I recently posted a blog about the Top 10 Best Value Colleges in the U.S. It made sense to me why these were good schools. They have reasonable tuitions, are respectable schools, and the average student debt is lower at these schools than the national average student debt upon graduation. But according to an article in CBS’ Moneywatch, maybe I should rethink my opinion of these schools.

Evidently the people at the Princeton Review who ranked the top public and private  best value schools forgot to take something very important into account: Scholarships.

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I probably drink at least three cans of soda every day, and I try to make at least one of them a Coca-Cola. Why? Well, since I am an advertising major, it could be because they always have those cute polar bear commercials around the holidays. But that’s not my motivation. I drink Coke because a percentage of every Coca-Cola purchase in the past 21 years goes towards helping education programs in local communities.

The Coca-Cola Scholars program helps over 1,400 college students every year and awards more than $3,000,000 every year in scholarships. High school seniors can apply for a four-year scholarship to the school of their choice; there are 250 scholarships awarded annually. Applications are accepted between August 1 and October 31 every year. Semi-finalists are selected in November, and finalists are selected in April. Of the 250 scholars who are selected to receive awards, 50 are designated National Scholars and receive $20,000 to offset college expenses; the other 200 scholars receive $10,000.

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It is common knowledge that college tuition prices are skyrocketing. Every year, it becomes more and more expensive to earn your college degree.

If you go to a college that is in the state you live in, you qualify for in-state tuition, which is usually much cheaper than out-of-state tuition. At the University of California, out-of-state students pay almost $20,000 more each year for tuition than in-state students pay.

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So you chose a college based on a variety of standards you had in mind for yourself – maybe it was teacher/student ratio, athletic programs, graduate assistance, tuition costs, distance from home, or others. Now that you’re on campus you’re faced with two problems: Paying tuition and having a greener college.

If you need some extra cash and scoff at your roommate printing emails, water bottles abandoned on table tops and not enough commuter support, then the Filter For Good EcoChallenge from Brita was created just for you. Here is how you can be one of five green-conscious students to earn this $10,000 grant:

• Brita is challenging you to brainstorm a brilliant program to help your campus go green and become more sustainable
• Proposals should be action-based or able to create tangible results that yield a more sustainable campus environment Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a week since the shockwave of Michael Jackson’s passing has rippled through the world. Thankfully for even the smallest fans, Jackson’s legacy lives on through his incredible music. While he’ll always be remembered as one of the most iconic singers and performers of all time, he’ll also be remembered as a generous humanitarian who shared much of his wealth with those who needed it most.

One remarkable contribution was made to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in 1986, a $1.5 million donation that went to establish a scholarship endowment in Jackson’s name. In 1988, Jackson made a subsequent donation, by giving all of the $600,000 proceeds from a Madison Square Garden benefit concert to the fund. Read the rest of this entry »

For students who are struggling to meet the financial demands of college, you should consider applying for a corporate scholarship. Most large companies and many smaller companies have scholarship programs in place, to give back to the communities and people they serve.

The criteria varies by company, but often the scholarship offered is for students studying a related field. For instance, an engineering firm may only offer scholarships to students with an engineering degree.

One perk for employees is that the scholarships are often available only to employee dependents, allowing them to send their children to college with a reduced financial burden.

Here is a list of several corporate scholarships. Click on the ones that interest you to learn more about the number of scholarships awarded, dollar amount of the award, due date for application, and more. Read the rest of this entry »

The first recipients of the I Am Scholarship. (via Oprah.com)

Oprah is constantly encouraging us all to simply do what we can to help one another. Read to a child, help a neighbor with a ride, or donate money to a worthwhile cause — it all goes a long way in helping each other and our communities. When Grammy winner and Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am looked inside and asked what we could do, he decided to start a scholarship fund.

The I Am Scholarship was introduced on the May 5, 2009 episode of Oprah. He’d approached Oprah’s girlfriend Gayle King and let her know he wanted to send one kid to college, with some extra cash he’d made DJing. He wanted to help a student who had a similar background to him — growing up in the home of a single mom. Oprah’s team worked with Gayle to send him the names of four students who would meet and exceed his expectations. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone knows that Cinderella had a fairy-godmother. Now some universities are also being blessed. The biggest difference? Cinderella knew her fairy-godmother and these universities have no idea who is giving them donations of up to $10 million.

In the past few months, 12 universities have received a phone call from a banker saying that an anonymous person has donated money to the university. Shortly after the phone calls, two checks will arrive to the universities, the larger check earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students and the smaller earmarked for the recipient’s discretion.

Some of the universities that have received gifts are Binghamton University in New York, Montclair State Univeristy in New Jersey, the University of Southern Mississippi, Purdue University in Indiana, and Michigan State University. Read the rest of this entry »

How to Apply for a College Scholarship

College isn’t getting any cheaper. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could have some – or all – of your school costs paid by someone else? College scholarships aren’t just handed out to anyone. They’re reserved for a special few. If you think you will pass muster, you need to know the best ways to apply, so you can take part in higher learning on someone else’s dime.

Look Early, Look Often – You should take the carpet bomb approach to your scholarship search. Start the search early, and don’t leave any stone unturned. Doing so will give you the ability to investigate as many opportunities as possible, and avoid missing early deadlines. That said, you don’t want to apply for every scholarship you find. There are only so many hours in the day, and a finite amount of scholarships that fit your profile. Read the rest of this entry »

How To Find College Scholarships

Getting a college scholarship can be tough business. It’s super competitive, with tons of people just as qualified as you are. If you want to look for an edge, try searching where the herd of future college scholars aren’t. Where there’s less competition, there’s a higher chance for success. Here are a few tips that should increase your chances.

Look for Local Scholarships

While everyone else is going after the big-named prizes at their school of choice, all you have to do is look in your backyard. The key benefit to looking for local scholarships is that it’s inherently less competitive, since they are geared towards local residents. Think about going to your local banks, businesses, clubs, religious and other organizations. Read the rest of this entry »