Rhodes Scholarship 2012-2013

If you are a resident of the United States and plan to pursue an advanced degree abroad, Rhodes Scholarhip provides you a right opportunity to fund your education. Under this prestigious educational aid scheme, 32 students are funded for studying at the Oxford University in England. American president Clinton and poet Robert Penn Warren are two famous alums. Rhodes Scholarship has the privilege of being the oldest international fellowship program.

Strategies to Follow

There are multiple strategies that you can adopt to increase your chances of receiving need based scholarships. Some of the most important ones include -



Remember to save money in parent's name rather than in the child's name. There are many saving options where your saving can be treated as a parent asset. The 529 college savings plan is a good example of that. Prepaid tuition plan and Coverdell Education Savings Account are the other saving option you can use.



Another important strategy to follow is parents can go back to advance their educational qualification along with the children. Or else, you can also have multiple children attending college at one time. The greater the number of family members in college at one time is, the bigger the chances are of receiving more education financial aid.



You may have several necessary expenses. Fulfill those necessities to reduce the amount of money available in cash. Therefore, if there is an urgent need to buy a car or a computer, buy them before you actually file the FAFSA.



Try to minimize capital gains and maximize your contributions towards the retirement fund. If you plan to pay some college education expenses, remember not to pay the amount from your retirement fund. Instead, you should use the cash money present in your bank accounts. Also reduce your educational debt. You should be well informed that a 529 college savings plan has the least possible impact on the student financial aid.



If you have credit card debts and loan balances to repay, pay them off first. Pay off your mortgage as well. Even when you file the FAFSA, you need to select the date wisely. The assets you possess and the marital status of the student will be taken into consideration as per the date of the application.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Whatever strategies you develop must be based on truth. In desperation, parents and students should not indulge in unethical and illegal practices. Speaking out the truth on financial aid application may hurt a little, lying on the application may result into getting severe penalties. Whenever there is a case of fraud, the financial aid administrators send notifications to the US Department of Education.

Essay Contests

Several scholarships are available where you can win free money by winning essay contests. These essay contests are held both locally and at state level. Whether you are a high school student, a graduate student or an undergraduate, you can participate in these contests and win free education grants, awarded every year to students who may otherwise be average in educational talent. Before participating in these contests, it is advisable to go through the eligibility criteria for participation.



Popular scholarships awarded by way of essay contests include the following.



AFSA National Scholarship Essay Contest
AIDS Orphans in Africa Essay Contest
Akademos / TextbookX.com Scholarship Contest
Americanism Essay Contest
Calgon Take Me Away to College Contest
Environmental Essay Contest
Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest
Maryknoll Student Essay Contest
MoneyMatters101.com Scholarships
OP Loftbed Scholarship
School Band and Orchestra Magazine Scholarship
Teenage Vision for America Essay Contest
Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Voice of Democracy Essay Contest

Act of Kindness

Your kind deeds done to the community should not go unrewarded. So, even if you are an average student, you can win education grants by doing some acts of kindness and volunteering in the community. You can apply for scholarships like AngelSoft Angels in Action and Hiram College Hal Reichle Memorial Scholarship.

Community Service

You may be average in terms of academic potential. However, you can win financial aid if you have been actively involved in serving a community. By doing community service, students display their leadership skills, dedication and the noble thought of helping people improve their lifestyle. Some of the most popular community grants are as follows.



The Do Something Awards
Discover Card Tribute Award
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Tyenol Scholarship

Overcoming Adversity

There are several scholarships that are awarded to students who have shown their mettle and overcome obstacles under adverse circumstances. The program appreciates the average student's integrity and perseverance that they have shown in times of adversity. Popular scholarship awards include the following.



Horatio Alger Association Scholarships
Patricia M. McNamara Memorial Scholarship

Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest

You are eligible to apply for this scholarship if you are aged 14 years or above. The eligibility criteria for this scholarship includes US citizenship, entering as a couple (two students) and attending a high school prom attired in duct tape made accessories. The scholarship program rewards both the contending couple and the school hosting the prom an amount of $2,500 each. For further details, you can log on to StuckatProm website.

