02/11: HOPE Springs Eternal
Hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
Since its inception in 2005, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has lived up to its name: the chapter provides students hope for a better future, by providing not only 4-year renewable scholarships, but an entire network of support for helping recipients achieve success before, during, and even after college.
This inspired model wasn't born overnight. It took time, effort, and unbelievable passion and dedication from remarkable volunteers to create the kind of success Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has experienced. Two of those exceptional people are Scott Thole and Dan Pierson.
Scott first became involved with Dollars for Scholars when a former mentor began a chapter and asked Scott to help with fundraising. Our mission hit very close to home: Scott’s dad was a first generation college student who faced an uphill battle. “My Dad’s parents never finished high school, and college to them was considered a waste of time,” he says.
Despite this stigma – and despite the fact that he had to work four jobs just to pay for school – Scott's dad earned his degree. Inspired by his story, and seeing Dollars for Scholars as the perfect opportunity to improve access to higher education, Scott found himself going above and beyond his original fundraising task. He eventually felt confident enough to start a chapter of his own, and one of the first colleagues he called in was his close friend Dan Pierson. Like Scott, Dan was impressed by the mission of Dollars for Scholars; having grown up in a household that supported his every educational effort, he jumped at the chance to give back.
Scott says it was easy to start the Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars chapter and affiliate with Scholarship America; the real challenge was figuring out a sustainable model and getting buy-in from the community.
To do so, Scott relied on his experience with Dollars for Scholars, coupled with the chapter volunteers' first-hand knowledge of how to succeed in college. They devised three key elements for chapter success: a close-knit chapter board made up of friends who are passionate about the mission; renewable scholarships for which students can reapply throughout their college careers; and a Role Model program where board members can serve as mentors.
This model ensures that students not only get into school, but are able to graduate, prepared for post-college success. In addition, the Chicago HOPE model builds in the student's desire to give back after graduation. Last but not least, it helps the chapter be a more stable organization in the community and reflects the Dollars for Scholars mission by helping students Get Into college, Get Through college, and Give Back to the chapter.
The results for the chapter, which spent two years fundraising and building before awarding its first scholarships in Spring 2008, have been eye-opening, and Scott and Dan are both proud of their success and confident it will continue, toward their goal of a multimillion-dollar endowment. Scott reiterates, “I love that model, and believe that chapter success relies on all parts;" Dan agrees, stating that by helping students get into college and ensuring their success during and after, Chicago HOPE is an invaluable resource to the community's students and businesses alike.
This status gives the chapter an edge when competing for funding and donor support in their community; Dan and Scott help foster that edge with unique marketing and personal relations efforts. Their annual Masquerade Ball, complete with a silent auction and fashion show, has historically raised upwards of $40,000 in scholarships, and they ensure attendees both have fun and remember why they're there. For example, Dan and other chapter volunteers compiled a video for the event, featuring the previous year's scholarship recipients expressing what their awards and their mentors meant to them. The chapter also displays wall-sized thank-you letters from past recipients at the event venue, helping keep the students and their stories front and center.
Since they have been awarding scholarships, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has also made a point of providing renewable scholarships, in the $3,000 - $4,000 per year range. The only catch? Students must continue to earn these scholarship awards, by maintaining a 3.0 GPA and reapplying each year. These requirements keep students accountable, provide them with more incentives for academic success, and keep them connected to the chapter. Scholarship recipient Lee Ying Wu is just one example – in her second year at MIT, she is planning to start an ACT prep course in the summer for students from Chicago public high schools. (Read her story here.)
Chicago HOPE also keeps students connected through their Role Models mentoring program, which pairs board members with scholarship recipients in order to mentor the students throughout college. The Role Model offers support and advice to their scholarship recipient regarding academics, internships, careers, or even just personal life. The chapter makes sure they're always just a phone call away for students, and the Role Models make an effort to keep in touch, whether it’s going to lunch or baseball games or conversing online or on the phone.
In short, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars is doing outstanding work. And, though Scott and Dan are humble about their roles, their efforts have been noticed. Recently, the pair were honored by Investment News's Invest in Others Foundation as finalists in the foundation's Community Leadership Awards, receiving $2,500 for the chapter.
And, despite the current economic climate, they remain excited about the future. Chicago HOPE hasn’t lost steam in their million-dollar endowment mission. As Dan explains, they have just learned to be more creative and organized in their fundraising approach; by encouraging each board member to look for charitable grants available through their workplaces, they have built further partnerships with a diverse group of companies and supporters.
As both Scott and Dan will tell you, volunteering with Dollars for Scholars means there's never a dull moment. As both role models and board members, they have unique opportunities to build lasting relationships with students. They impact those students' lives before, during and after college, helping them steer a course toward success, and providing hope throughout their community.
Since its inception in 2005, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has lived up to its name: the chapter provides students hope for a better future, by providing not only 4-year renewable scholarships, but an entire network of support for helping recipients achieve success before, during, and even after college.
This inspired model wasn't born overnight. It took time, effort, and unbelievable passion and dedication from remarkable volunteers to create the kind of success Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has experienced. Two of those exceptional people are Scott Thole and Dan Pierson.
Scott first became involved with Dollars for Scholars when a former mentor began a chapter and asked Scott to help with fundraising. Our mission hit very close to home: Scott’s dad was a first generation college student who faced an uphill battle. “My Dad’s parents never finished high school, and college to them was considered a waste of time,” he says.
Despite this stigma – and despite the fact that he had to work four jobs just to pay for school – Scott's dad earned his degree. Inspired by his story, and seeing Dollars for Scholars as the perfect opportunity to improve access to higher education, Scott found himself going above and beyond his original fundraising task. He eventually felt confident enough to start a chapter of his own, and one of the first colleagues he called in was his close friend Dan Pierson. Like Scott, Dan was impressed by the mission of Dollars for Scholars; having grown up in a household that supported his every educational effort, he jumped at the chance to give back.
Scott says it was easy to start the Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars chapter and affiliate with Scholarship America; the real challenge was figuring out a sustainable model and getting buy-in from the community.
To do so, Scott relied on his experience with Dollars for Scholars, coupled with the chapter volunteers' first-hand knowledge of how to succeed in college. They devised three key elements for chapter success: a close-knit chapter board made up of friends who are passionate about the mission; renewable scholarships for which students can reapply throughout their college careers; and a Role Model program where board members can serve as mentors.
