Scholarships for Non Traditional Students

 

California Certified College Planning Specialists

 

By Ben Liles

In times of economic hardship scholarships for non traditional students are more important than ever as conventional financing options for college become increasingly scarce.

Logically, when economic prosperity is abundant there is a surplus of cash into general scholarship funds as well as a greater likelihood that parents of college aged children will be able to comfortably afford to send their kids to institutions of higher education. Non traditional students are generally defined as adults (22+ years old) entering college for the first time. Needless to say an overwhelming majority of scholarships are geared towards recent high school graduates with far less money being earmarked for the slightly older students. This article will outline some of the options available for non traditional students seeking scholarships.

Undergraduate transfer programs

While the vast majority of scholarship money is funneled directly to students attending four year colleges directly out of high school there is still a significant amount of money being awarded for students of all ages that are transferring from two year community college to four year universities. As more universities have grown to directly align themselves with local community colleges the funds for these scholarships have become increasingly accessible. Although in many cases initially intended for students only a couple of years removed from high
school these scholarship opportunities are almost always open to anyone showing merit worthy of the financial incentive to continue their education.

One popular source (among many) for these transfer program scholarships can be found through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. While complete information is available at the website of the foundation (jkcf.org) the basic parameters are that students progressing from a two year college program (junior college) to a four year college or university can be awarded as much as $30,000 for their continued educational pursuits. The complete process involved with applying for this financial aid can be found at the aforementioned website that is overseen by the foundation.

Continuing education for adults scholarships

Most people are not aware that while a small minority of total scholarship money goes towards continuing education for adults there is a still a significant amount available that is readily accessible when searched for in the right places. Far too many adults considering beginning their college careers are quick to use the excuse that “there is not any scholarship money for someone my age” when in fact that simply is not true. It would behoove those adults considering going to college to contact the local schools that they are considering attending and inquiring about the scholarship opportunities. Many schools around the country are embracing the positive impact they can have on their communities by instituting money specifically set aside for non traditional students. A short list of the many schools on this list includes Providence College, North Iowa Community College, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Consider sports scholarships

For many adults reading this article the very idea of being awarded sports scholarship money may initially sound completely ridiculous. The truth of the matter though is that the majority of sports scholarships are far less competitive and require less athletic prowess than the young athletes playing football on Saturdays that most people associate with full ride scholarships. Collegian athletes encompass a very wide range of sports that range from swimming, to tennis, to fencing, and golf. A little known fact is that every year hundreds of girls golf college scholarships go unused because primarily second tier universities can not find enough women interested in the sport to fill the available scholarships. Whether a non traditional student is shooting for an archery, handball, or bowling scholarship there is a realistic chance any student can find a sports scholarship in their area that they have a realistic chance of earning.

Conclusion

Someone that is proactive in their search for scholarship money will undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised with the opportunities they find. Active research, continued persistence, and thinking outside the box are the keys for non traditional students to find scholarships.

About the author:
Ben and his wife are the happy end products of finding scholarships for non
traditional students. Now a golf coach and father of two beautiful daughters Ben shares his knowledge on his blog: www.GirlsGolfCollegeScholaships.blogspot.com.

Filed under: Admissions, athletics, California Colleges, Campus Lifestyle, College Financing, College Planning, High School, ncaa, Scholarship, Students, Universities, academic quality, Admissions, Choosing Universities, College Financing, college funding, college planning tips, Grants, money, Scholarships, student financial aid, Universities

A Parent’s Guide to Financial Aid

By Dorian Ramsey

Many believe that being a parent is the happiest moment in the life of a human being. Probably you still remember the excitement that you felt when your wife gave birth to your first child. There are times that you will not sleep because you want to take care of your child even in the midst of the evening. You want to ensure that he/she will sleep soundly through the night.

It is true that happiness comes with children in the family. However, such happiness could be achieved if you are responsible enough with your children. You need to provide all of their needs, starting from their infancy until the time that they are studying. Although it will really cost you a lot, you have the responsibility to your children, especially in giving them the education that they need.

If you have children who are now going to college, you have to think of their financial needs. Probably you still remember your own collegiate years and you are aware of the financial needs of an ordinary college student. However, the difference is that you are now the parent-you will now be the one to think of the different payments that you need to settle for your children’s college education, such as college application, scholastic
assessment test expenditures, transcript of records, and others. Add to it the lodging and food allowance of your children if the college or university is far away from your own residence.

