According to their website, StraightForward Media, LLC, is “an ad agency with a twist. We create and manage highly successful ad campaigns for clients whose ads appear on Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, EarthLink, Ask Jeeves and others.”

But virtual ad campaigns aren’t the only twist this agency has to offer—they now have scholarships of a wide variety for aspiring students. Even for those students who are already lugging around an uncomfortable load of debt…

Wondering what the details are and how you can apply?

For starters, you have to be “hampered by debt,” in school, and looking for a scholarship. Straightforwardmedia.com offers this $500 award four times per year to lend students an extra hand by helping them earn money that can be used toward student loans, tuition, books and fees, and room and board.

Applications are available online only. To be eligible for the upcoming scholarship, students must apply by July 15. Visit the the Get Out of Debt Scholarship page on the website for more details and to learn a bit about past winners.

Taking out student loans and figuring out how to pay for school and living expenses all at once can be overwhelming. By pursuing scholarships like the Get Out of Debt Scholarship reviewed here, you have the opportunity to reduce your financial burden and your stress level. Applying only takes a few minutes, which should make it well worth the chance at earning extra cash for school.

Textbookx.com is now offering a scholarship to help support students in need of financial aid for school.

So what is textbookx.com? According to the website, “Akademos, Inc. operates a discount online bookstore, found on the Internet at www.TextbookX.com, offering over 930,000 new and used textbooks, general books, and reference titles.” This site is a valuable resource for students entering college or currently enrolled who are looking to purchase books at a reduced price.

To be eligible for this scholarship, students:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident (international students with valid visas are also eligible to apply)

• Must be enrolled in good standing at an accredited college or university in the United States sometime between November 1 and April 31 of the academic year.

The award for this scholarship is $2,000. Students must submit an essay between 250 and 750 words in length. For details, visit www.textbookx.com.

Today, web-based scholarship searches have become incredibly popular. Not only are they easy because all the information that you need to earn financial aid is right there on the screen in front of you, but they are also diverse, offering a wide array of scholarships that students from almost any walk of life can apply for.

Still—even with the help of the Internet and other scholarship databases—it can be difficult and time consuming to find a scholarship that you are eligible for and have a reasonable chance at earning. One important rule of thumb to keep in mind is that the smaller and more specific the scholarship, the higher your chances of being awarded the prize are. This means that sometimes the Internet isn’t the best and only place to pursue your scholarship search: it’s a great resource to be certain—but one that should be used in combination with the many others that are available.

Here are some great places to pick up where the Internet leaves off:

• Local newspapers. Local is the keyword here. Such newspapers may list opportunities that are offered specifically for students in your area—not for students across the entire nation. With a smaller group of candidates, you are much more likely to stand out.

• On your college campus. For students already in school, fraternities, sororities, and other clubs offer great incentives to members. Sometimes its worth joining just for the opportunity to apply for one of their scholarships. Like scholarships found in your newspaper, scholarships found on your own campus are much easier to earn.

• The guidance office. Colleges and high schools have them. Guidance counselors will often post local awards that they come across or allow community groups to post information about awards that they are sponsoring. It’s also a good idea to sit down and talk to your guidance counselor about potential scholarship opportunities as he or she may be able to help connect you with organizations that can be of assistance.

The 9th annual Calgon Take Me Away, Scholarship competition is here. A total of nine fortunate students will be selected this year to receive financial assistance through the help of this award.

So how can you become one of them?

Application for the Calgon TMA Scholarship is fairly straightforward. Visit the website at the line above to begin the application process. Students must then answer the following essay questions:

Takemeaway.com loves for you to try new things. That’s why we offer free samples of our products. Tell us about how stepping outside your comfort zone to try something new has taken you on an unexpected path and changed your life.

CALGON’s newest collection Mmmmm! takes you back to your childhood with fun fragrances like Vanilla Swirl and Pear Caramel. Tell us about a childhood event that you feel has most shaped who you are and what you believe in.

The deadline for this scholarship is typically in February; however, this is an annual scholarship so if you’ve missed the deadline, keep it in mind next year. First-place winners take home $5,000, second-place winners receive $3,500, and third-place winners receive $1,500.

Have an interest in politics? An opinion about the President? A dream to one day find yourself in the oval office? Fund Your Mind.com is now offering a $1,000 Presidential Scholarship that just might be what you’re looking for.

FundYourMind.com is a website designed to help students access resources and important information that may be helpful when they are applying to schools. The website also sponsors several scholarships—all of which have different eligibility requirements—so that students have yet another opportunity to earn much needed financial aid for school.

Minimum eligibility requirements include:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident

• Must be a U.S. student

• Must be 16 years of age or older at the time of
application

Students who meet these requirements are invited to apply online at the FundYourMind.com website. The application includes a brief short answer question:

• If you had the opportunity to tell the President of the U.S. what would it be and why?

