Ready, Set, Go

For many, there are fewer than 60 days until the college semester starts. First-time college bound students will be entering a new chapter of their lives -- new friends, new teachers, new directions, new likes, and new dislikes. As you interact socially, academically, and spiritually you will need money. This is not inherently a bad thing. Having more or less of it doesn't make you better or worse. It's how you use money that is good or bad. Deciding now that you will be responsible with money is one of the best decisions you can make. If you have enough money to go to college, then praise the Lord. If you're not sure how you're going to pay for college, you can still praise the Lord -- but you'll need to evaluate how it will all work out. One step in the right direction is to talk to your financial aid office at the college you will be attending. Don't wait until school is about to start. Now is the time to get your finances in order.

College Scholarship October deadline

Jump Start Scholarship

This scholarship is due Octover 17, 2011.

If you win this scholarship you will get the money for the Spring 2012 Semester.

Counting the Cost: Net Price Calculators

Finally, there is an easier way to find out what it costs to go to college. Many colleges are instituting a Net Price Calculator on their websites. The basic function is to take the financial aid you are eligible for and subtract it from the College’s Cost of Attendance (Direct and Indirect Costs). This gives you a remaining balance for the year. This enables you to prepare now instead of waiting to complete your FAFSA during the spring semester of your senior year in high school. The College Board, a proven leader in Higher Education, provides a list of participating schools.

New Resource - Christian College Financial Aid List.

Hey everyone,

We have a new page up - Christian College Financial Aid Links. You know how it can be a challenge in finding a college's financial aid page when you're on their site? Well, we took care of all that hard work and have direct links to that college's financial aid page.

As you can tell, we don't have all the colleges listed yet (there are quite a few schools in the US!) but we're working on it. So check back often, or better yet, subscribe to our RSS feed on that page to get all the latest updates.

If you see we're missing your favorite College or University email us and let us know.

College Costs rise: Talk to Your Financial Aid Office

Every university or college has a financial aid office. Some parents and students don't even take the time to contact the university's financial aid office. They may believe that it is a waste of time or not worth the effort. If finances are an issue, contact the financial aid office. They are there to help. Ask them about aid other than loans. Scholarship opportunities, grants, working on/off campus. As college costs continue to rise you may have to spend more time talking to them. It is better to prepare now then be in debt up to your eyeballs when you graduate.

Look at what some colleges are doing with their financial aid packages.

Article: Out of College and Out of Debt

Out of College and Out of Debt

Scholarship Scams: Watch Out!

Scholarship Scams- Six Signs That Your Scholarship is Sunk: Advice from the Federal Trade Commission
1.) "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back." No one can guarantee that they'll get you a grant or scholarship. Refund guarantees often have conditions or strings attached. Get refund policies in writing before you pay.
2.) "You can't get this information anywhere else."
There are many free lists of scholarships. Check with your school or library before you decide to pay someone to do the work for you.
3.) "May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship?" Don't give out your credit card or bank account number on the phone without getting information in writing first. It may be a set-up for an unauthorized withdrawal.
4.) You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship, or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered. Before you send money to apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make sure the foundation or program is legitimate.
5.) "The scholarship will cost some money."
Don't pay anyone who claims to be "holding" a scholarship or grant for you. Free money shouldn't cost a thing.
6.) "We'll do all the work." Don't be fooled. There's no way around it. You must apply for scholarships or grants yourself.

College Scholarship: Deadline July 16

Here is another outside college scholarship opportunity for you.

DirectTextbook.com Scholarship Essay Contest

Deadline: July 16, 2011

Local Scholarships = More Scholarship Opportunities

Although you can apply for many scholarships online, another source of scholarship monies is through your local community. Here are few places to start looking:

• Chamber of Commerce (usually located downtown)



• Business that has high community presence



• Local TV, Radio, Newspaper, banks, credit unions



• Where your parents work



• Where you work



• Local Community Groups (check community bulletin boards at restaurants like Panera)



• Local Church where you attend

June and July Scholarship Deadlines: Summary

June Scholarship

• Do-Over Scholarship (June 30)

July Scholarships

• Share Your Story (July 15)


• Campus Discovery Scholarship (July 31)


• Gen and Tanabe Scholarship (July 31)


• Platt Family Scholarship (July 31)

Scholarship App due July 15, 2011

This is another essay scholarship that you can apply for.