David Letterman Telecommunications Scholarships

Instituted by David Letterman in the year 1985, the scholarship program targets candidates who are average in education but they are gifted with creativity. If you have a creative mind and can prove it through your work, you can be eligible to receive this education aid. Under this program, the winner receives $10,000 while the first and second runner up receives $5,000 and $3,333 respectively.

Lee Frances Heller Memorial Award

Sponsored by Julie Ann Johnson, the scholarship award targets Christian transgendered students. This award is available to all Christian college students who wish to pursue religious studies, regardless of which university or college they get enrolled in. The eligibility criteria also include submitting to them some church related and leadership experience. Deserving candidates will receive an amount of $1,500 under this scholarship funding scheme.

Women's Missionary Union

If you are a woman and associated with missionaries or clergy, the WMU has multiple scholarships available for you. Not only for women of women missionaries, but the WMU also offers financial support for children of these missionaries. Some of the awards offered include R. Keith Parks Scholarship Fund, Carolyn Weatherford Scholarship Fund, Julia C. Pugh Scholarship and Mattie J. C. Russell Scholarship. The award money is up to $1,000.

American Bible Society

The society funds scholarships to students pursuing education, medical and seminary studies. Scholarships awarded by the American Bible Society include William and Alice Brown endowment. The funding is offered to students who have shown excellent academic achievements in the fields of Medicine and Education, the award being $3,000. For more information regarding this Christian funding program, you can either send the society an email at scholarships@americanbible.org or write at the following address.



American Bible Society,
Scripture Grants Dept.,
1865 Broadway, 3rd fl.,
New York, NY 10023.

United Church of Christ

The church foundation offers scholarship awards known as the Brown Scholarships. Under this funding scheme, the United Church of Christ (UCC) offers up to $10,000 annually to college students who wish to enroll into pastoral degree programs. Before you apply for this funding program, you should note the eligibility criteria which are as follows.



Candidates must fulfill the general qualification criteria of the UCC.
Before applying, the candidates must have held a membership of the UCC for at least one year.s
Candidates must have got enrolled into accredited seminary school.
Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Upon completing graduation, the candidate must serve in the United Church of Christ or other partner church.

Looking for Christian Student Scholarships in 2012-2013?

Besides numerous need-based scholarship programs, minority scholarships and merit based financial aid, there are several faith-based funding opportunities available for you as well. There are many academic institutions that offer Christian scholarships to candidates who are pursuing seminary degrees and those Christians who aspire to pursue advanced degrees. Most of these scholarship opportunities for Christians are available at the universities and colleges where you get enrolled. So, before you get enrolled in a degree program at a college or university, you can get in touch with the financial aid advisor at the institution whether there are scholarships that target Christian students. Doing some research on your own will equip you with more information.



In addition to universities and colleges, there are multiple church foundations that offer scholarship to Christians. A good example is the United Church of Christ's Scholarships. More information on church foundations financial aid will be available with the clergyman. Even if you wish to enter the clergy or aspire to perform some missionary work, you can avail yourself of many Christian scholarship opportunities. Whether you are graduate student or an undergraduate, you can be eligible to apply for such financial aid programs and receive the free education funding.



General Christian scholarships are available abundantly. However, it may be tough to find specific Catholic scholarships. A branch of Christianity, Catholicism refers to the beliefs and practices of a Catholic church. As per 2001, Christianity boasted more than 2.1 billion followers. Out of this 2.1 billion Christians, around 1 billion called themselves Catholics. Since a large number of Catholics reside in the United States, Catholic scholarships are hard to find in the US.



Scholarship funding is also available for Christian women. Give below are some popular church foundations, associations and organizations that offer awards to the followers of Christianity.

Researching for Grant Money

The very first step towards uncovering grant opportunities is visiting the local library. At the library reference desk, you can ask for books containing the list of grants. Here, you can have all the information including the eligibility criteria, the award money, contact address etc. Undoubtedly, the internet has proved to be a great tool for searching these opportunities. Free online searches can provide you with lists of available grants across a range of study areas. Do not forget to check out for opportunities on the websites of major associations and foundations. Some of these places to begin your funded money hunt are as follows.