This model ensures that students not only get into school, but are able to graduate, prepared for post-college success. In addition, the Chicago HOPE model builds in the student's desire to give back after graduation. Last but not least, it helps the chapter be a more stable organization in the community and reflects the Dollars for Scholars mission by helping students Get Into college, Get Through college, and Give Back to the chapter.
The results for the chapter, which spent two years fundraising and building before awarding its first scholarships in Spring 2008, have been eye-opening, and Scott and Dan are both proud of their success and confident it will continue, toward their goal of a multimillion-dollar endowment. Scott reiterates, “I love that model, and believe that chapter success relies on all parts;" Dan agrees, stating that by helping students get into college and ensuring their success during and after, Chicago HOPE is an invaluable resource to the community's students and businesses alike.
This status gives the chapter an edge when competing for funding and donor support in their community; Dan and Scott help foster that edge with unique marketing and personal relations efforts. Their annual Masquerade Ball, complete with a silent auction and fashion show, has historically raised upwards of $40,000 in scholarships, and they ensure attendees both have fun and remember why they're there. For example, Dan and other chapter volunteers compiled a video for the event, featuring the previous year's scholarship recipients expressing what their awards and their mentors meant to them. The chapter also displays wall-sized thank-you letters from past recipients at the event venue, helping keep the students and their stories front and center.
Since they have been awarding scholarships, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars has also made a point of providing renewable scholarships, in the $3,000 - $4,000 per year range. The only catch? Students must continue to earn these scholarship awards, by maintaining a 3.0 GPA and reapplying each year. These requirements keep students accountable, provide them with more incentives for academic success, and keep them connected to the chapter. Scholarship recipient Lee Ying Wu is just one example – in her second year at MIT, she is planning to start an ACT prep course in the summer for students from Chicago public high schools. (Read her story here.)
Chicago HOPE also keeps students connected through their Role Models mentoring program, which pairs board members with scholarship recipients in order to mentor the students throughout college. The Role Model offers support and advice to their scholarship recipient regarding academics, internships, careers, or even just personal life. The chapter makes sure they're always just a phone call away for students, and the Role Models make an effort to keep in touch, whether it’s going to lunch or baseball games or conversing online or on the phone.
In short, Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars is doing outstanding work. And, though Scott and Dan are humble about their roles, their efforts have been noticed. Recently, the pair were honored by Investment News's Invest in Others Foundation as finalists in the foundation's Community Leadership Awards, receiving $2,500 for the chapter.
And, despite the current economic climate, they remain excited about the future. Chicago HOPE hasn’t lost steam in their million-dollar endowment mission. As Dan explains, they have just learned to be more creative and organized in their fundraising approach; by encouraging each board member to look for charitable grants available through their workplaces, they have built further partnerships with a diverse group of companies and supporters.
As both Scott and Dan will tell you, volunteering with Dollars for Scholars means there's never a dull moment. As both role models and board members, they have unique opportunities to build lasting relationships with students. They impact those students' lives before, during and after college, helping them steer a course toward success, and providing hope throughout their community.
Students, friends, families and volunteers came together in October for the 7th Annual Walk for Education in Los Angeles, hosted by California Dollars for Scholars and Collegiate Partner Loyola Marymount University.
The Walk for Education raises money for chapters across California each year; in addition, as California Dollars for Scholars Executive Director Ann Worley points out, it aims to "bring young students on campus and get them dreaming about attending college in the future."
One of those groups of students came from the Drew Silvern Dollars for Scholars Migrant Education Foundation in East Los Angeles. Founder and president Lila Lee Silvern checked in with Scholarship America:
"Some of the heartiest of the students participating in the Los Angeles School District's Saturday Migrant Education Program boarded a bus at 6:30 a.m. for a two-hour ride across the city to Loyola Marymount University. The students and their teachers, John Holloway and Wilda Kier, arrived just in time to register for the [Walk], get their t-shirts, autographed pictures of the Laker Girls, fruit juice and energy bars.
"With water bottles in hand after a warm up with the Laker Girls, they set forth on their 5k walk around the beautiful and scenic LMU campus. Three of the students, who were seniors, were awed by the glimpse of life on a college campus. They were told that they would be eligible to apply for a scholarship given by Drew Silvern Migrant Ed Dollars for Scholars.
"Since 1958, Dollars for Scholars has helped create and support community-based, volunteer-led scholarship groups. California chapters awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships. A loyal group of supporters of the Drew Silvern Migrant Ed Fund raised enough money last year from a Fiesta and the Walk to award $15,000 in grants to twenty students, one of whom is in his junior year at Loyola Marymount.
"The walkers returned hot and thirsty, but exhilarated from the walk. The morning ended with Pizza and a raffle drawing of Tee shirts representing the many college campuses of California .
"The students boarded the bus with their souvenirs and hopefully the seeds of interest in some day in the near future being able to attend a University like Loyola Marymount."
The Star Achievers Dollars for Scholars chapter also participated in the Walk for Education again this year. This unique chapter was started in 1992 by Ed and Lenora Dugas and Della Ford, after the tragic passings of the Dugas's daughter and Della's husband, who was also their beloved church pastor.
The three of them decided to do something positive out of their grief, and started Star Achievers Dollars for Scholars. Their scholarships go to high-achieving African-American students both from their own church and from surrounding high schools.
Each year, Lenora makes wonderful handcrafted gifts, which the chapter sells at the walk, along with raffle tickets for items donated by the Home Depot where current chapter president Louis Rubins works. Lenora checked in with our California Dollars for Scholars office after the Walk as well:
"We just celebrated our 16th [year] with Dollars for Scholars, and if anyone would have asked me prior to that if I would spend the next decade(s) fundraising to assist the children of others, I would have replied with a resounding 'NO.' Yet, I find myself writing letters and proposals annually.
"Because of people like [our California staff, Ann Worley and Barbara Charnock] who are always just a phone call away to answer questions, you've made it so much easier for us to keep going. The [Walk] s our only real fundraiser. We have a group of church friends who because of knee replacements and body aches, will give instead of coming out to walk. I think, this was our smallest number of actual walkers. Even Della had knee replacement the first of this year.
"However, I still enjoy doing my quilting projects and selling them!"
In addition to proceeds from Lenora's quilting -- she gives half of what she earns to the fund -- the chapter also recently received $15,000 in support from Boeing and SCE. Despite knee replacements and all, Star Achievers, like the rest of the participants in the Walk for Education, is still going strong.
