students informing them that they have won full college scholarship. You cannot win a scholarship if you have never for applied for it.
• 4. Free Scholarship Scams: Nothing in life comes easily. There is no such thing like Free Scholarship. Scholarship is generally given to students with high quality academic record. Simply money does not grow on three.
• 5. Request for Personal Information: Some scams ask for your personal details, such as bank statement, date of birth, passwords, account numbers, social security number etc. Never share your personal information with anyone online. Your identity might get cloned

In today’s world, colleges receive around 200-400 applications for each scholarship opening.

While reviewing therefore, it is very important that your scholarship application should be outstandingly noticed in the crowd to get selected to the next stage. Also, it would save you time if you apply only for those scholarships for which you are eligible. It is highly doubtful that you will be awarded if you are not eligible for a scholarship.

Read more on Types of Scholarships available to judge which ones you may be eligible for.

Read more…

There is a lot of advice on How to Apply for a Scholarship – How to draft you LOR, Essay, Cover Letter, Resume etc.

However every International Student face their own set of challenges when it comes to applying for  scholarship abroad, primarily  because the same application tips do not work for all students.

In an earlier post we broadly discussed the Types of Scholarships available in the U.S.

In our endeavor to provide useful and accurate information for students seeking more information on Scholarships,we would like to encourage you to share what you might have/have  faced  while applying for a scholarship abroad.

Please tell us what do you think ..( in the below comment box)

You are ready to take the SAT and soon decide to go to the college of your choice. But it may be true  that you really are not familiar with all of your options when it comes to paying for college.  Being eligible for scholarships or being entitled for one is a great way to cut college costs. If you decide to invest your time in a search for scholarships, it’s important to have an organized system to find, apply for, and win scholarship money.

Students and parents are often confused when in come to the details regarding scholarships - How to get a scholarship? Where to Apply? What is the Eligibility criterion or Which Colleges or Organizations offer what Types of Scholarship?

While we attempt to tackle all these questions one by one in subsequent posts, we will first try and get a clear picture to What exactly is a Scholarship -

What is a Scholarship?

According to Wikipedia, ‘A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education’. Additionally, Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.

College Scholarships originate from a variety of sources. But, the fact is, nearly all available financial aid comes from the Federal government or from Individual colleges (College-specific awards). There is other Private and Organization sponsored sponsorships also available. The Scholarship Is There, but You Have to Ask for It.

Note: Not all scholarships are loan free. Your award may probably consist of a combination of gift aid, loans or even a job. Each of these is very different from the others. Understanding the differences is important. However, scholarships — which don’t have to be paid back — get a huge amount of attention from students and their families. You won’t have to repay them (like loans) or work to maintain them (like work-study).

Read More on the Types of Scholarships available or you can qualify for at the time of choosing your college or admission.

More on Athletic Scholarships

Or Get Advice on how to Evaluate Which College is Best for you.

And Types of Colleges to Choose From in the US. Top 10 US College Rankings of 2010-11

Start Practicing for the SAT with these SAT Practice Questions

RHHE is  a scholarship established by the Arizona Board of Regents to recognize Arizona high school students for outstanding academic achievements as demonstrated through high school courses and test scores (AIMS). Students claiming their RHHE scholarship must do so no later than 30 days prior to the start of the semester you intend to enroll at Arizona State University (ASU).

For more information and questions about eligibility, visit the Arizona Board of Regents Policy web sites http://www.asu.edu/ or contact your high school counsellor.

Value of the Scholarship

The scholarship is fixed at the amount of tuition as set by the ABOR in the student’s first year. The award amount will remain the same throughout the maximum eight semesters of eligibility toward any undergraduate degree program.

The student’s high school or high school district office is the first point of contact to assist with eligibility questions.