04 JunAthletic Scholarships Abound

You are a great athlete and feel it could help you pay for your education. The problem is, many athletic scholarships are set aside for elite athletes and they are very competitive and political. But have faith, there are many smaller colleges and universities willing to bring in athletes with funds and, most importantly, they are not only looking for athletic skills but also academic achievement and drive.

The most advertised and competitive athletic awards are the NCAA scholarships, by far, but there are so many more opportunities that go under-advertised for student athletes: those with schools in the NAIA and the NJCAA open up exponentially more scholarships. And an especially hot trend: emerging women’s sports.
NCAA Scholarships

The NCAA is by far the largest collegiate athletic association in the U.S. with well over 1,000 schools in its fold. Divisions I, II, and III serve to demarcate the sizes and monetization of athletic programs: formal athletic scholarships can be extended to athletes that play for Div I and II schools, but not for athletes in Div III schools. What determines which schools fall into which divisions? Generally a combination of school size along with types and sizes of athletic programs. If you are interested in how to position yourself for a NCAA scholarship make sure to check out the eligibility rules and get yourself registered in the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The NCAA’s list of athletic scholarships is separated into categories: Undergraduate, Post-Graduate; and then further separated by Division.

Athletic programs at Div I and Div II schools are mid- to large-sized and extremely competitive. Coaches at these schools are in the business of wooing top athletic talent, the best of the best across the country. Div III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, per se. Their athletic programs are much smaller, but make no mistake—many are quite competitive.

Here are a couple of the unique “athletic” scholarships that the NCAA funds:

* The Freedom Forum NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship Program. This award is given to college students with a fierce desire to pursue sports journalism.

* The NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Program is open to students heading into post-grad studies with an eye on sports administration, coaching, or a closely related career. Eligible applicants must be ethnic minorities to be considered for these awards.

The NAIA represents a much smaller contingent of member schools—about 300, and is located in Canada and the U.S. The NAIA sponsors athletic divisions I, II, and III—not to be confused with the NCAA divisions. Sponsored athletics are those generally outside the scope of NCAA Div I levels with a marked emphasis on the academic records of student athletes. Only about a dozen sports are represented and member institutions tend to be smaller. NAIA Div I and II sports programs may offer scholarships.
NJCAA Scholarships

Two-year colleges are represented by the NJCAA. There is divisional breakdown in some of the most competitive men’s and women’s sports, but not in others. Scholarships, called grant-in-aid by the NJCAA, may be available in the Div I and II sports. NJCAA scholarship sports for men are: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, outdoor track and field, soccer, and tennis. NJCAA scholarship sports for women are: basketball, cross country, fast-pitch softball, outdoor track and field, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Make no mistake, community college athletics can foster fiercely competitive athletes. If you’re considering transfer to a four-year school, a two-year athletic program can get you really prepared to compete.
Full Scholarships vs. Partial Scholarships

So how much money does an athletic scholarship include? Scholarships awarded for athletic ability typically fall into one of two categories: full scholarships and partial scholarships. These are completely dependent on the schools themselves. In the NCAA, over 125,000 student athletes are on full or partial athletic scholarships. Full scholarships regardless of division may include tuition, books, transportation, room and board, plus other expenses. Partial scholarships may cover various portions of those expenses just listed.

There are other sources to search for when you’re looking for scholarship money as well. First, browse our athletic scholarships by sport. In almost every instance you will find athletic scholarships from untapped sources alongside larger, “reach” scholarships. For example:

* Under hockey scholarships you’ll find memorial funds, money from hockey associations, and a scholarship from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

* Search rodeo scholarships you’ll find a blend of scholarships from colleges and universities that have rodeo teams, and a few good scholarships from regional rodeo associations.

* Browse archery scholarships and find a slew of archery and bow-hunters association scholarships alongside college and university scholarships.