Thinking all of these college-related expenses could be overwhelming and bothering as well, especially if your salary is not enough to support such expenses and your family’s financial needs at the same time. But if you know how to get a college financial aid for your children, you will find out that everything will work out smoothly.

How you will start your search for the college financial aid for your children? Here are some tips that you can start with:

* When your children are still on their high school years, you should start searching for potential universities that offer college scholarships for deserving freshman students as well as financial aid programs funded by different organizations. You
may start your search on the Internet to look for possible college financial aid options for your children.

* Once you find a prospective university, visit their main office and inquire for any college scholarship or financial aid offers.

* Always ask for the cut-off dates of filing and submission of college financial aid application forms.

* Tell your children about the importance of a scholarship to their college education. Make them aware that they have plenty of options to consider as long as they have good high school scholastic records. In this way, you will be able to motivate them to study harder and make good grades, thus increasing your chances of a good financial aid.

* You may also consider filing an application for financial aid programs funded by the Federal government. State-owned colleges and universities offer this kind of financial assistance to qualified and deserving students who want to pursue their college studies despite of financial difficulties. You may submit the FAFSA (Free Application Form Student Aid) personally.

* Make certain that you have completed all the FAFSA requirements (such as present statement of bank accounts, monthly income records, present mortgage information, and others) and understand the rights or specialadvantages before accepting the financial aid for your children. You may also check if the financial aid is renewable.

With different financial aid programs such as college scholarships and federal grants, you are assured of a bright future for your children despite of the financial difficulties
that you are currently experiencing.

About the author:
To read about lying and body language, why do men lie, why people lie, baby strength, worlds strongest baby , toddler health and other information, visit the Knowledge Galaxy site.

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College Tours – Thinking About it Yet…..

Student Tours Offer Memories Too Be Made

By Tegan Dawn

One of the most memorable times in a child’s life is going on adventures to different locations to learn and experience a new environment with their friends and classmates. If your school is planning for student tours throughout the year or a senior trip, professional assistance is probably not only necessary, but will be much appreciated by the students and the volunteers. If you know your budget and have a destination in mind but don’t know how to execute if from there, Peak Performance can take it from conception to completion.

Peak Performance has been providing professional assistance to schools, corporations and adults for tours since 1994 and has built a solid reputation on their quality of service and thoroughness. Knowing where to go for your student tour is only the beginning, planning what to do while you are there and where you are going to stay once you are there, as well as figuring out how you are going to get back and forth with your students and where everyone is going to eat their meals is overwhelming at best.

There are music and dance tours to major symphony halls and performance stages or even to nationally recognized Jazz clubs featuring Jazz bands, you can choose to see shows in concert halls, or visit museums and libraries, as well as tours that allow students to take part in clinics with professional musicians and college professors and participate in music and dance festivals worldwide.

Class tours can be taken all over America and even internationally, and you
will be provided with a tour coordinator that will make sure that your student tours are educational as well as fun and full of activities.. Your tour coordinator is there to act as your contact from beginning to end, and in some cases, if timing is right, your tour coordinator will also join the tour along with your class. Each tour has escorts to assist with all aspects of student travel, lodging, and transportation to help make the trip as stress free as possible. The professionals at Peak Performance know great planning is all in the details.

Student travel can be hard for their parents as well. That is why all  transportation that is required is done through reputable businesses for travel by air, land, or water. If travel is done by bus all motor coach operators must carry $5,000,000.00 in insurance, the driver has to have a CDL and medical certificates, and the company must have a program in place for driver drug and alcohol testing. Security at night is also supplied each and every night to make sure that the students on tour are safe in their rooms, allowing the chaperones a night of rest to be ready and alert for the following days activities. If you would like to find out more about Peak Performance and their tours, what they offer, and pricing, please call 800-220-0165 or visit PeakPerformanceTours.com to request more information.

About the author:
Hi I am Tegan Dawn and growing up I didn’t have the opportunity to travel like kids do today. If you are a teacher or administrator and you are planning this year’s upcoming student tours or student travel you should have a professional company handle all the details.

Filed under: Admissions, Applications, Campus Lifestyle, College Planning, college Tours, High School, Parental Guidance, Students, Universities, Choosing Universities, College Planning, college Tours, Parental Guidance, parents, self improvement, Students, Universities