The Walk for Education raises money for chapters across California each year; in addition, as California Dollars for Scholars Executive Director Ann Worley points out, it aims to "bring young students on campus and get them dreaming about attending college in the future."
One of those groups of students came from the Drew Silvern Dollars for Scholars Migrant Education Foundation in East Los Angeles. Founder and president Lila Lee Silvern checked in with Scholarship America:
"Some of the heartiest of the students participating in the Los Angeles School District's Saturday Migrant Education Program boarded a bus at 6:30 a.m. for a two-hour ride across the city to Loyola Marymount University. The students and their teachers, John Holloway and Wilda Kier, arrived just in time to register for the [Walk], get their t-shirts, autographed pictures of the Laker Girls, fruit juice and energy bars."With water bottles in hand after a warm up with the Laker Girls, they set forth on their 5k walk around the beautiful and scenic LMU campus. Three of the students, who were seniors, were awed by the glimpse of life on a college campus. They were told that they would be eligible to apply for a scholarship given by Drew Silvern Migrant Ed Dollars for Scholars.
"Since 1958, Dollars for Scholars has helped create and support community-based, volunteer-led scholarship groups. California chapters awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships. A loyal group of supporters of the Drew Silvern Migrant Ed Fund raised enough money last year from a Fiesta and the Walk to award $15,000 in grants to twenty students, one of whom is in his junior year at Loyola Marymount.
"The walkers returned hot and thirsty, but exhilarated from the walk. The morning ended with Pizza and a raffle drawing of Tee shirts representing the many college campuses of California .
"The students boarded the bus with their souvenirs and hopefully the seeds of interest in some day in the near future being able to attend a University like Loyola Marymount."
The Star Achievers Dollars for Scholars chapter also participated in the Walk for Education again this year. This unique chapter was started in 1992 by Ed and Lenora Dugas and Della Ford, after the tragic passings of the Dugas's daughter and Della's husband, who was also their beloved church pastor.
The three of them decided to do something positive out of their grief, and started Star Achievers Dollars for Scholars. Their scholarships go to high-achieving African-American students both from their own church and from surrounding high schools.
Each year, Lenora makes wonderful handcrafted gifts, which the chapter sells at the walk, along with raffle tickets for items donated by the Home Depot where current chapter president Louis Rubins works. Lenora checked in with our California Dollars for Scholars office after the Walk as well:
"We just celebrated our 16th [year] with Dollars for Scholars, and if anyone would have asked me prior to that if I would spend the next decade(s) fundraising to assist the children of others, I would have replied with a resounding 'NO.' Yet, I find myself writing letters and proposals annually.
"Because of people like [our California staff, Ann Worley and Barbara Charnock] who are always just a phone call away to answer questions, you've made it so much easier for us to keep going. The [Walk] s our only real fundraiser. We have a group of church friends who because of knee replacements and body aches, will give instead of coming out to walk. I think, this was our smallest number of actual walkers. Even Della had knee replacement the first of this year.
"However, I still enjoy doing my quilting projects and selling them!"
In addition to proceeds from Lenora's quilting -- she gives half of what she earns to the fund -- the chapter also recently received $15,000 in support from Boeing and SCE. Despite knee replacements and all, Star Achievers, like the rest of the participants in the Walk for Education, is still going strong.
28/09: The $6 Million Secret: The Volunteer Spotlight on Gregg Gropel and Luverne Dollars for Scholars
Luverne, Minnesota is a small town – just under 5,000 residents – but it's got a big heart. Luverne Dollars for Scholars has awarded scholarships to more than 1,200 students in the last 26 years, including more than $111,000 to 165 members of Luverne High School's Class of 2009. With a gift this year of nearly $3 million from the estate of a founding member, things are only looking brighter for Luverne and its students. Like every one of our chapters, though, it all started from the ground up.
Specifically, it began in 1983 in the basement of a local bank. A handful of community members, including Gregg Gropel, Don Klosterbuer, Harvey Ordung and Harvey Etrim, came together to discuss a common cause: their ironclad belief that strengthening their community meant investing in education. At first, the chapter had more will than dollars. Gregg, the former secretary of the chapter, recalls that they decided to raise awareness by sending letters to local businesses, only to realize that “We didn’t even have money for postage!”
A bank donation got them their stamps, though, and by the next year the chapter had given two $500 scholarships and garnered an additional $2,000 in perpetual scholarships from the American Legion, Lions Club, Rotary Club and others, but the long hours and tireless work meant chapter morale was suffering. Searching for ideas, chapter president Harvey Etrim suggested writing to the Aaneson family -- former Luverne residents who founded the snack company Old Dutch. Gregg tracked down Curtis, one of the three Aaneson brothers, and convinced him to contribute $5,000.
Gregg Gropel (standing) and Don Klosterbuer address the local press after announcing their $2.9 million bequest from Harvey Ordung. (photo via Worthington Daily Globe)
As Gregg and Don both attest, it couldn't have come at a better time. The donation, which was followed by another a few months later, was just the morale booster volunteers needed to keep their spirits alive. It also catalyzed awareness throughout the community to such a degree that another local resident, Lava Brooks, bequeathed nearly $700,000, elevating its endowment to just under $1 million – a successful chapter by any measure.
Gregg and his fellow volunteers could have sat back and admired their work, but that's not how things are done in Luverne. In fact, Gregg decided to approach Vernon Aaneson of Old Dutch to see if he'd be interested in setting up a company scholarship. Though Vernon felt Old Dutch's reach was too national to do a single-community scholarship, he did make quite a personal donation: two checks totaling $1 million. As Don Klosterbuer jokes even now, “Talk about your all time best fundraisers; we opened up the mail.” And success has only bred more success -- in July 2009, founding member Harvey Ordung left the chapter $2.9 million in his will, building their coffers to $6 million in endowed scholarship funds.
What's the secret to the chapter's success? Is it simply a series of fortunate events? Or is it something more? Don has an idea: “He’s too modest to say, but Gregg Gropel is Luverne Dollars for Scholars. ... We wouldn’t have received our recent $2.9 million endowment, or had half the success we’ve had without Gregg. It’s easy to be the president of the chapter when you have Gregg for the secretary.”