The Social Science Research Council
The Smithsonian Institute
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship
The National Science Foundation



How to Make the Most of Your Grant Opportunities
While looking for opportunities, you need to think on how to expand your grant possibilities. For example, you may be working in English but your work may also have a historical bent. Likewise, you should be well informed of all the potential classification of your project. Besides applying for big and popular grants, you should also check out smaller opportunities. At the same time, you also need to know about the new grant offerings. For the time being, an award may not be very popular. But, it can grow in value over time. While completing your degree, you need to be ready to grab research grant opportunities and invest in your future.

Benefits of Research Grants

There are several reasons that compel students to apply for research grants. The funding helps students take their unique work to the next level. Accessibility to rare materials and expensive equipment also helps students a lot. Not only short term, but research grants also provide long term benefits. For instance, a traveling research grant can cover the entire cost of transportation incurred while traveling to different research sites across the world.



Similarly, there are institutional grants that cover the cost of using expensive materials and equipment and visiting places like special collections library. If you need materials for completing your research project, there are grants available for that too. However, these benefits are not limited to just your project. These grants also help you build a reputation for yourself and be identified as a committed scholar. While doing your work at research sites, graduates also get the opportunity to connect with experts in this field.



And how can you forget the long term benefits? You also get equipped with important skills like making a case of your work and convincing others. Most importantly, grant credits add a lot of weight to your resume and impress future employers. Even if you are looking for more funding opportunities, these grant credits can be of great help.

International Food Service Editorial Council (IFEC)

Members of this council include food service magazine editors and public relations executives. Scholarships awarded by this council focus on the betterment of the media communications quality in the food field. Around four to six culinary scholarships are awarded by this organization on an annual basis. If you are seeking a career in communications and food service (combined), you can be eligible to receive this award. Obtain further details by visiting their website - http://www.ifec-is-us.com.

International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Foundation

The charitable foundation is an affiliate of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. The foundation offers financial assistance programs to offer scholarship money to students enrolled in different culinary schools. Candidates can apply for the award annually. To find out more about this culinary scholarship program, you can log on to the website- http://www.iacp.com.

Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP)

The school-to-work program offers scholarships in a number of major metropolitan areas. The program does an integration of culinary training and work experience. Under the program, students can receive scholarship money ranging from $1,000 to covering the entire expense for tuition. Students are advised to get in touch with their guidance counselor to find out about this culinary school scholarship opportunity in their area. Find more details at http://www.ccapinc.org

American Institute of Wine and Food

This is a non-profit organization having around 6,000 members. Some chapters (out of 29 in the United States) offer culinary scholarships to students. To know more about the culinary scholarship awards offered by AIWF, candidates can log on to http://www.aiwf.org.

American Dietetic Association

The association boasts a membership of around 65,000, a majority of the members being registered dietitians. If you are a registered dietitian and want to pursue a master's degree, you can be eligible to receive the scholarship award offered by ADA. More information about these scholarships can be availed at http://www.eatright.org.

American Culinary Federation

This is an association of professional cooks, having a membership of around 20,000. The ACF offers useful apprenticeship programs for candidates. In addition, the culinary federation also provides aspiring candidates with scholarship awards on a national level. For further details, you can visit their official website - http://www.acfchefs.org.

Where to Find Culinary School Scholarships 2012-2013

Apart from academic institutions, there are multiple organizations, associations and foundations that offer a variety of scholarships to aspiring candidates. There are many scholarships that focus on a field of study. So, if you plan to become a chef, a cook or a restaurant manager and look for education grants and scholarships, you can apply for culinary school scholarships. These funding programs provide free college money for students who want to pursue a career in culinary arts.



There are various resources to find culinary school scholarships. Though culinary arts training programs can prove to be expensive, education scholarships can help students a lot pursue the career of a lifetime. Culinary school grants can be provided on the ground of merit, your strong passion for culinary skills or depending on your financial need.

Society of Women Engineers

The society focuses on women students who still remain to be underrepresented in the field of engineering. The scholarships provided by SWE are funded by large industries and corporations. The eligibility criterion to receive this free money is having top academic scores. One major benefit for these scholarships that the companies that fund the money also look to employ talented engineers. Therefore, you will face keen competition while applying for these scholarship programs. Some popular women engineering awards include Lockheed Martin, DuPont, DE and Chevron among others. Award money ranges between $1,000 and $6,000.