ShareYourStoryEssays

Deadline: July 15, 2011

Multiple Awards ($1,000 and one $5,000)

Quick! Scholarship App due in June

The Do-Over Scholarship 2011

This Scholarship originates from ScholarshipExperts.com

Award: (3) $1,000 Scholarships

Deadline: June 30, 2011

Debt - Is it worth it?

Article from NPR

Did you know that total student loan debt has now surpassed total consumer debt?

That means more debt is owed on students loans than on credit cards in America.

We hope this website helps you stay out of student debt. Remember to work hard, save money, win scholarships and work even harder to stary out of debt. It may be wise to even stay out of school one semester to earn money, than to go into more debt.

Another Scholarship App due in July

Campus Discovery Scholarship

Question asked is "Assume you could go back in time and talk to yourself as a high school senior. Knowing what you know now about college life and making the transition, what advice would you give yourself?"

Deadline: July 31, 2011



This scholarship along with all the other scholarships are not affiliated with this site, but are opportunities you have to apply and maybe receive aid from these sources.

Scholarships Help Financial Success

We are glad you came to visit Christian College Scholarships today! It shows that you are interested in not going into debt for a college education. Debt is a burden and cannot help you succeed financially. Becoming financially literate is important because many Americans have not "mastered basic economic concepts." (See Huffington Post news article)

Keep coming back as we post more information to help you earn christian college scholarships. We are also on facebook and twitter.

View Us On Your Phone!

We have a new feature that was just turned on today and wanted to let you all know about it. You can now visit the blog via your phone and it looks pretty good. The format has been scaled to fit your mobile device. Give it a whirl or if you'd like to try it from your browser go to this link.

College Costs - Part Two

Now, as I promised, the second type of cost you need to consider when going to college. Indirect costs are expenses the school probably won't charge you for, but you'll still have to pay every year of college. Books and school supplies are probably the ones that come immediately to mind. But here are some others you need to consider.
-- transportation expenses (daily gas consumption, car insurance, car repairs, etc)
-- laundry
-- clothing
-- cell phone bills
-- personal expenses (hygiene items, haircuts, etc.)
-- snacks
-- eating meals outside of the meal plan
-- gifts
-- entertainment
-- traveling back and forth between home if you live far away

To determine the actual cost of attending college (sometimes refered to as the Cost of Attendance), you need to add the direct costs (see previous post) and the indirect costs. You may discover that the actual cost is a lot higher than you anticipated. But don't worry. If you include these costs into your planning, you won't be surprised or tempted to make poor financial decisions to cover your expenses.

College Costs - Part One

When searching and applying for scholarships it is important to know the cost of a college education. How do you determine the actual cost of the college or university you want to attend? Numbers are probably flying at you, and it can be difficult to know how to make sense of them all. First, figure out what the college is going to charge you. This may sound easy, but watch out for hidden fees. Tuition, a room in a residence building (if living on-campus), and the meal plan should be pretty easy to find. Next find out the fees. Here are some examples:
-- car registration
-- health insurance
-- drop/add class fees
-- lab fees
-- technology fees
-- library fees
-- reservation fees
-- concert fees
-- and more.
Some colleges lump these fees into an all-inclusive “program fee.” Either way, add up all the costs to see the total amount that the college will charge you each year. The college may refer to all these costs as “direct” costs because they are charged directly to you. There's a second type of cost -- "indirect" costs -- that you need to figure into the actual cost of going to college. But that's a topic for another post.

International Scholarships

We hope you have learned a lot over the past few weeks about scholarships. We also posted a lot of tips about financial aid for a college education. We don't have a lot of information about international scholarships, but as we find information for you we will post it.

Here is one resource that may help you.
http://www.iefa.org/

College Scholarship Essay due in July

The Lincoln Forum Scholarship Essay Contest



This essay scholarship is due July 31, 2011



The following is from the website:


Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest
1st Prize $1500 2nd Prize $750 3rd Prize $500

Our Topic for 2011: "Lincoln the War President"

2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. Compared to his Confederate opponent Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln had a very limited military background. How well did Lincoln adjust to becoming a war president during the trying first year of the war?

Scholarship Essay - Due June 15, 2011

ICBC Scholarship

Two questions to answer. Question one needs to be under 1000 words and question two needs to be uner 1500 words.

Only one winner is chosen and the due date is in six days!

Recap - Essay Scholarships for College

Hopefully you learned a bit more about essay scholarships from the post this morning.

Here are three essay scholarships that have been posted in the past. We will post more in the next few days.