Gregg served in that position from the chapter's founding until this past year, working to cultivate donor relationships, develop a system for distributing scholarships to students, and build a tracking system for multi-year scholarship awards. In addition, in the early 1990s, he started an awareness-raising publication called Alumni News, which goes to all Luverne High School graduates. If features class reunion and alumni events, as well as plenty of information about Dollars for Scholars -- including alumni-funded scholarships and chapter happenings. Thanks in large part to this publication, several Luverne High School alumni classes have established permanent student scholarships.
Gregg also put a premium on donor recognition, both by students receiving scholarships and the community at large. To highlight their generosity, he created the Community Scholarship Awards booklet, containing the names of each year's scholarship recipients as well as the names and a short biography of the donors. This added biography allows students to know who helped provide their scholarship, and affords them the unique opportunity to personally thank their donor either in person or through a letter. (Both Gregg and Don agree that thank-you letters to donors are crucial for any Dollars for Scholars program.)
While Gregg has long served at the forefront of innovation at Luverne Dollars for Scholars, he is now letting others lead. He stepped down as secretary this year, but continues to serve as a chapter advocate and the primary liaison for those interested in setting up scholarship funds.
Over the years, Gregg has donated thousands of hours to the chapter, and he received national recognition when he made the Scholarship America National Honor Roll in 1999. He says he doesn’t know exactly what it is that motivates him to volunteer, but that the community attitude in Luverne is relentlessly positive and focused on “doing the right thing.” This attitude coupled with community loyalty and pride certainly helped get Gregg involved 26 years ago, as it does today. Though he didn't grow up in Luverne, Gregg sees it as his hometown, and Dollars for Scholars has given him and other community residents the opportunity to invest in their hometown's future – an investment with monumental payoffs.
Specifically, it began in 1983 in the basement of a local bank. A handful of community members, including Gregg Gropel, Don Klosterbuer, Harvey Ordung and Harvey Etrim, came together to discuss a common cause: their ironclad belief that strengthening their community meant investing in education. At first, the chapter had more will than dollars. Gregg, the former secretary of the chapter, recalls that they decided to raise awareness by sending letters to local businesses, only to realize that “We didn’t even have money for postage!”
A bank donation got them their stamps, though, and by the next year the chapter had given two $500 scholarships and garnered an additional $2,000 in perpetual scholarships from the American Legion, Lions Club, Rotary Club and others, but the long hours and tireless work meant chapter morale was suffering. Searching for ideas, chapter president Harvey Etrim suggested writing to the Aaneson family -- former Luverne residents who founded the snack company Old Dutch. Gregg tracked down Curtis, one of the three Aaneson brothers, and convinced him to contribute $5,000.
Gregg Gropel (standing) and Don Klosterbuer address the local press after announcing their $2.9 million bequest from Harvey Ordung. (photo via Worthington Daily Globe)
As Gregg and Don both attest, it couldn't have come at a better time. The donation, which was followed by another a few months later, was just the morale booster volunteers needed to keep their spirits alive. It also catalyzed awareness throughout the community to such a degree that another local resident, Lava Brooks, bequeathed nearly $700,000, elevating its endowment to just under $1 million – a successful chapter by any measure.
Gregg and his fellow volunteers could have sat back and admired their work, but that's not how things are done in Luverne. In fact, Gregg decided to approach Vernon Aaneson of Old Dutch to see if he'd be interested in setting up a company scholarship. Though Vernon felt Old Dutch's reach was too national to do a single-community scholarship, he did make quite a personal donation: two checks totaling $1 million. As Don Klosterbuer jokes even now, “Talk about your all time best fundraisers; we opened up the mail.” And success has only bred more success -- in July 2009, founding member Harvey Ordung left the chapter $2.9 million in his will, building their coffers to $6 million in endowed scholarship funds.
What's the secret to the chapter's success? Is it simply a series of fortunate events? Or is it something more? Don has an idea: “He’s too modest to say, but Gregg Gropel is Luverne Dollars for Scholars. ... We wouldn’t have received our recent $2.9 million endowment, or had half the success we’ve had without Gregg. It’s easy to be the president of the chapter when you have Gregg for the secretary.”
Gregg served in that position from the chapter's founding until this past year, working to cultivate donor relationships, develop a system for distributing scholarships to students, and build a tracking system for multi-year scholarship awards. In addition, in the early 1990s, he started an awareness-raising publication called Alumni News, which goes to all Luverne High School graduates. If features class reunion and alumni events, as well as plenty of information about Dollars for Scholars -- including alumni-funded scholarships and chapter happenings. Thanks in large part to this publication, several Luverne High School alumni classes have established permanent student scholarships.
Gregg also put a premium on donor recognition, both by students receiving scholarships and the community at large. To highlight their generosity, he created the Community Scholarship Awards booklet, containing the names of each year's scholarship recipients as well as the names and a short biography of the donors. This added biography allows students to know who helped provide their scholarship, and affords them the unique opportunity to personally thank their donor either in person or through a letter. (Both Gregg and Don agree that thank-you letters to donors are crucial for any Dollars for Scholars program.)
While Gregg has long served at the forefront of innovation at Luverne Dollars for Scholars, he is now letting others lead. He stepped down as secretary this year, but continues to serve as a chapter advocate and the primary liaison for those interested in setting up scholarship funds.
Over the years, Gregg has donated thousands of hours to the chapter, and he received national recognition when he made the Scholarship America National Honor Roll in 1999. He says he doesn’t know exactly what it is that motivates him to volunteer, but that the community attitude in Luverne is relentlessly positive and focused on “doing the right thing.” This attitude coupled with community loyalty and pride certainly helped get Gregg involved 26 years ago, as it does today. Though he didn't grow up in Luverne, Gregg sees it as his hometown, and Dollars for Scholars has given him and other community residents the opportunity to invest in their hometown's future – an investment with monumental payoffs.
Scholarship America is proud to announce that we've established a partnership with Zinch.com, in support of America's youth. Zinch, whose motto is "You are more than a test score," is a network connecting young people with opportunities. Over 1 million students have created Zinch profiles to be matched with 700 colleges and millions in scholarships; these profiles allow students to showcase themselves, establish their first professional profile, complete with a personal URL for including in applications to schools, scholarships and internships. Colleges and graduate schools turn to Zinch to efficiently recruit students.
Our relationship with Zinch will link Scholarship America's services with Zinch's, to assure that a greater number of students have access to information and services that will help them navigate their way to postsecondary programs. The relationship between the two organizations assures that students have more resources at their fingertips when they are using the tools available on Zinch.com.