The secret is to check out the less competitive scholarships, those especially from regional clubs and associations. Remember there are plenty of awards that are based as much on other personal attributes as they are on athletic skills: leadership qualities, extracurricular involvement, and community service.

Many schools offer partial scholarships to talented athletes in efforts to grow successful athletic programs. The opportunity just to play is as important.

So with a little education and some work, you might find that athletic scholarship just for you.

Evelyn Saunders, a retired teacher, is the editor for student-loans.net, a provider of private student loans and information on student loans and consolidation. For more information, please visit http://www.student-loans.net

04 JunDiscover College Scholarships That You Can Be Awarded

Have you already decided on the college you want to attend, or are you in total limbo trying to get a handle on which colleges fit your educational needs and more importantly, your financial situation. There are student loans and scholarships available to help you, but it can become an overwhelming task to navigate the vast source of information you need to determine a course of action.

Many college scholarships are available to help you. There are college scholarships tailored towards particular fields of study, based on your grade point average, your ACT and/or SAT scores, and even awarded to children and or siblings of Alumnus or current students.

But the thing to note is that you don’t have to be an academic genius or have a 4.0 GPA to qualify for many scholarships, in fact some even estimate that is a majority of scholarships. Of course there are scholarships for academic achievement where a high GPA is a requirement, but gone are the days when only high GPA students or the outstanding jocks or the musical geniuses were eligible for scholarships,

The cost of attending college can vary greatly, depending on the school, geographical location, or just name recognition. State institutions of higher learning are generally less expensive than private institutions. State colleges have lower tuition for in state students, and the tuition for out of state students can be more than double. Even as an in-state resident at a state university, tuition for a year will likely be more than $5000, and at private schools, easily twice that. Then you have books, where those can cost another $500 per semester, and lodging, even in the dorm or college housing, will be about $7500 per year or more. The particular college you have chosen may be a bit more or less, but those figures get you in the ballpark.

Research local college scholarships first, as there may be some great programs offered by local schools, corporations, health-care institutions, or even local philanthropists. Your high school guidance counselor should be the first person to look to for advice on determining which college scholarship programs meet your specific needs and interests, and to help you navigate the application process. Your local library is another good source of research into college scholarships. There probably are sources of assistance known to members of your extended family as well as your friends and their families. The internet has a plethora of contacts to pursue in your quest for information on college scholarships.

You should research the many large national scholarships such as the Gates scholarship funds, those offered by branches of the U.S. military branches, National Merit Scholarship Foundation, college scholarships offered by Coca Cola, and hosts of corporate funded scholarship programs.

The key is to get out there and apply for as many scholarships as you can find. The students who do so can be awarded multiple scholarships, and some even graduate from college with almost zero student debt to be repaid, which takes a tremendous load off your shoulders.

Author: Jon Arnold
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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12 AprCollege Financial Aid Scholarships – Register for $10K Scholarship Drawing

There are a lot of college financial aid scholarships that you can apply for to help with your educational expenses.
We’ve listed a couple of college financial aid scholarships you can take advantage of to help your financial situation.
Get more scholarship money by also applying for other scholarships you may qualify for.

*** Click Here to Register Free for the $10,000 Scholarship ***

The first scholarship is a $10K scholarship drawing hosted at freecollegescholarships.net.
To qualify for the drawing, you simply need to be a U.S. resident and be 18 years of age or older.
To enter the scholarship giveaway, you just need to fill out their registration form.
There is a deadline for the scholarship drawing so remember to register as soon as possible.

The ASU West Visionaries Scholarship program gives away various scholarship awards to students who meet the eligibility criteria.  To qualify, students need to have at least a 3.0 grade point average based on a 4.0 scale.  Also, students need to be enrolled in a U.S. accredited institution at least half-time.  Only Arizona student residents are eligible to apply.  Also, students need to be able to demosntrate financial need.  Sophomore, junior, and senior college students are eligible to apply.  The deadline for the scholarship program is on April 25.

