Dr. Clifford Stanley, president of Scholarship America, took the opportunity last week to be a part of a terrific event in our own offices' backyard -- the first annual Celebration Of Education event in St. Paul, MN, held by a group of private scholarship providers to celebrate more than 100 students who received scholarships to further their education. As the St. Paul Pioneer Press put it:
"And may a warm sun and a few bright lights grace today's to-do in Rice Park, where five private organizations have called a party to encourage the 100-plus graduating seniors whom they've awarded college scholarships. There'll be food, music, short speeches by dignitaries such as Mayor Chris Coleman, school Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and Scholarship America CEO Clifford Stanley — and some remarkable young people who are the guests of honor. ...
"'We feel we're just doing what we should be doing,' says John Tillotson, a vice president with the financial firm Smith Barney. Tillotson has been involved for a dozen years with the scholarship program of the Optimist Club of St. Paul [which awards scholarships through Scholarship America's Dollars for Scholars program]. From his office overlooking Rice Park, Tillotson has been working for months on today's event, thinking, 'Let's celebrate what these kids have done. Let's celebrate what our local schools have produced, and let's celebrate the community gathering its resources to send these kids on to higher education.'"
You can read the full Pioneer Press article here; our congratulations to the students, and our thanks to everyone who helped them take another step toward their educational dreams.
Whether you're a homeowner or not, the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis is hitting you one way or another—including in the world of higher education financing and student loans. Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held a hearing about the impact of the credit crunch on the quality and availability of student loans, and both witness statements and a video of the hearing are available at the committee's Web site.
Scholarship America's Curt Trygstad recently told Miami's NBC 6 about some useful tips for students looking for financial aid. As noted forest philosopher Winnie-the-Pooh once said, "You can't always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you ... you have to go to them sometimes," and these are just a few suggestions as to just how to get out of the corner and start looking. Read the full story here.
In addition, InsideHigherEd.com recently ran its own piece about ways to find financial aid, and how students can learn to maximize it. That story is right here, and we'd like to hear more from you. Students, parents, counselors, lend us your secrets: how do you find, apply for, and manage financial aid? Let us know in the comments.
In addition, InsideHigherEd.com recently ran its own piece about ways to find financial aid, and how students can learn to maximize it. That story is right here, and we'd like to hear more from you. Students, parents, counselors, lend us your secrets: how do you find, apply for, and manage financial aid? Let us know in the comments.
