Student Loan News, Updates and Blog Posts

Hey guys,

For those of you experiencing the big $10,000 hangover I have something to cheer you up!  We just added a NEW scholarship opportunity into the mix worth $500 in November which will also makes you eligible to win $50,000 big ones!  We are also giving away another $10,000 in December too so there are certainly plenty of opportunities for you to win.

Here’s how this new $500 scholarship works

Every ScholarshipPoints member that takes the free and quick marketing survey at WinningSurveys during the month of November will be eligible to win a $500 scholarship from ScholarshipPoints.com and $50,000 in cash from Winning Surveys.

To be eligible you must successfully register here.

Hello my scholarship friends!

I just wanted to remind you that we will be drawing the big $10,000 scholarship winner on October 31, but will not be officially announcing who the lucky winner is until Monday, November 2.

We’ll be posting the winner to the winners page on Monday and sending a winners email alert to all members.  Both the winners page and email will also contain the $1,000 and $500 scholarship winners as well!

Enjoy your costume parties this weekend and be safe!

When it comes to free money for college most students will take what they can get, but how would you feel about accepting a scholarship from a chewing tobacco company? Scholarships are often given out by companies to improve their corporate image, but if a tobacco company shells out scholarship money is that sending the wrong message to college students?

This issue has recently been brought to the forefront at Cal Poly. The school is taking a lot of heat for allowing students to accept scholarships from the smokeless tobacco industry as prize awards in collegiate rodeo events. Doctors are upset that the tobacco companies are promoting their products to students so aggressively, but is it a problem if a student takes the money and is not swayed to become a consumer?

Many students do not receive enough federal financial aid to be able to afford college on their own. Scholarships are the ideal option for these students because unlike federal student loans and alternative student loans they do not have to be repaid. Most people would probably argue that college students are mature enough to make responsible life decisions and that they should accept whatever scholarship money they can get.  However, in this age of student activism, some students really do worry about where their scholarship money is coming from and what message it is sending.

If you are weary about where your scholarship money comes from we promise that Student Scholarship Search will only connect you with scholarships that we would be proud to represent. Also do not forget that Scholarship Points gives out scholarships (some as big as $10,000) to students every month.

The next $10,000 Scholarshippoints winner, along with the $1,000 and $500 scholarship winners for October will be drawn in just four days! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Is your heart pounding with anticipation? I can tell you that I haven’t been this pumped since my Mom brought home a tub of Oreo cookie ice cream from work in 1986!

Be sure to enter all the point earning activities you can to maximize your chances of winning some mucho dinero!

Good luck my friends!

Current Point Activities

What do you know about scholarships?

Did you know that you do not have to pay scholarships back? Scholarships are free money and do not get repaid like loans.

Did you know that you do not have to have financial need to win scholarships? Scholarship winners are often chosen on the basis of merit, an essay project, or even a random drawing. Usually you do not even need to complete the FAFSA to win a scholarship.

Did you know that there might be local groups in your hometown that give out scholarships? Churches, Rotary clubs and business associations often give out scholarships to high school graduates for their town.

Did you know that there are websites that aggregate scholarships for you? There are probably over a hundred websites that will help you search for scholarships that you qualify for. For example, check out StudentScholarshipSearch.com.

Did you know that your college probably gives out scholarships? These scholarships are not just for freshmen. Many colleges have scholarships and awards based on merit, association participation and honor society involvement. Make sure you check with your financial aid office to see what you might be eligible for.

Tuesday Rant – Opinion Piece

Here’s something you will never hear legions of die-hard fans chanting at a home game. We’re an average team – neither terrible or great. We’re somewhere in the middle – that’s not open for debate! Woo hoo!

No one wants to be in the middle yet the middle is where many of us find ourselves, the middle class that is. The middle class is where most Americans reside.  It’s where money gets tight.  And when it comes to financial aid, being stuck in the middle earnings category is like a death sentence. Ok, I may be going a bit over bored with that statement but it certainly has some serious disadvantages.

People who come from low-income families generally qualify for a wide array of financial aid because of their outstanding need. That need is based off the expected family contribution number (EFC) generated from the FAFSA.  In the case of low income families their EFC will come up zero qualifying them for maximum aid benefits. Federal aid, institutional scholarships, and work-study programs allow many to enroll in some of the top schools in the U.S. at a fraction of the cost.

On the other side of the coin you have those who come from high-income families. While they will not qualify for federal assistance the family can usually afford the cost of higher education with little problem. That only leaves the lonely middle class with their pockets empty.

For the middle class student scholarships are often your best bet, and it’s all about power in numbers.  Apply for as many as you can.  You can checkout a scholarship database that houses hundreds of scholarships or enroll in a free scholarship program that give money away each month.  True, the middle class may have to work a little harder to get the aid for school they so richly deserve, but the money is out there if you put the time and energy into the search, and I know you will.  The middle class is always willing to work a littler harder.

Hey guys,

I’ve been hearing from more and more students lately who are enrolling in schools abroad, which is great, but they are also short on funds which isn’t so great. I’ve been recommending a site dedicated to International Scholarship opportunities. I figured instead of just sending the search link out individually to a handful of people I would give everyone the link here. I know going away for school would be an amazing experience on many levels and I hope that everyone that really wants to go can.

The international scholarships online database is a free resource for students to find scholarships that are right for them.

