Getting into College - SAT & ACT

While you don't have to have extraordinary SAT scores to get into college, they will certainly help if you are looking for financial aid to help ease the burden of college expenses.

While some students don't test especially well, the good thing about the SAT (and ACT) is you have the opportunity to take the exams more than once. Take them during the spring of Junior year. If you find your scores are good enough, no problem. However, if your scores fall into the average or lower range, think about taking a prep course and going back to take the test again in the fall of Senior year.

If you've been putting it off, you still have the opportunity until October 19 for late registration for the November 3 SAT. You can check out other SAT and ACT test dates at 2012 - 2013 SAT Test Dates

Technorati Tags: Scholarships Paying for College College Scholarships SAT Exam ACT Exams

Student Loan Deferment and Forbearance

You graduated last May and you still haven't found that job paying the big bucks, and now Uncle Sam wants his money for all those great student loans you got to get you through college.

The one thing you don't want is to fall into default. If you know you won't be able to keep up with the payments due to financial hardship, get in touch with your loan servicer and find out how to apply for either deferment or forbearance. Don't let it get to default, because then your options become very limited.

Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

Kohl's Cares® Scholarship Program is open for nominations from February 1 through March 15, 2012. Children from 6-18 who are not yet in college may be eligible for this scholarship. Winners will be children who have volunteered and made their hometowns a better place to live. Scholarships range from $1,000 for regional winners to $10,000 for national winners.

Recently updated pages on College Scholarships:

Deferments and Forbearance
Student Loan Offset

Technorati Tags: Scholarships ForbearancePaying for College College Scholarships Deferment Student Loan Offset Treasury Offset Payments Kohl's Cares Scholarships

CHS Foundation College Scholarships

The CHS Foundation has three scholarship programs available each year.

If you are a high school senior who will be pursuing an agricultural-related program, CHS offers fifty $1,000 scholarships. Applications must be received by April 1, 2012.

If you are a first year student in a two year college studying for an agriculture-related degree, you may apply for one of 25 $1,000 scholarships. Applications for these must also be received by April 1, 2012.

If you are currently studying agriculture at an eligible university, you are encouraged to apply for a CHS Foundation University Scholarship. There are upwards of 150 $1,000 scholarships awarded each year. These are awarded through the school, so students should inquire at their Financial Aid officefor more infomation on requirements and deadlines, which vary from school to school.

California Dreaming - PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship

If you live in the PG&E service area in California, you may be eligible for the PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship. There will be 10 scholarships of up to $30,000 each and finalists not winning will receive a $2,500 scholarship. Deadline for these is February 17, 2012, so get started.

Technorati Tags: Scholarships CHS Foundation ScholarshipPaying for College College Scholarships CHSPG&EBright Minds Scholarship

Tuition Reciprocal Agreements

One question I get asked often is about whether or not you can go to school in another state and pay in-state tuition. The short answer is maybe. There are several regional groups whose members are allowed lower tuitions. For example, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) brought all the New England states together with the Regional Student Program, which allows a break in tuition for those meeting certain requirements. And there are reciprocal tuition agreements between individual states. Check with your state department of higher education to see what your state offers. If qualified, the money savings can be great.

Upcoming Scholarships

Diabetes Scholars Foundation offers sixteen scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for high school seniors with Type 1 Diabetes. Application can be downloaded online, but must be mailed in by May 15, 2012.

Go Daddy .ME Scholarship - Go Daddy is offering ten $10,000 scholarships to students who have a 3.0+ GPA and got either higher than 1,000 on the SAT or 21+ on the ACT. A 500 word essay is required....the subject being "describing how technology has contributed to your successes and why you think you should be a Go Daddy scholar". Applications must be received by March 31, 2012.

FAFSA and Scholarship Deadlines

OK, so another Christmas has passed us by and even though vacation isn't over yet, it's time to start thinking about college. First think FAFSA. Many companies will get your W-2's and 1099's out by the 15th of January...if this is your case, you're probably ok waiting to do the FAFSA. But some companies will wait until the end of January or even later. If this is the case, you will be better off doing an estimated FAFSA and updating it when you have the final financial documentation. Many schools have early deadlines and you don't want to miss out on any financial aid opportunities. For more information, visit the FAFSA page at College-Loans.us.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of Scholarships missing from this year's lists...the Sam Walton Community Scholarship and the Walton Family Foundation Scholarship. The Walmartstores website just mentions that applications are no longer being accepted for the two programs.