Abbot and Fenner Scholarship - due June 18, 2011

Gen and Kelly Tanabe Student Scholarship - due July 31, 2011

AES Engineering Solutions - due October 7, 2011

Writing Essays for College Scholarships

The thought of having to write an essay for a scholarship may make your stomach flop. But don't let 300-500 words keep you from thousands of dollars in scholarship money. You can get a heads up on your competition just by understanding what the scholarship committee is looking for in their essay. Most scholarship essays have something to do with the organization giving the award. The essay topic may be something that needs to be researched and analyzed. Or it could be about you -- how you embody the ideals of the organization or the individual the award is named for. So getting information or having an opinion about the essay topic is crucial. But what are some other tips for writing scholarship essays?

• Follow the application and essay instructions. This is key. It doesn't matter how well you write if you're disqualified.
• Make it engaging by using interesting examples
• Use reputable sources for research
• Don't plagiarize
• Organize information logically: maybe start with an outline
• Keep focused on the topic and your main points
• Be honest with your opinions
• Be yourself: show the committee who you are
• Use correct grammar: avoid slang
• Run the spell checker
• Read your essay aloud to catch mistakes & awkward sentences
• Edit, edit, edit
• Ask someone else to proofread the essay

College Costs and Tax Credits

Even if you aren't able to get enough scholarships for college - here is another way to reduce the cost of a college education.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit is a new tax credit for years 2009 through 2012. It basically reduces the amount of taxes your family owes, but goes even further. Even if nothing is owed in taxes, the credit will still be applied. Please consult with a tax professional to see if this affects your taxes.

More info about tax credits

Wall Street Journal Article about College Costs

Fewer Low-Income Students Going to College

Although this article was written last summer, it is still relevant to college-bound students. Near the end of the article it addresses the fact that many private colleges and universities offer more aid to lower income families than public universities do. Do not get discouraged even though financial aid is a little confusing. Ask for help!

College Scholarship App Due in July

$1,000 Gen and Kelly Tanabe Student Scholarship

Contact:
Scholarship Coordinator, Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
3286 Oak Court
Belmont, CA 94002

Telephone: (650) 618-2221
Email: scholarships@gkscholarship.com & tanabe@gmail.com
Web: http://www.genkellyscholarship.com

Eligibility: Applicants must be 9th-12th grade high school students, college undergraduates, or graduate students, be U.S. citizens or legal residents and may study any major and attend or plan to attend any accredited college or university in the U.S. Selection is based primarily on a brief 250-word essay.

Award: $1,000

Deadline: July 31 for Spring

Already graduated from High School?

Many of the recommended scholarships from our scholarships link help students who are seniors during the 11-12 school year. But there may be some opportunities for students who just graduated from high school. Many schools have a Freshmen Summer Orientation this summer. This is a time for prospective college students to become acclimated to college life before the things get hectic when school starts in the fall. We encourage you to go to your college's Summer Orientation and take a trip to the Financial Aid Office. Talk to them and find out what options you have for college expenses this upcoming year.

The Graduate's Survival Guide Video

Covering College Costs

How can you cover the costs of a college education other than taking out loans? Here's a short list -- grants, savings, work earnings, monetary gifts, and scholarships. Most of the information on this website will help you learn about scholarships. But getting a scholarship takes planning, organization, hard work, and more hard work. Like building the tower in Luke 14:28, it takes lots of planning, even years of planning in advance. What if you don't have "years"? Do you have a year? Most scholarship applications are due in March or April of your senior year of high school. Pay close attention to the due dates. But don't put off your applications. Just because you send it by the due date doesn't mean you'll be OK. Think about it an opposite way. Look for the opening date for applications. Many scholarships like the Charley Wooten Scholarship open on a certain date. This scholarship awards $5 million to Texas residents and another $1 million to students outside of Texas. The fine print states that the scholarship committee will only open applications until they've given out all the scholarship money. It's kind of like first come first served. So applicants who wait until the due date have a slim chance of the committee even opening their applications. Like in so many other areas of life, when considering college and scholarships it pays to plan ahead and not wait until the last minute.

Preparing for College - Applying Bible Principles

Luke 14:28-32 has some good principles that can be applied to preparing for college. The Lord says that when people build a tower they count the cost. And when a king goes to war he evaluates the strength of his army compared to his enemy's. In both examples, the people are wisely considering the future. They're planning in order to see if they have enough money (or troops) to complete their task. I'm sure building a tower cost a lot of money and took a lot of time to plan. Well, college costs a lot of money too. And taking time to plan how you're going to pay for it will save you time, money, and heartache in the future.