“Utilizing our shared resources will result in more robust information available to individual students in one place,” says Mim Schreck, President of Scholarship America. “More information means more opportunities for these students to be successful.”
“Paying for college and navigating financial aid options can be daunting. This collaboration aims to demystify financial aid programs and fundamentally improve access to money for college,” says Anne Dwane, President of Zinch.
Scholarship America is currently piloting the use of Zinch.com with one of its community-based Dollars for Scholars chapters. The goal is to match eligible students who have a profile on Zinch to specific scholarship opportunities available through this Dollars for Scholars chapter.
In addition, Scholarship America has already provided informational articles for Zinch.com’s e-newsletter to high school students, and will contribute articles each month on topics such as Scholarship Application Dos and Don’ts, Why Every Student Should Complete the FAFSA, and How to Select a College that will Treat Your Scholarship Fairly, among others.
We're excited to be partnering with the folks at Zinch.com, and encourage you to check out their site!
Our relationship with Zinch will link Scholarship America's services with Zinch's, to assure that a greater number of students have access to information and services that will help them navigate their way to postsecondary programs. The relationship between the two organizations assures that students have more resources at their fingertips when they are using the tools available on Zinch.com.
“Utilizing our shared resources will result in more robust information available to individual students in one place,” says Mim Schreck, President of Scholarship America. “More information means more opportunities for these students to be successful.”
“Paying for college and navigating financial aid options can be daunting. This collaboration aims to demystify financial aid programs and fundamentally improve access to money for college,” says Anne Dwane, President of Zinch.
Scholarship America is currently piloting the use of Zinch.com with one of its community-based Dollars for Scholars chapters. The goal is to match eligible students who have a profile on Zinch to specific scholarship opportunities available through this Dollars for Scholars chapter.
In addition, Scholarship America has already provided informational articles for Zinch.com’s e-newsletter to high school students, and will contribute articles each month on topics such as Scholarship Application Dos and Don’ts, Why Every Student Should Complete the FAFSA, and How to Select a College that will Treat Your Scholarship Fairly, among others.
We're excited to be partnering with the folks at Zinch.com, and encourage you to check out their site!
Congratulations to Scott Thole and Dan Pierson, who are both financial advisers with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and dedicated volunteers with Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars. The pair are finalists for the national Volunteer Team Award presented by the Invest In Others Charitable Foundation. The award competition annually recognizes advisers across the United States for exemplary leadership within their communities.
As award judge and Investment News editor Jim Pavia writes in his announcement of the nominees:
"Although the Bernie Madoffs and R. Allen Stanfords of the world have dominated media attention, the fact is that most financial advisers are good, honest people who put their clients' interests first and in many cases look to give back to their communities. ... These people are truly remarkable individuals. I am not just talking about the finalists; I am speaking of all 400 advisers nominated by their peers or companies."
Being selected to the small group of finalists is a terrific honor for Scott, Dan, and Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars, and could be a windfall for the chapter as well: winning charities will receive a $10,000 donation at the Invest In Others awards banquet September 30 in New York City.
As award judge and Investment News editor Jim Pavia writes in his announcement of the nominees:
"Although the Bernie Madoffs and R. Allen Stanfords of the world have dominated media attention, the fact is that most financial advisers are good, honest people who put their clients' interests first and in many cases look to give back to their communities. ... These people are truly remarkable individuals. I am not just talking about the finalists; I am speaking of all 400 advisers nominated by their peers or companies."
Being selected to the small group of finalists is a terrific honor for Scott, Dan, and Chicago HOPE Dollars for Scholars, and could be a windfall for the chapter as well: winning charities will receive a $10,000 donation at the Invest In Others awards banquet September 30 in New York City.
On Tuesday, September 8, President Obama will be delivering a national address to America's high school students on the importance of education, challenging them to work hard, set goals and take responsibility for getting the best education they can. We'd encourage you to watch the speech as well, if you can; it will be aired live on C-SPAN, and will also stream live and be archived for later viewing on the White House's streaming video site.
The link above also offers a link to discuss the speech on Facebook; in addition, the Department of Education is offering tools for both teachers and students in conjunction with the President's address and the start of school. Teachers in grades Pre-K - 6 and 7 - 12 can download classroom activities at the Department of Education Web site. And students are encouraged to respond to the President's speech with a video of their own: check out the I Am What I Learn competition homepage. Details will be posted next week, but we can tell you now that students 13 and older who make a video in response to President Obama's challenge will be entered in a nationwide contest to pick a favorite.
If you're reading this, we know you care about educating our nation's youth, and we'd encourage you to watch, discuss and respond on Tuesday.
The link above also offers a link to discuss the speech on Facebook; in addition, the Department of Education is offering tools for both teachers and students in conjunction with the President's address and the start of school. Teachers in grades Pre-K - 6 and 7 - 12 can download classroom activities at the Department of Education Web site. And students are encouraged to respond to the President's speech with a video of their own: check out the I Am What I Learn competition homepage. Details will be posted next week, but we can tell you now that students 13 and older who make a video in response to President Obama's challenge will be entered in a nationwide contest to pick a favorite.
If you're reading this, we know you care about educating our nation's youth, and we'd encourage you to watch, discuss and respond on Tuesday.
“Individual commitment to a group effort --that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” -Vince Lombardi
Lee Tischer and Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars chapter president Phyllis Likness received the Washington State Grange Volunteer Organization of the Year Award this July.
A fishing tournament and a car show: two seemingly unrelated events, right? Not in Wahkiakum, Washington.
Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars and its volunteers have creatively linked these two events together for the past five years, as the Derby for Dollars for Scholars. The event’s goal – raising scholarship money for Wahkiakum High School students – has been met with incredible success. The Derby brings in over $14,000 in scholarship funds each year to the chapter, and its popularity benefits local businesses that participate, as well.
So who are the brilliant masterminds behind this event? That would be Lee and Diane Tischer; passionate and dedicated residents and volunteers for Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars. Both Lee and Diane grew up in the community, went to school and graduated from high school in the community and were raised to give back to the community. Diane grew up on a local dairy farm; her parents, who owned a local grocery store, provided daily examples of helping others. As Diane says, “That’s just what you did; you helped out and got involved.” Lee grew up in a split home, but yet he was able to thrive and have success because he knew the community was behind him. He found that many of the community’s elders helped him in hard times; now, he and Diane are paying that kindness forward with the hope that current youth will do the same. As Diane says, “We want to do all we can to help the kids in the community.”