The KFC Colonel's Scholars Program is offering scholarships of up to $5,000 per year. Applications must be in by February 8, 2012.

The Ben Carson Scholarships from the Carson Scholars Fund which presents $1,000 college scholarships to students in grades 4-11 has an application deadline of January 13, 2012.

The Bank of America Joe Martin Scholarship awards $2,500 scholarships to Dependents of Bank of America associates and the deadline is February 29, 2012.

Technorati Tags: Scholarships Sam Walton Community ScholarshipPaying for College College Scholarships WalMartWal-MartKFC ScholarsBen Carson Scholarship

PELL Grants Take a Hit in the New Budget

In a compromise budget recently passed by the House of Representatives, the maximum PELL Grant will remain at $5550, but there will be fewer students eligible. The grants will only be allowed through a student's sixth year or 12 semesters, rather than the current nine year or 18 semester limit.

Also in the budget, students receiving subsidized undergrad direct loans starting July 1, 2012 will no longer receive six months grace period when graduating or leaving college.



Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial Aid Paying for College PELL Grant Direct Loan

Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

Colvin Angus Beef Scholarships
Application Deadline December 2, 2011. Leave yourself some time...there's a 1,000 word essay for this one.

ExxonMobil Corporate Scholarship 10 $2,000 scholarships.
Application Deadline: November 2, 2011.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial Aid Paying for College ExxonMobil Scholarship Community College Connection Colvin Scholarship

Cutting College Costs

I've talked before about saving money by either going to a public college for your first couple of years, then transferring into a private school. Here is an example of another way of saving money.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst guarantees admission to students graduating from an approved Joint Admissions associate degree program through a Mass Community College with at least a 2.5 GPA.

Additionally, if you were able to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, Massachusetts has a program called Tuition Advantage Program which will give you a 33% tuition waiver.

UMass Amherst will go even further by waiving the other 67% of your tuition. This waiver doesn't include fees, but it's still a pretty good deal. Make it through with at least a 3.7 GPA and they will throw in a $500 book scholarship.

There are further scholarships and financial aid available. You can check it out at http://www.umass.edu/umccc/financial-matters.

More Massachusetts College News

At a meeting on March 22, 2011, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education voted to require students entering Mass four year schools starting in the fall of 2016 to take four years of high school mathematics. The actual wording from the committee reads:
Mathematics, 4 courses (Algebra I & II and Geometry or Trigonometry, or comparable coursework) including mathematics during the final year of high school.

This new policy will affect students entering ninth grade in the fall of 2012 and later.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial Aid Paying for College Massachusetts Scholarship Community College Connection UMass University of Massachusetts

College Grants Under Fire

As state and Federal budgets continue to show huge deficits, no programs are off limits. At the Federal level, the proposed House budget would slash Pell Grants by almost 15%, with the maximum award being reduced from $5,550 to $4,705. President Obama is looking to reduce the Pell by eliminating the summer Pell and also by stopping the subsidy on graduate school students loan interest. Stay tuned for the latest updates.

A little lower on the radar is the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the SMART Grant programs are set to expire at the end of June.

Checking in with the states, proposed funding for the Connecticut Independent College Student Grants would be reduced by 25% in FY 2012 and 50% in FY 2013. Funding for the Kirkland M Kerr Grant would be eliminated. This program provides a stipend for students of veterinary medicine who need to attend an out of state program, since there is nothing similiar offered in Connecticut.

On the other side of the country, California is considering reducing Cal Grant expenditures by not allowing for profit colleges that have high rates of drop outs and loan defaults to take part. Additionally, all students would be re-evaluated each year to make sure they still qualify. While some students may disagree, this one seems like a no-brainer. If a student's family financial status changes, so should their eligibilty for various programs.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College Pell Grant College Grants Cal Grants Connecticut Independent College Student Grant

Georgia HOPE Scholarship Update

There are several bills in the Georgia Legislature which may change the Georgia HOPE Scholarships. HB 159 will place an maximum family income limit of $66,000 for eligibility. House Bill 326 is making it's way through the Georgia Legislature and includes many changes to the Georgia HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements and awards amounts, which will be cut for the upcoming year. Books and fees won't be covered by the new HOPE.