*** Click Here to Register Free for the college financial aid scholarships $10,000 Scholarship ***

The scholarships are not that hard to get if you know what you need to do to look professional with your application.  Send it in time, have your application be neat and error-free, and be sure to portray your strengths well and also show how you’ve managed to work around your weaknesses to become a well-rounded person and student.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/college-financial-aid-scholarships-register-for-10k-scholarship-drawing-1574172.html

08 AprCollege Scholarships for Dyslexic Students – Scholarship for College Students Worth $10,000

There are a lot of college scholarships for dyslexic students that you can apply for to help with your educational expenses.  Take advantage of these college scholarships for dyslexic students today so you can have an easier time paying your educational costs.  Improve your chances of getting more scholarship money by performing  your own scholarship search.

*** Click Here to Register Free for the $10,000 Scholarship ***

One of these scholarship opportunities is the $10K scholarship giveaway by freecollegescholarships.net.
To register you have to be a United States resident and be at least eighteen years old.
Fill out the registration form on their site and you will be entered into the drawing.
There is a winner every month but if you want to win you need to register before the next deadline.

You may be interested in taking a closer look at the Spring MamasHealth.com Scholarship Award.  This scholarship program is open to all freshman, sophomore and junior students who are currently attending a college or university in the United States.  Applicants need to have a minimum of a .23 GPA.  To apply, you need to submit an essay of no more than 750 words that addresses the question of whether the U.S. government should or should not provide free healthcare to all the citizens of the nation.  The scholarship awards $600.  The deadline for the scholarship is on May 1st.

*** Click Here to Register Free for the college scholarships for dyslexic students $10,000 Scholarship ***

You should apply early for scholarships so you don’t miss the deadlines and so you  have time to apply for other scholarships as well.  Applying for as many scholarships as you can is a good idea because you will have more chances to actually be awarded scholarship money.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/college-scholarships-for-dyslexic-students-scholarship-for-college-students-worth-10000-1555076.html

10 MarWhy it is now Harder for Teens to Earn a College Degree

In the U.S. it’s not just tuition fee hikes that are driving up the price tag of earning a college degree. Across the nation, budget cuts are compelling universities and colleges to lay off professors and cancel some classes, thereby making it more difficult for teenagers to get into the courses required to earn their degree. All these lead to more time spent in college.

The whole concept may sound amenable to alumni, but to most students extra time in college only means more expenses. To address the issue, students are crashing different classes, with the hope of finding space that could move them closer to finally earning a degree. In some cases, wait-listed students have to take turns standing outside classrooms – closest to the door so they can listen to the lecture and not fall far behind in case they get lucky to get in.

Policymakers have long been urging public colleges to be more efficient in moving students through, however, experts say that any current progress is jeopardized by unprecedented budget cuts that have resulted into cropped course offerings.

Some students struggle to land spots in core entry-level classes such as math and composition since the part-time professors who usually handle those subjects are the first ones to be dropped in tough times. There are students who are locked out of cramped core courses in their majors by upperclassmen. On the other hand, upperclassmen face a tougher ordeal – the upper-level classes they need have been hacked completely because they may not be popular enough.

Furthermore, a study of batch 1999-2000 graduates found that on average, it normally takes students 4.5 years to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Roughly two-thirds of conventional-age college students who managed to finish got through within five years.

Around the nation, the cost-cutting has resulted into the usual begging and pleading with instructors to make more space for additional students. However, some experts believe that money is not the only issue, some say that colleges tend to focus on illustrious but virtually unnecessary graduate programs while sacrificing the undergraduate basics. There are others who push instructors to teach essential courses in lieu of their own interests while students have to simply settle for early-morning slots. Students claim that under the current set up, they appear to have no other choice.

Mia is a full time Internet Marketer that manage a site for helping troubled teens and their families. She is always available for any help about teen problems via 1-866-573-6566. Call now!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/why-it-is-now-harder-for-teens-to-earn-a-college-degree-1438534.html

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