Lee and Diane began paying forward their belief in students when they began the “Fifth Quarter” tradition nearly 14 years ago. After a home football game, Lee and Diane open their home to all high school students for a cookout. The event not only ensures a safe place for youth to go after a game, but allows Lee and Diane to stay connected with students. And while opening their home was a step toward giving back to the community that gave so much to them, Lee and Diane wanted to do more. Wanting to help make sure students could pursue their education beyond high school, and influenced by a local school principal who had started a Dollars for Scholars chapter in another area of Washington, Lee, Diane and six others met in the Wahkiakum High school library and began their own chapter.
Nine years later, the chapter has become a staple scholarship organization in the community and its success has even brought with it a few awards, including its recognition as the Washington State Grange Volunteer Group of the Year. (See the June inTouch article for full details)
The success of Lee, Diane and the chapter has been due to the effort put forth by not only chapter members, but by everyone in the community. As Lee points out, “This community has really suffered in these tough economic times and unemployment is at an all time high, and yet businesses and people in the community are more generous than ever.” Lee also makes a conscious effort not to ask the same businesses over and over to donate to multiple fundraising events. Instead, he and other chapter members extend their reach to out-of-town and non-traditional local businesses like contractors. At the same time, businesses recognize the revenue they make thanks to chapter events like the Derby, which makes them more inclined to help out the chapter mission.
By the same token, individuals in the community have found easy ways to donate to the chapter. For example, Wahkiakum has a local birthday club. Instead of members giving presents to each other, they donate the money they would have spent to a scholarship fund. Frequently, for memorials and services, people send donations instead of flowers. This has become a popular way to honor someone and it also helps the chapter to give out more substantial scholarships to their students – as Diane points out, with college costs so high, any scholarship less than $500 hardly covers fees or books!
The scholarships raised by Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars have truly made the difference for many local students between going and not going to school. Currently, the chapter gives out as many as 18 scholarships per year ranging from $500 to $5,000. The chapter’s average scholarship is around $2,000; in 2008 one student even received a $10,000 scholarship. While the awards given out by the chapter are truly impressive, Lee and Diane and the rest of the chapter volunteers have an even bigger goal: they would like to build a million-dollar endowment, and they want to give EVERY SINGLE student in their community a substantial scholarship. They’re lofty goals, but Lee and Diane dream big and hope that their efforts, combined with the support of the community, will make them happen. Of course, they wouldn’t mind expediting the process – as Lee jokes, “We are still looking for that million dollar donor and of course I bought my lottery ticket.”
Regardless of how long it takes, Lee and Diane are dedicated to the mission of Dollars for Scholars because they know that the future of the community depends on educated youth. As Diane eloquently puts it: “Kids are the future of our community. If we don’t help and educate them, we can’t improve the community, and it will fail.”
Lee Tischer and Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars chapter president Phyllis Likness received the Washington State Grange Volunteer Organization of the Year Award this July.
A fishing tournament and a car show: two seemingly unrelated events, right? Not in Wahkiakum, Washington.
Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars and its volunteers have creatively linked these two events together for the past five years, as the Derby for Dollars for Scholars. The event’s goal – raising scholarship money for Wahkiakum High School students – has been met with incredible success. The Derby brings in over $14,000 in scholarship funds each year to the chapter, and its popularity benefits local businesses that participate, as well.
So who are the brilliant masterminds behind this event? That would be Lee and Diane Tischer; passionate and dedicated residents and volunteers for Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars. Both Lee and Diane grew up in the community, went to school and graduated from high school in the community and were raised to give back to the community. Diane grew up on a local dairy farm; her parents, who owned a local grocery store, provided daily examples of helping others. As Diane says, “That’s just what you did; you helped out and got involved.” Lee grew up in a split home, but yet he was able to thrive and have success because he knew the community was behind him. He found that many of the community’s elders helped him in hard times; now, he and Diane are paying that kindness forward with the hope that current youth will do the same. As Diane says, “We want to do all we can to help the kids in the community.”
Lee and Diane began paying forward their belief in students when they began the “Fifth Quarter” tradition nearly 14 years ago. After a home football game, Lee and Diane open their home to all high school students for a cookout. The event not only ensures a safe place for youth to go after a game, but allows Lee and Diane to stay connected with students. And while opening their home was a step toward giving back to the community that gave so much to them, Lee and Diane wanted to do more. Wanting to help make sure students could pursue their education beyond high school, and influenced by a local school principal who had started a Dollars for Scholars chapter in another area of Washington, Lee, Diane and six others met in the Wahkiakum High school library and began their own chapter.
Nine years later, the chapter has become a staple scholarship organization in the community and its success has even brought with it a few awards, including its recognition as the Washington State Grange Volunteer Group of the Year. (See the June inTouch article for full details)
The success of Lee, Diane and the chapter has been due to the effort put forth by not only chapter members, but by everyone in the community. As Lee points out, “This community has really suffered in these tough economic times and unemployment is at an all time high, and yet businesses and people in the community are more generous than ever.” Lee also makes a conscious effort not to ask the same businesses over and over to donate to multiple fundraising events. Instead, he and other chapter members extend their reach to out-of-town and non-traditional local businesses like contractors. At the same time, businesses recognize the revenue they make thanks to chapter events like the Derby, which makes them more inclined to help out the chapter mission.
By the same token, individuals in the community have found easy ways to donate to the chapter. For example, Wahkiakum has a local birthday club. Instead of members giving presents to each other, they donate the money they would have spent to a scholarship fund. Frequently, for memorials and services, people send donations instead of flowers. This has become a popular way to honor someone and it also helps the chapter to give out more substantial scholarships to their students – as Diane points out, with college costs so high, any scholarship less than $500 hardly covers fees or books!
The scholarships raised by Wahkiakum Dollars for Scholars have truly made the difference for many local students between going and not going to school. Currently, the chapter gives out as many as 18 scholarships per year ranging from $500 to $5,000. The chapter’s average scholarship is around $2,000; in 2008 one student even received a $10,000 scholarship. While the awards given out by the chapter are truly impressive, Lee and Diane and the rest of the chapter volunteers have an even bigger goal: they would like to build a million-dollar endowment, and they want to give EVERY SINGLE student in their community a substantial scholarship. They’re lofty goals, but Lee and Diane dream big and hope that their efforts, combined with the support of the community, will make them happen. Of course, they wouldn’t mind expediting the process – as Lee jokes, “We are still looking for that million dollar donor and of course I bought my lottery ticket.”
