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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If you have been in college for a few years, I’m sure you have noticed that tuition keeps getting just a little bit more expensive every year. I know I sure have noticed it. It seems like colleges keep finding some reason to increase tuition and fees every year. I thought maybe I was just being unrealistic, but unfortunately, I wasn’t.

A report released by College Board on October 20, 2009 showed that college tuition and fees have indeed been increasing. This year, public universities have raised annual tuition and fees by 6.5 percent. That means that the average student is paying $7,020 per school year! That’s quite a hefty price, but not nearly as bad as what private school students are paying. Although the average annual tuition for private universities only increased by 4.4 percent since last year, these students are still paying $36,273 per year.

Why are college tuition and fees skyrocketing when we are in the middle of a national, economic recession?

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It’s said that it’s better to give than to receive, and that’s exactly what these celebrities are practicing. Some big names in entertainment have set-up scholarship funds to support their alma maters or just deserving college students with a big financial need.

Will.I.Am (I Am Scholarship)

Eligibility: Based on previous recipients, outstanding academic record and financial need.

Requirements: Not able to identify details.

Scholarship Amount: Based on previous recipients, full-ride to school of choice including tuition, books and room and board for for years.

Michael Jackson Scholarship

Eligibility: Undergrad attending a UNCF member college studying communications, performing arts or English.

Requirements: 3.0 GPA, receive financial aid, completed FAFSA.

Scholarship Amount: Averages $4,000. 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 »

While the deadline may be approaching to let colleges know what your final decision is, this does not necessarily mean the end for financing college. While you need to accept anything you want from the college they offered you in your financial aid package, there are still other ways to obtain more money to help fund your college education.

Loans- A student loan is probably your smartest option when it comes to loans. For most of these, the payments are deferred until after you graduate or until you are out of school for a certain period of time. 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 »

While my final college decision didn’t have to be mailed and received by a college till May 1, I figured the smartest thing to do would be to make my decision fast. I put in the mail my intent to enroll form with my housing form and deposits for the University of Tulsa this last weekend and I can’t remember the last time I felt this good about a decision and so relieved.

The reason that I decided to make my decision earlier was to get my finances in order. After figuring out everything I had received financially from Tulsa and other various scholarships, such as a $3,000 scholarship through scouts, I then started finding student loans. Of course, this was not too difficult considering I went to Google and typed in “student loans” and got a huge number of sites offering student loans. After looking at a few options, I finally found a loan and finished my application last night for the loan. 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 »