International Scholarship Search Link: http://www.internationalscholarships.com/

Good luck on your search!

Though the economy is slowly recovering, it may take years for scholarship foundations that have lost their benefactors to recover funds. Education has been hit hard over the last few years and as philanthropic donations have dwindled, demand for higher education tuition assistance has risen. Many groups that award scholarships are facing tough decisions like determining if they should give out a few big scholarships or a larger number of small scholarships.

Since more students are competing for fewer college scholarships, here are five tips for a successful post-recession scholarship search:

1: Put in at least one hour every week to scholarship searching. Being a college student is hectic, but everyone has one hour a week. Maybe you will need to wake up one hour earlier on Saturday morning or maybe you will need to give up one hour of TV, but it will be worth it!

2: Apply for anything and everything you might be eligible for. You never know who the selection committee is looking for; it could be you! You can use StudentScholarshipSearch.com to find scholarships that you qualify for. The more scholarships you apply for the better your chances of winning will be.

3: Take your time and give every application your all. An application that was haphazardly filled out or an essay that was half-heartedly written will not even be considered. When you submit a scholarship application you should feel like it is your best work and that it represents your best qualities.

4: Sign-up for ScholarshipPoints.com. This service lets you earn points towards monthly free scholarships worth up to $10,000. These are random scholarship drawings which means they are not based on need or merit so anyone can win!

5: Do not waste your time applying for a scholarship if you do not meet the eligibility qualifications. For example, if there is a scholarship for a male lacrosse player and you are a female basketball player you will not win! Focus only on scholarships that match up with your interests, background and academic achievements.

Did you know that you do not need to demonstrate financial need to qualify for a work study at school?  Both federal and non-federal work-study programs exist.

Federal work-study programs are based on demonstrated financial need.  An individual must meet certain eligibility requirements and complete a FAFSA.  On your FAFSA you will want to make sure you mark “yes” to the question asking if you are interested in student employment.  If you are eligible your FWS award will be listed on your awards letter from the school.  If you did not qualify for any reason but are still interested you may be able to scoop up a non-federal work-study job.

The Non-Federal Work Study is not based on financial need which means any student is eligible.  You should inquire with your school about any available opportunities on campus.  It is generally advisable to seek employment on campus before seeking any off-campus job as on-campus employers tend to be more understanding to your class schedule and school commitments.

If you are still short on funds after grants, scholarships, or federal loans like the Stafford loan you may also want to consider a private student loan.  With interest rates at historic lows there has never been a better time to take out a private student loan.

- Complete Your FAFSA

- Apply for a Private Student Loan

We all know that college is undoubtedly expensive. It is one of the biggest financial investments a person makes in his or her lifetime. I’ve been out of college for a little over a year now and know that paying for college will be on my mind every month until my student loans are paid off sometime over the next ten years. Loans are great because they allow you to pay off your education over time after you graduate, but you do end up paying back more than you borrow due to the interest you pay.  The federal Perkins and Stafford loans, which I took out, have interest rates ranging from 5 to 6.8 percent. Scholarships on the other hand are essentially free money and there is so much free money out there just waiting to be snatched up for those willing to look.

In college, between classes, co-curricular activities, a social life and my beauty sleep, every minute of my day was accounted for. Scholarships were the absolute last thing on my mind. Nonetheless, my mom would occasionally send me a new scholarship that she had found online and encourage me to apply. I certainly do not blame her for trying since I was going to college partially on her dime, but I kept telling her that I was too busy and that I would worry about scholarships later.  I now realize that applying for scholarships doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming as I had previously thought.

ScholarshipPoints.com, an Edvisors company, gives away over $100,000 dollars annually in scholarship money. By signing up, which takes less than a minute, and participating in different activities you can earn points. Each point you earn is worth one entry into the free scholarship of your choice. There are monthly $500 and $1,000 scholarship drawings and a quarterly $10,000 drawing. In addition other scholarship opportunities arise throughout the year for members.  The next $10,000 scholarship winner will be drawn on October 31, and it’s not too late to sign up, and this is just one opportunity.

There are literally thousands and thousands of scholarships out there. Some scholarships are so unique that few people even apply making them very noncompetitive. Do you excel in leadership and community service? There are scholarships for you! Are you left-handed? There are special scholarships for you! Do you play the bagpipes? Well, there are scholarships for you too! The point is the money is there, you just need to take the time to find the opportunities that are right for you.

StudentScholarshipSearch.com can help connect you with hundreds of great opportunities with 873 links worth a jaw dropping $9,761,962,903 in scholarships and awards.  If you are crunched for time you can parse through the Featured Scholarships section which funnels out large monetary awards and scholarships that are fast and easy to apply for. You can also search for local scholarships that are specific to your state or country of residence. These scholarships sometimes have a smaller pool of applicants so your chances of winning are a lot better.

If you devote just an hour a week to researching and applying for scholarships I think you’d be surprised just how many you qualify for. Today I look back on my college experience with only two regrets; I wish I had taken the time to apply for more scholarships and wish I’d discovered the pastabilities meal in the café during my freshman year, yum!  Had I taken that one hour a week to search for scholarships I might have come out of college with a much smaller loan obligation.  Though had I discovered the pastabilities plan during my first year in school my waistline may have been a bit thicker come graduation.  I guess I really only have one regret after all.