Regardless of how long it takes, Lee and Diane are dedicated to the mission of Dollars for Scholars because they know that the future of the community depends on educated youth. As Diane eloquently puts it: “Kids are the future of our community. If we don’t help and educate them, we can’t improve the community, and it will fail.”
The tireless researchers over at onlineeducation.net have put together a terrific guide to finding scholarships via Twitter -- from searching and hashtags to scholarship-specific Twitter accounts, their list of 50 Tips and Tools To Find Scholarships On Twitter covers a lot of excellent ground. Great to check out as the school year gets closer!
By Lauren Costella, National Volunteer Coordinator
“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” -Helen Dyer
The combination of work, family and volunteering often leaves us wishing we could be in two places at once. For Debbie Busching of South Dearborn (IN) Dollars for Scholars, there's even more to it: “I work in Ohio, I live in Kentucky and I volunteer in Indiana.”
Being able to divvy up her time in so many places comes somewhat naturally to Debbie: as a child she moved around quite a bit because her father was a member of the US Air Force. When Debbie found a more permanent home in Moore's Hill, Indiana, she began working and raising a family and volunteering for various organizations and sports that her children were involved with. She discovered her true volunteer passion when her oldest daughter received a scholarship from the local Dollars for Scholars chapter. With this help for her daughter, Debbie realized the value of showing community support to students and encouraging them to never give up on their goals. She has been volunteering for South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars since 2002, and, earlier this year, Debbie was honored as Indiana Dollars for Scholars' Volunteer of the Year.
In her time with the chapter, Debbie has held nearly every officer position, taking on any vacancy that needs filling and enjoying the variety of challenges. Most of all, she enjoys fundraising for her chapter; Debbie works as a marketing professional, so she appreciates the ability to transfer her skills and expertise to philanthropy. For example, Debbie helped create and implement an innovative fundraiser in which community businesses donate to Dollars for Scholars based on points in local high school sporting events -- a company or organization may donate $1 a point in a basketball game, or $25 per touchdown in football. Each game usually has two sponsors, and sometimes upwards of five or six. This creative program brings in an added $3,000 per year for scholarships, and helps maintain what Debbie calls an incredible relationship with local high schools.
Volunteering has always been a family affair for Debbie. Her brother and sister, her husband and now her children are all volunteers for various organizations, and her inspiration stems from her parents. Until his death in 1987, her father was an active volunteer, and her mother, a 70-year-old cancer survivor, spends at least 20 hours a week volunteering in a local nursing home, for the American Legion, and planting flowers for the local beautification committee. And that's not all: recently, Debbie’s mother set up a scholarship fund in her name. It stemmed from an idea her co-workers and American Legion colleagues had to celebrate her birthday: instead of presents, they started to donate to a scholarship fund. The idea caught on, and Debbie and her siblings even donate to the fund for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays. As a result, this year the fund offered $500 in scholarships to two students, with a goal of doubling the award next year.
Beyond creatively raising money, Debbie and South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars work tirelessly to ensure that get the most out of their scholarships. They encourage all students to take advantage of Scholarship America's Collegiate Partners and Matching Collegiate Partners, in part by allowing them to split their scholarship between two years and take advantage of the college's matching amounts each year. For example, students who could have used their $1200 scholarships for their freshman year and received a $500 matching-partner grant are encouraged to use $600 each year (and thus get not one but two matching grants.) This makes the scholarships more valuable for students and helps them to cover college costs for multiple years.
Debbie is nothing if not proud of the work her chapter's done to increase scholarship money for students. When she started with South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars seven years ago, the chapter raised about $12,000 in scholarships. In 2009, that amount has increased to $37,000. Certainly such successes can be attributed to increased generosity from local businesses over the years, but Debbie also points out how crucial alumni scholarship recipients have been to creating chapter success. These recipients give back by donating anywhere from $5-$150, and a student recipient from the class of 1995 recently started a fund that awarded a $1500 scholarship this year.
Cultivating and maintaining alumni relationships is a top priority for the Debbie and the South Dearborn chapter. Every two years, the local high school hosts a Thanksgiving-weekend basketball game, and the chapter hosts a recipient alumni night in conjunction with this popular tradition. At halftime of the game, the chapter's founder and current president speak, and each former recipient is called to the court to be publicly recognized. At the last event in 2008, 200 of the chapter's 375 past recipients showed up – a fantastic display of alumni support.
Certainly these chapter successes haven’t come without challenges, especially in recruiting new volunteers. South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars serves a very spread-out community, which at times makes it difficult to get people interested and involved. But Debbie is focused on finding people who are passionate about education. As she says, “Getting people for fundraisers is easy, but it’s getting people to help with the long term positions that seem to be problematic. Everyone has something they are interested in and we are looking to find the ‘right’ people interested in education.”
Recruiting can be a struggle, but Debbie points out that the selling points for Dollars for Scholars are pretty straightforward: education for students helps to solve community problems. For a small community to survive, citizens must be educated. Educated communities are more productive and have less crime. The chapter also encourages student involvement in the community by offering scholarships for their volunteering efforts.
Dollars for Scholars is truly a mission driven, and it’s a catalyst for creating and maintaining a better communities. It’s an organization a community can rally behind and be proud to support, just as South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars has proven. Last but not least, it’s an organization that knows no borders: just ask Debbie Busching and the state lines she and her efforts regularly cross.
“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” -Helen Dyer
The combination of work, family and volunteering often leaves us wishing we could be in two places at once. For Debbie Busching of South Dearborn (IN) Dollars for Scholars, there's even more to it: “I work in Ohio, I live in Kentucky and I volunteer in Indiana.”
Being able to divvy up her time in so many places comes somewhat naturally to Debbie: as a child she moved around quite a bit because her father was a member of the US Air Force. When Debbie found a more permanent home in Moore's Hill, Indiana, she began working and raising a family and volunteering for various organizations and sports that her children were involved with. She discovered her true volunteer passion when her oldest daughter received a scholarship from the local Dollars for Scholars chapter. With this help for her daughter, Debbie realized the value of showing community support to students and encouraging them to never give up on their goals. She has been volunteering for South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars since 2002, and, earlier this year, Debbie was honored as Indiana Dollars for Scholars' Volunteer of the Year.