The National Society of Black Engineers

The society offers scholarship award both to graduates and undergraduates who are pursuing education in mechanical engineering. The NSBE is set up with a view to representing African Americans who are in the field of engineering. Awards offered by this society include Johnson and Johnson awards ($1,500) and the GE Lloyd Trotter African American Forum Scholarships ($2,500).

Professional Organizations

Apart from college scholarships, there are multiple professional organizations that offer free scholarship money to mechanical engineering students. HENAAC Inc. offers scholarship to Hispanic students. Candidates who apply for the financial aid program need to be a citizen of the United States. Some of the popular awards include Daimler Chrysler Funds, Ford Motor Company Scholarships (Hispanic), Lockheed Martin Corporation (for academically sound students), Northrop Grumman Corporation Scholarships and the Shaw Industries scholarships among others.

Western Michigan University

Students who are enrolled in mechanical engineering at the Western Michigan University can apply for the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club Scholarships. The eligibility criteria for these candidates include doing a major in mechanical engineering with a major focus on automotive careers. The award money for this scholarship is $500.

West Virginia University

The mechanical and aerospace engineering department offers around two dozen scholarships to mechanical engineering students. Some of the most popular scholarships among these include the Amelia Earhart Scholarship Award (for women) and the Hansen Inc. Scholarship awards. The latter is awarded to those students who are in the third or fourth year of graduate program.

Florida International University

The university features an extensive engineering and computing department. The engineering department offers several scholarships. Among many college scholarships, it offers the Southern Gear and Machine Inc. Scholarship targets students pursuing a study in mechanical engineering. To apply and receive this scholarship, students need to meet the eligibility criteria. Candidates need to be a resident of the Dade County and establish their financial need for the free college money.

College Scholarships 2012-2013

There are several scholarship programs that provide financial support to students on the basis of the field of study they choose to pursue as well as on the ground of their financial. Likewise, there are abundant scholarship opportunities for students even in the field of mechanical engineering. Given below are some of the most popular mechanical engineers scholarship resources.

Avoiding Scholarship Scams

While acting in desperation, students and parents may also make the mistake of falling prey to scholarship scams. Applying for scholarship does not cost you money. If you come across some scholarship providers who ask you to pay an upfront fee or share your credit card information, you are going to be a victim of a scholarship scam.



The mistakes mentioned above are some of the most common that scholarship seekers make while applying for educational financial aid programs. By following the above steps, you can not only avoid the most common mistakes, but you can also increase your chances of winning the scholarship manifolds.

Meeting the Deadline

Scholarships come with application submission deadlines. How much effort you may put in for filling out the form completely, you will simply miss the mark failing to submit the application within the provided deadline. Not sending in the application by the provided deadline will only reflect that you do not have organizational skills. To avoid this mistake, you can keep a large calendar marked with all the specific deadline of scholarships you are applying for. Being quick and early in submitting the application will increase your chances of winning the educational scholarship.

Minding the Spellings

Scholarship seekers must know that the appearance of the application reflects your personality. So, the kind of impression you want to create depends upon you. Grammatical mistakes will reflect quite badly on your personal self. If you form is filled with grammar and spelling mistakes, you will not be able to win the scholarship. If you do not have much proficiency, you can have someone else with decent grammar skills look at your scholarship application form.

Filling out the Application Form

Partially filled application forms may disqualify from winning an education scholarship. Even if you leave out a single detail in the application form, it reflects quite badly upon you. Therefore, it is always recommended to read between the lines and furnish all the essential details that are required. If you find a particular question in the application does not apply to you, just write ‘Does not apply' so that there are no blank spaces and your form is completely filled out.

Following the Directions

It is really surprising to notice the number of people who make the mistake of not going through the directions completely while applying for education aid programs. However, this is only common sense to read the entire directions provided for specific scholarships. Before you apply, make sure you are actually eligible to apply for the program. Nobody would like to waste time applying for scholarships whose eligibility criteria you do not match.

The Game of Numbers

There are many candidates that apply for just one or two scholarships and then sit at home hoping they would win. Considering the tough competition, this is one of the most dreadful assumptions candidates can make while applying for financial aid programs. It is a big mistake. So, while you search for funding opportunities, you should always remember to apply for more scholarships to enhance your chances of winning one of two.