Going forward, students graduating high school in 2015 and beyond will be required to take advanced courses in math, science, foreign languages or advanced placement in core courses to be eligible for the HOPE. 2015 grads will need two of these courses, 2016 grads need three and 2017 and beyond will need four.

The bill proposes a new Zell Miller Scholarship, which would cover the entire tuition cost for students who meet the eligibility requirements which include a 3.7 GPA and a minimum 1200 SAT score.

New Mexico extends Legislative Lottery Scholarships to include Tribal colleges.

House Bill 92 has passed in the House and has been sent on to the Senate which would allow the Legislative Lottery Scholarships to include students at tribal colleges. Included in the bill would be resident undergraduates attending the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development in Santa Fe, Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque which have been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College New Mexico Scholarship Georgia HOPE ScholarshipTribal College

State Legislatures' College Scholarships Updates

In New Mexico, the House passed a bill which would allow students to take a year off before atending college and still be eligible to apply for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship. Curerntly students need to begin college in September of the year they graduate high school. The legislation would allow up to 16 months for students to begin college. The legislation (HB 62) is currently with the Senate Education Committee.

The Wyoming House passed a bill (HB 13) that would allow students to qualify for each of the four levels of scholarship in the Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship Program without taking any foreign language courses. However, the Senate has amended the bill for the top two levels of scholarship to require at least two years of a foreign language to qualify. The Senate passed an amendment which would also allow for exceptions and waivers for certain small school districts which may not have the funding to offer all the necessary courses.

In Indiana, under Senate Bill 0577, children of military veterans with less than 100% disability would no longer be guaranteed a 100% waiver of college education costs. Children of 100% disabled vets would still qualify for the 100% reduction, but those with 80% or less disability as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, would receive 20% plus the amount of the disability. So, if a veteran has a 50% disability, his child would be eligible for 20 + 50 = 70% reduction.


Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship Legislative Lottery ScholarshipIndiana Disabled Veteran Scholarship

New Federal Budget Could Mean Trouble for College Loans and Grants

When President Obama sends his proposed budget to the Congress on Monday, there could be changes included for Pell Grants and Perkins Loans.

According to cnn.com, the administration is looking to save $100 billion over ten years by making a couple of changes. These changes would first allow only one Pell Grant per year instead of the two now available (one for the regular school year and another for the summer session) and also stopping the subsidy on loan interest for graduate students. Implementing these changes would allow the maximum Pell Grant to be held at the current $5,500.

The Boston Globe reported there is concern over the Perkins Loan program which is set to expire in 2014. Without the program, hundreds of thousands of students would be forced to find alternative funding, which would probably mean higher cost private loans. Hopefully there will be good news about the program when the President's budget hits the hill.

Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

Buick Achievers Scholarship Application deadline: March 31, 2011. However, students getting their applications in by 11:59 p.m. CT, February 25, 2011 may receive early consideration for five of the Buick Achievers National Scholarships.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College Pell Grant Perkins Loan Buick Achievers Scholarship

More States Tightening the College Scholarship Belt

Indiana's Twenty-first Century Scholars Program has been helping low and moderate income Indiana students make it through college for more than 20 years now. Students in the 6th through 8th grades who meet the financial need requirement, need to sign up and promise to keep up at least a 2.0 GPA, not use illegal drugs or alcohol, or commit a crime and apply to an eligible Indiana school when it's time for college and they will receive tuition for up to four years of college.

But now the Indiana legislature is thinking about tightening up the standards to save money in an attempt to keep the program going. Over the past several years, the cost has exploded as more students took advantage of the program. This past year they needed to take more than $15 million dollars from other accounts to help pay for the program. Likely changes are moving the GPA requirement from 20.0 to 2.5 and also requiring that the financial need still exists when it's time for college.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College Twenty-first Century Scholars Program Indiana Scholarship

College Scholarship Money from States Dipping

As states try to keep their heads above water, since revenues aren't increasing, spending needs to decrease. Unfortunately, college scholarship money is an easy target. In just the last few weeks, several states have been debating changes to some of their most popular scholarship programs.