In her time with the chapter, Debbie has held nearly every officer position, taking on any vacancy that needs filling and enjoying the variety of challenges. Most of all, she enjoys fundraising for her chapter; Debbie works as a marketing professional, so she appreciates the ability to transfer her skills and expertise to philanthropy. For example, Debbie helped create and implement an innovative fundraiser in which community businesses donate to Dollars for Scholars based on points in local high school sporting events -- a company or organization may donate $1 a point in a basketball game, or $25 per touchdown in football. Each game usually has two sponsors, and sometimes upwards of five or six. This creative program brings in an added $3,000 per year for scholarships, and helps maintain what Debbie calls an incredible relationship with local high schools.Volunteering has always been a family affair for Debbie. Her brother and sister, her husband and now her children are all volunteers for various organizations, and her inspiration stems from her parents. Until his death in 1987, her father was an active volunteer, and her mother, a 70-year-old cancer survivor, spends at least 20 hours a week volunteering in a local nursing home, for the American Legion, and planting flowers for the local beautification committee. And that's not all: recently, Debbie’s mother set up a scholarship fund in her name. It stemmed from an idea her co-workers and American Legion colleagues had to celebrate her birthday: instead of presents, they started to donate to a scholarship fund. The idea caught on, and Debbie and her siblings even donate to the fund for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays. As a result, this year the fund offered $500 in scholarships to two students, with a goal of doubling the award next year.
Beyond creatively raising money, Debbie and South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars work tirelessly to ensure that get the most out of their scholarships. They encourage all students to take advantage of Scholarship America's Collegiate Partners and Matching Collegiate Partners, in part by allowing them to split their scholarship between two years and take advantage of the college's matching amounts each year. For example, students who could have used their $1200 scholarships for their freshman year and received a $500 matching-partner grant are encouraged to use $600 each year (and thus get not one but two matching grants.) This makes the scholarships more valuable for students and helps them to cover college costs for multiple years.
Debbie is nothing if not proud of the work her chapter's done to increase scholarship money for students. When she started with South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars seven years ago, the chapter raised about $12,000 in scholarships. In 2009, that amount has increased to $37,000. Certainly such successes can be attributed to increased generosity from local businesses over the years, but Debbie also points out how crucial alumni scholarship recipients have been to creating chapter success. These recipients give back by donating anywhere from $5-$150, and a student recipient from the class of 1995 recently started a fund that awarded a $1500 scholarship this year.
Cultivating and maintaining alumni relationships is a top priority for the Debbie and the South Dearborn chapter. Every two years, the local high school hosts a Thanksgiving-weekend basketball game, and the chapter hosts a recipient alumni night in conjunction with this popular tradition. At halftime of the game, the chapter's founder and current president speak, and each former recipient is called to the court to be publicly recognized. At the last event in 2008, 200 of the chapter's 375 past recipients showed up – a fantastic display of alumni support.
Certainly these chapter successes haven’t come without challenges, especially in recruiting new volunteers. South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars serves a very spread-out community, which at times makes it difficult to get people interested and involved. But Debbie is focused on finding people who are passionate about education. As she says, “Getting people for fundraisers is easy, but it’s getting people to help with the long term positions that seem to be problematic. Everyone has something they are interested in and we are looking to find the ‘right’ people interested in education.”
Recruiting can be a struggle, but Debbie points out that the selling points for Dollars for Scholars are pretty straightforward: education for students helps to solve community problems. For a small community to survive, citizens must be educated. Educated communities are more productive and have less crime. The chapter also encourages student involvement in the community by offering scholarships for their volunteering efforts.
Dollars for Scholars is truly a mission driven, and it’s a catalyst for creating and maintaining a better communities. It’s an organization a community can rally behind and be proud to support, just as South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars has proven. Last but not least, it’s an organization that knows no borders: just ask Debbie Busching and the state lines she and her efforts regularly cross.
21/07: Some Good News For Students
Times may continue to be tough for the American economy, but we've found a couple of pieces of very good news for students worth sharing. Just click on the headlines to read the full stories.
• Streamlined Financial Aid Process Makes Money Easier To Get: "Bewildered and frustrated by all the paperwork required to get a student loan? You aren’t alone, and the federal government has taken notice.
"Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, the United States Department of Education will be introducing a process to help simplify the student loan application procedure. The Obama administration plans to request that Congress enact legislation to delete more than half of the questions presently listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, the streamlined form will not require students to answer questions that do not apply to them. Currently, the FAFSA requires applications to answer more than 153 questions, and many people require at least several hours to complete the form."
• Rise in Private College Tuition at 31-Year Low: "The price of a private college education will rise less than it has in decades.
"Tuition and fees at Minnesota's private colleges and universities are up an average of 4.8 percent this year -- the smallest increase since 1978. Same goes nationwide, where tuition and fees are 4.3 percent more than last year. That's the lowest bump since 1972, according to a survey of 350 schools by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
"A survey released today by the same group shows that more than three-quarters of the schools have also increased the financial aid they're offering students."
Paying for college is still first and foremost in the minds of a lot of students and parents, but these are a couple of promising developments. For more advice and information, don't forget to check out Scholarship America's Online Financial Aid Resources!
• Streamlined Financial Aid Process Makes Money Easier To Get: "Bewildered and frustrated by all the paperwork required to get a student loan? You aren’t alone, and the federal government has taken notice.
"Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, the United States Department of Education will be introducing a process to help simplify the student loan application procedure. The Obama administration plans to request that Congress enact legislation to delete more than half of the questions presently listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, the streamlined form will not require students to answer questions that do not apply to them. Currently, the FAFSA requires applications to answer more than 153 questions, and many people require at least several hours to complete the form."
• Rise in Private College Tuition at 31-Year Low: "The price of a private college education will rise less than it has in decades.
"Tuition and fees at Minnesota's private colleges and universities are up an average of 4.8 percent this year -- the smallest increase since 1978. Same goes nationwide, where tuition and fees are 4.3 percent more than last year. That's the lowest bump since 1972, according to a survey of 350 schools by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
"A survey released today by the same group shows that more than three-quarters of the schools have also increased the financial aid they're offering students."
Paying for college is still first and foremost in the minds of a lot of students and parents, but these are a couple of promising developments. For more advice and information, don't forget to check out Scholarship America's Online Financial Aid Resources!
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