This scholarship is offered annually and in nonrenewable. The deadline for this year’s application is June 30.

What’s a scholarship if it isn’t free? That’s what most students begin to wonder when they’re asked to pay a small fee for a chance to win a scholarship. The bottom line: if there’s a price tag associated with the scholarship that you are interested in, it may not be the scholarship you’re looking for at all.

Free Scholarships Guide.com is a service—a free service—that allows students to search for scholarships and scholarship databases that they may find useful. But now, the site has just gotten even a little better with the launch of the $5,000 scholarship sweepstakes.

If you’re interested in participating, registration is simple and, of course, free. And the bonus? Students who are interested in increasing their chances of winning can register the e-mail addresses of friends and family who may also be interested in learning about the Free Scholarships Guide Scholarship Sweepstakes.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be 13 or older

• Be a resident of the United States

• Create a profile on the website

• Review the offers of website affiliates

This award can be used toward tuition, fees, living expenses, and other college-related costs.

What student couldn’t use $5,000 for college tuition? Well, if you happen to be one of the students in need of this little piece of assistance, The KeyBank Take 5 Scholarship is just what you need.

According to the website, KeyBank “has been providing families with a variety of education financing products and services. We are a part of KeyBank NA, a subsidiary of KeyCorp, one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $92 billion.”

Now, with the release of the KeyBank Take 5 Scholarship, KeyBank isn’t just providing loans, but free funding for qualified participants!

One winner will receive the $5,000 prize each month. And more good news? This scholarship requires no essay. Simply visit the KeyBank website and register for your chance to win. The scholarship award can be used toward tuition, books, fees, and other related expenses. Take the opportunity and apply today. After all, how often does five minutes of your time potentially earn you $5,000?

Eligibility requirements include:

• Students must be a high school junior or senior

• Enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited 2 or 4
year university

• Must be a legal resident of the United States

Zonta International is an organization that focuses its efforts on helping young women achieve their goals and pursue their dreams with vigor and persistence.

Since the beginning, Zonta has awarded 1,192 scholarships to Amelia Earhart fellows, totaling more than $7 million dollars in financial assistance. The program is rigorous, demanding and much is expected of potential fellows, but the reward to those who receive this great distinguishment is priceless.

Fellows join the ranks of past fellows, a group of outstanding woman whose interests vary greatly but whose level of success all reaches beyond the dreams of most individuals.

This fellowship program is offered annually to interested students and applications can be downloaded online.

According to the website, “The financial support provided by the Fellowships means these talented women can invest in state-of-the-art computers to conduct their research, purchase expensive books and resource materials, participate in specialized studies around the globe, and ultimately achieve their educational goals. AE Fellows have gone on to become astronauts, aerospace engineers, astronomers, professors, geologists, business owners, heads of companies, even the Secretary of the US Air Force.”

To be eligible for this outstanding program, students must be pursuing a PhD in a related field. This program was established in 1938 shortly after the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and continues to run today on generous contributions to Zonta International’s Amelia Earhart Fellowships Fund. Visit Zonta’s website for more information.

Need a $1,000 bucks to help you pay your college tuition? Think you’ve already exhausted your financial aid options? The Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation (CKFS) has an opportunity for you.

CKFS is currently hosting the SCTE Badger State Chapter–Telecommunications Scholarship. This scholarship is intended for students with an interest in telecommunications, who have specifically entered the telecommunications program at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.

And the even better news? There is no essay required. CKFS.org simply asks that you register on its website and complete an online quiz to qualify for this award.

The quiz ranges from 15 to 25 questions that are related to the field of telecommunications. The student with the highest score on the quiz is the scholarship winner and will receive the $1,000 award.

This quiz will be available in October. Scholarship winners can use their awards towards tuition, books and fees, related college expenses, and room and board.

Before taking the quiz, don’t forget to increase your own common knowledge regarding communications. Any additional information that you have or know may be of use to you, and could ultimately be the difference between you receiving the scholarship or missing out on it.

Are you an undergraduate student majoring in humanitarian studies? Have a particular passion for ethics? The annual Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest may be for you.

Each year the topic or questions change, but the goal of the contest remains the same: “to challenge college students to analyze the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today’s complex world.”

Past questions have included:

What does your own experience tell you about the relationship between politics and ethics and, in particular, what could be done to make politics more ethical?

Reflect on the most profound moral dilemma you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself.

Examine the ethical aspects or implications of a major literary work, a film or a significant piece of art.

What is the relation between religion and ethics in today’s world?

Though the foundation always suggests topics, students are encouraged to think of and submit their own topics of interest. To participate, students must be full-time undergrads at an accredited university in the U.S. Visit the foundation’s website for more details.