The Georgia HOPE Scholarship is funded by the Georgia lottery, which has seen revenues drop to the point where the scholarship fund may be depleted if it remains in it's current form. Legislators will be taking a hard look at the HOPE during this year's budget talks. Look for the amount covered to decrease.

There is similiar discussion in the State Legislature about the Nevada Millenium Scholarship. The feeling there is that some restrictions may need to be placed on the scholarship, perhaps limiting it to students in particular degree programs.

In Missouri, the Access Missouri Scholarship Program had it's funding cut last year and it's not looking much better this year. The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is setting aside some money in case it is needed to supplement the reduced Access Missouri Program this year.

All in all, don't count on these state scholarship programs to fully fund your college education as they have in the past for so many students. Start early and apply for as many other college scholarships as you can.

Technorati Tags: College Scholarships Financial AidPaying for College Access Missouri Georgia HOPE ScholarshipNevada Millenium Scholarship

Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund offers a large number of scholarships to students of Hispanic heritage. A few of the scholarships available through the HSF with their deadlines are:

College Scholarships for Graduating High School Seniors

HSF/AT&T Foundation Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/Gold Standard Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/HACEMOS Scholarship - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/Marathon Oil Cooperative Office Education (COE) Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/Peierls Rising Star Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/Procter & Gamble Company Scholarship - Mar 1, 2011
HSF/VAMOS Endowment Scholarship - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. HS Scholarship Program - Jan 31, 2011

Scholarships for Undergraduates

HSF/ALPFA Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/AT&T Foundation Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/Gold Standard Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Business Leadership Award - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/HACEMOS Scholarship - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/MassMutual Multicultural College Scholarship - May 2, 2011
HSF/McNamara Family Creative Arts Grant Project - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/Nissan North America, Inc. Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/Procter & Gamble Company Scholarship - Mar 1, 2011

Scholarships for Graduate Students

HSF/ALPFA Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/CVS Caremark Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/Gold Standard Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/HACEMOS Scholarship - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/Marathon Oil Cooperative Office Education (COE) Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/McNamara Family Creative Arts Grant Project - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/Nissan North America, Inc. Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011

Scholarships for Community College

HSF/AT&T Foundation Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011
HSF/Gold Standard Scholarship - Jan 31, 2011
HSF/HACEMOS Scholarship - Feb 28, 2011
HSF/MassMutual Multicultural College Scholarship - May 2, 2011
HSF/Peierls Rising Star Scholarship - Feb 15, 2011

For more infomation on these and other scholarships, visit Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Other new or updated pages at College Scholarships include:

South Carolina 529 Plan
South Dakota 529 Plan
Tennessee 529 Plan
Texas 529 Plan
Vermont 529 Plan
Virginia 529 Plan

Student Loan Grace Periods End

The grace period on student loans to those who graduated last May has ended and it's time to start paying them back. That's ok if you have landed a job that actually pays you enough money to live on, but what about those who either haven't found a job or your pay isn't adequate to subsist on?

You do have a few choices, but one of them is NOT burying your head in the sand and ignoring the situation. That will only put you into default, hurt your credit rating (not a good idea for anyone, but especially someone just starting out) and possibly lead to legal action. Get in touch with your lender and explain your situation.

One possibility is student loan deferment. This is a temporary suspension of loan payments for various reasons including reenrollment in school, unemployment, or economic hardship. For your subsidized loans, you won't need to pay interest while the deferment is in place. For non-subsidized loans, you are responsible for the interest added during your deferment. If you are unable to pay it, your loan will be recapitalized and the interest added into the total you owe.

Even if you aren't eligible for deferment, you may be able to use forbearance which is a temporary postponement or reduction of payments for a period of time because you are experiencing financial difficulty. Forbearance may be granted by your lender for 12 months at a time up to a maximum of three years.

Student loan forgiveness may be possible in exchange for service in various organizations such as Peace Corps, VISTA, Military Service and also by agreeing to teach in certain underprivileged or low income areas as defined by the Department of Education.

