Online Scholarships, Grants And Fellowships Enable Pursuit Of Higher Education
May 30, 2010 by Natasha Bright
Filed under Online Colleges
Grants can take some of the pressure off paying online college tuition as a student works toward their degree. These forms of tuition assistance are available to adults, as well as high school graduates, and they typically don’t have to be repaid. Not everyone knows how or where to look for them, however, and this lack of information can be costly.
Scholarships and fellowships work similarly to grants for college, although fellowships might involve fieldwork. Colleges and universities extend accredited degree to students who participate in programs at their institutions. Government agencies, corporate giants, non-profit organizations and special interest, civic and community groups tend to make non-school specific scholarships, fellowships and grants for college available. Many of these offerings might be applied to online college classes and degree and certificate programs, particularly when online colleges, universities and vocational schools are accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Scholarships, fellowships and grants for college might be offered based on minimum grade point average, financial need, leadership, specific studies or a combination of factors. Some of these offerings cater to women and minorities. Following is some guidance that might save time and take some of the stress out of the search for online college grants, scholarships and fellowships:
Go Local: Students might not have to look much farther than their own backyards, since some local groups extend scholarships to members and those within a specific region. Churches, synagogues, community groups and civic organizations such as Kiwanis, the Lion’s Club, Rotary International and chambers of commerce might be among them.
Think Big: Companies such as Tylenol, State Farm, Wal-Mart, AT&T, and McDonald’s have been known to offer scholarships and fellowships to a wide variety of students. Wal-Mart target high school students with minimum grade point averages; AT&T offers a fellowship program that pays for tuition, books, fees and more for doctorate degree-seeking minorities and women in computing and communications.
Consider Yourself and Your Goals: Some organizations offer scholarships and fellowships based on fields of study or specific demographics. Groups such as the National Science Foundation, the Hispanic College Fund, the United Negro College Fund and the American Association of University Women are among them. And organizations such as the non-profit Raise the Nation tailor scholarships to single mothers.
Set A Foundation: Charitable foundations offer a variety of scholarships, fellowships and grants for college. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides scholarships to first-time, full-time degree-seekers, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation provides scholarships to high school graduates who have participated in an approved college readiness program. The Jack Kent Cook Foundation provides undergraduate transfer scholarships for community college students so that they can work toward their bachelor degrees; and the Ford Foundation provides fellowships that serve minorities and those with disabilities, as well as those working at the graduate level to become a professor at a United States college or university.
One-Stop Shop: The government offers work study programs and university degrees that are often based on financial needs. Students seeking government assistance for qualifying online degree programs can determine their eligibility by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid online. The results might include low-interest loans that don’t require credit checks and collateral and don’t have to be repaid until after graduation. Students might consider loans after other forms of assistance are deducted from the overall cost of tuition.
Going back to college or starting out as a high school graduate requires hard work and dedication to the goal of getting a degree. Letting financial concerns stop this educational course is not in the student’s best interest as with the availability of online scholarships and grants, there is most likely something for everyone.