Performing Your Search through Spam-free Search Engines

Strong research skills are also essential to find the key resources for doctorate degree scholarships. You will come across several scholarship search services on the internet. However, you need to select a search services which returns spam-free results. If you belong to the minority, you can filter your search by using targeted keywords like ‘Hispanic doctoral scholarships' and ‘African American doctoral scholarships'. You need to find search services that provide you hassle-free profile and log-in procedures and do not waste your valuable time.



You can also refine your doctoral study scholarship search by using subject specific keywords and keyword phrases. You can use search phrases like ‘biology doctoral scholarships', ‘accounting doctoral scholarships', ‘economics doctoral scholarships etc. If you are performing your search on Google, it is recommended to equip yourself with the Essentials of Google Search.

Doctoral Scholarships for Women and Minority Students

With a view to encouraging minority background students and women, there are multiple organizations that offer doctoral studies scholarships. Some key resources are specially reserved for women and candidates who belong to minority backgrounds. If you fall into these categories, you can apply for many educational aid programs and receive the free money to pursue your research level study.



Some of the most popular resources for women and minority students include -



United Negro College Fund
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Pharmaceutical companies
Association for Women in Science
Society for Women Engineers



Underrepresented populations pursuing doctoral degree programs can check out these resources. For further details, students can visit the official websites of the above mentioned funds and organizations and know the eligibility criteria to apply for the free doctoral scholarships money.

Finding Scholarships in Academic and Research Fields

PhD studies focus on academics and high level research study. Therefore, these scholarships are awarded to students in broad categories. For instance, the field of Social Sciences will include specialties like economics studies, linguistic studies, Middle Eastern studies etc. Similarly, the field of Physical and Life Sciences will include specialties studies in subjects like biotechnology, neurobiology, physiology etc.



In all these academic and research fields, students have a number of resources to use. There are private organizations, research-heavy universities and federal government associations offering free scholarship money to complete your doctoral level degree programs. Fulbright Scholarships are a good resource for getting the free money for doctorate studies. Other organizations that offer research level fellowship programs include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of the Defense and the National Institutes of Health among others.

University Fellowship Programs

One of the key resources to find doctoral scholarships is the university graduate schools where you pursue the degree. There are several universities that award free scholarship money to candidates pursuing a PhD at the institution. Candidates who want to earn tuition cash can join fellowships and teaching assistantship programs at universities. Most of the scholarships for doctoral studies are offered on the ground of subjects you choose to study. To enhance your chances of receiving the free cash, you need to be well informed of the subjects students typically choose to major in. On the other hand, there can be subject specific micro-specialties.

Finding Scholarships for Your Doctoral Studies

Like undergraduate and graduate scholarships, organizations and associations also provide free scholarship money to students for pursuing doctoral studies. However, doctoral scholarships happen to be more elusive than other student educational aid. Students will face keen competition grasping scholarships opportunities for completing doctoral degrees. To remain competitive, you need to equip yourself with all the necessary information including research skills, resources and the eligibility criteria. Whether you are a woman pursuing a doctorate, a minority student or a regular candidate, doctorate educational aid is available for students of all backgrounds.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

This is one of the most useful Hispanic scholarship resources in the United States. Students of all levels are awarded free scholarship money from this funding organization. The free money awarded to Hispanic students ranges between $1,000 and $10,000.



Hispanic women scholarships and grants do not only encourage women to pursue their dream careers but also prepare individuals who will play a leading role in the upliftment of the community. So, if you are a Hispanic woman and aspire to complete college education and pursue your dream careers, you can always find a number of resources for educational financial support.

The Rising Farmworker Dream Fund

The organization provides free scholarship money to Hispanic farm worker's children. The award money for these scholarships varies between $2,500 and $5,000. In addition to this, the fund also provides financial support to Hispanics upon graduation.

The Hispanic Women's Corporation

The organization is established with a view to providing moral and financial support to Hispanic women aspiring to pursuer different careers. The corporation is one of the key Hispanic women scholarship resources in the United States. Every year, the organization distributes around 50 scholarships to women. The scholarship award money ranges between $300 and $10,000.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic organization is one of the key scholarship resources in the United States, both for men and women. Besides providing financial support to Hispanics through various educational scholarship programs, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation also functions as a job placement agency for graduates.