Bankruptcy is probably not a very good option. Not only will it hinder you going forward since it remains on your credit reports for years, but the student loans are not usually discharged in a bankruptcy and you will still end up owing the loans.

Bottom line...if you are having trouble paying your student loans, talk to your lender as soon as possible. Don't wait until you are already months in arrears.

Technorati Tags: College Loans Financial AidPaying for College Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 Stafford Loans

Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

The holidays have come and gone and it's time to start thinking about college again. First up is the FAFSA. As soon as you have all your financial documentation for last year, get started on the FAFSA...many schools have early deadlines and you don't want to miss out on any financial aid opportunities. For more information, visit the FAFSA page at College-Loans.us.

Next, there are several scholarships available that have submission dates in January and February. The Sam Walton Community Scholarship is coming up and has a January 31, 2011 application deadline.

The KFC Colonel's Scholars Program is offering scholarships of up to $5,000 per year. Applications must be in by February 9, 2011.

The Ben Carson Scholarships from the Carson Scholars Fund which presents $1,000 college scholarships to students in grades 4-11 has an application deadline of January 14, 2011.

The Bank of America Joe Martin Scholarship awards $1,000 to $5,000 scholarships to Dependents of Bank of America associates and the deadline is February 28, 2011.

New and updated pages at College-Loans.us include:

Missouri 529 Plan
Montana 529 Plan
529 Tax Deductions

Technorati Tags: Scholarships Sam Walton Community ScholarshipPaying for College College Scholarships WalMartWal-MartKFC ScholarsBen Carson Scholarship

Tweet to Win a KFC Colonel's Scholars Program Scholarships

KFC is going to offer a $20,000 Colonel’s Scholars scholarship to the high school senior producing the best Tweet by November 26, 2010 including the hashtag #KFCScholar. The Tweet should explain how the student exemplifies Colonel Sanders’ commitment to education and enriching their communities, and why they are deserving of a college scholarship. Applicants must follow KFC on Twitter (@KFC_Colonel) between November 16 – November 26.

This scholarship awards up to $5,000 per year towards tuition, fees, books, room and board. You may be eligible if you are graduating high school by 8/31/11 and are carrying at least a 2.75 GPA. For more information on this scholarship, check out Tweeting for a KFC Colonel's Scholars Scholarship

Recently added and updated pages at College Scholarships, Loans & Grants
KFC Colonel's Scholars
Idaho 529 Plan
Idaho Grants & Loans
Idaho Scholarships


Technorati Tags: College Scholarships KFC Colonel's Scholars Paying for College KFC Scholarship Program Tweet KFC

New Haven Promise

New Haven and Yale University announced that the New Haven Promise Program will pick up the tuition tab for New Haven public high school graduates to go to college at any Connecticut state college or university. Yale University will be doing most of the funding for the program and though it will begin with the current seniors, full funding will happen when the current freshmen graduate. This year's seniors will receive 25% funding.

There will be several eligibility requirements, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA during high school and a 2.5 while attending college. They must also have at least a 90% atendance record in high school and a community service requirement of 40 hours must also be met.

The New Haven Promise is modelled after Michigan's Kalamazoo Promise Scholarships. You can get more information about the program at http://www.ournewhaven.org.

Technorati Tags: scholarship Paying for College College Grants Financial AidConnecticut ScholarshipsNew Haven PromiseConnecticutKalamazoo Promise Scholarship

New Jersey College Students and High School Seniors - Read This!

This year the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) is requiring that all students who wish to be considered for financial aid awards like the Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) and NJ STARS Programs will need to not only fill out the FAFSA, but also must submit an additional information worksheet. The worksheet must be filled out by NOVEMBER 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring semester. Go to http://www.hesaa.org/r201011.htm for a link to the required worksheets.

Recently updated pages at College Scholarships, Loans & Grants include

New Jersey Grants
New Jersey Scholarships
Alabama 529 Plan
Alaska 529 Plan
Arkansas 529 GIFT College Investing Plan
California 529 ScholarShare College Savings Plan

Technorati Tags: scholarship Paying for College College Grants Financial AidNew Jersey GrantsNew Jersey STARSNew JerseyTuition Aid Grant