The love of music is universal and if you are interested in letting your love and dedication to music pave your path to college, the ASCAP Foundation has 23(!) scholarships available.

The Louis Armstrong Scholarship Honoring W.C. Handy which is awarded to High School Juniors at Mt. Vernon High School.

The ASCAP Foundation Leiber and Stoller Music Scholarships for incoming freshman at Berklee College of Music in Boston (requiring an audition) and the Young Musicians Foundation in LA.

The ASCAP Foundation Charlotte V. Bergen Scholarship to be used for music study at an accredited college or music conservatory.

These are just a couple of the great scholarships offered by the foundation. Many of them have scholarships tied to specific locations, but there are some that have no location requirements. Bravo!

It’s really important when applying for a scholarship that you show them what you’re made of. Let them know you’re a go-getter and you think outside the box. Talk about the effort, 100% of course, that you’ll give to your studies. It’s important to let them know that college costs an arm and a leg but you’re looking to the brighter side of things and pinning your hopes to this scholarship, and on a wing and a prayer you can make it to college.

Clichés may sound great to you in your own head; they may even sound great when you read your essay or personal statement out loud, but they are absolutely BORING when you are a scholarship committee reading 4,000 entries with each student defining themselves as “go-getters.” Save the committee the pain and separate yourself from the pack–sorry–and come up with a better way to express what you’re feeling…

…Unless you’re doing a creative essay for an English scholarship and purposely write the entire essay with nothing but clichés–now that’s thinking outside the box!

You need money for school, don’t know where or how to look for it, and then you see a local ad that appears to be the answer to your prayers.

"Free Scholarship Seminar! Find free money for college! Meet one-on-one with financial aid experts!"

While there are some scholarship seminars that provide really useful information, most are pitches for scholarship finder services, consulting services, and student loans that are on the pricey side.

If you do attend one of these seminars, leave your credit card at home and forget your personal info, like your social security number. If you feel pressured to give out personal information, head toward the nearest exit! The last thing you need is a lil’ bit of identity theft.

Even if the seminar is being held in a college or university building, it doesn’t mean it’s a school-sponsored event. Call the school to be sure first. Most schools rent out their rooms on a regular basis to entities outside the school’s authority.

Tags: scholarship scams

As we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday, let’s continue to focus on affecting the community and the world around us. Here are some great community service scholarships.

The Bonner Scholars Program

The Bonner Scholars Program was created because college students bring unique gifts and talents to the community. The program also believes colleges and universities should be active participants in the community.

The program is located at 27 schools. To apply, you must first look over the list of colleges and universities that participate in the program.

The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund

This scholarship is awarded to students based on need and who are activists. Students must live in the U.S. and plan to enroll in an accredited school. Both undergrad and grad students may apply.

Other requirements include a personal statement, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and financial info. Applications are due April 1st. The scholarship instructions seem pretty stringent, so pay close attention to the instructions!

Tags: community service

You’ve got a 4.0 average, you’re active in your community, and you just know any scholarship you apply for is yours.

Or you may be on the opposite end of the spectrum: you aren’t the best student, you have a couple of passions, but you’re not like those kids that belong to every club in school. You think applying for a scholarship is just a waste of time, no one’s going to give you one.

Both of these sets of thoughts need an attitude adjustment. Most students are not guaranteed a scholarship despite their stellar high-school career and most students don’t realize there are scholarships out there for all kinds of students.

One thing is clear: both of the above thoughts could lead to horrible scholarship applications.

A too-cocky student is less likely to put enough effort into the application process, standing on his or her past accomplishments and accolades. A student who feels as if he or she is not going to get it anyway is also less likely to put any effort into getting the cash.

How NOT To Submit a Scholarship Application:

• Send in wrinkled, dirty, Cheeto stained paperwork. Scholarship committees love to know what you’ve eaten for lunch.
• Grab a envelope from your Nana’s "Thank You" card stash and stuff the whole application in it. Sure you have to fold it, like, 15 times, but you get it in there! Only idiots would use a nice catalog envelope so all their materials arrive flat and easy to read.
• Don’t bother with the directions really, just fill it out and send. People who are parting with thousands of dollars really aren’t interested in your reading comprehension skills. They all know being a college student doesn’t require you to read.
• OMG, I 100% nd sme $! No one writes full sentences any more, the money people should totally speak IM.
• Tell them why they better give you the scholarship. There are tons of people who think you’re great, especially you. You just let them know, in no uncertain terms, that you rock and it would be their loss if they didn’t give you the money.
• Don’t bother proofreading the application or essay, that’s what spell check’s for! Be sides, If their is anybody wrong, they new what ewe meant.
• All those extra forms and information, don’t even bother with it, they really don’t need all that. They should totally take your word on your G.P.A and the fact that your Spanish teacher thinks you’re great. No need for a recommendation letter!
• Be sure to follow up, often, on the scholarship process. Just call them, email them, and fax them everyday…a couple of times a day. It’ll show them you’re really dedicated.

The scholarship field is a competitive one. College tuition costs continue to climb and more students are trying to avoid graduating with tons of student loans.

Superstar, not making an effort on your application shows the committee you’re not going to make the effort in college, which leaves open the door for the decent student who is dedicated to the Art Club and took the time to carefully complete and submit their application.

Tags: scholarship submission, don’ts

Imagine being 23 years old and thought of as a war veteran. Imagine coming back to the relatively carefree college life after being truly in the real world, fighting a real war. I suspect veterans have a unique perspective on education and possibilities, maybe that’s why veterans are classified as non-traditional students too.

Well the Aggies at Texas A&M have a couple of sweet scholarships for veterans:

The Honored Service Scholarship is available to Texas Military Veterans who qualify under Chapter 31 as disabled veterans. Twenty-five Aggies will each receive $3,000 for one year.

Eligibility:

• Chapter 31 Disabled Veterans
• Non-competitive Scholarship
• $3000 scholarship for 1 year
• Veteran needs to be registered at Texas A&M University
• No specific GPA needed
• Deadline for Continuing Students is February 1, 2008.
• Deadline for Transfer Students is April 7, 2008.

The Faye Leeth Memorial Endowed Scholarship award is available for those veterans who:

• Currently enrolled students must apply through the Continuing Student Scholarship Application.
• Student must have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file.
• Student must have a 2.5 GPA.
• $1000 scholarship for 1 year.
• Deadline for Continuing Students is February 1, 2008.
• Deadline for Transfer Students is April 7, 2008.

In celebration and recognition of today’s national holiday, here are some scholarships that keep to Dr. King’s legacy of social justice.

Boston University

This scholarship provides a four year full ride! The rigors of this free ride are stringent, but not having student loans make it totally worth it. Each recipient has to complete 100 community services hours each year minimum. And according to their Web site the average recipients high school GPA is 3.80, they rank in the top 5% of their class with an average SAT score of 1370 reading and math; 700 writing.

Bad news is the deadline for this scholarship was December 1st, but put this in the hanger for next year.

Providence College

What started out as a small scholarship with 11 African American student recipients has grown to 127 students of a variety of cultural backgrounds. This scholarship offers a combination of full and patricidal scholarships. The due date is March 1.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Physician and Dentist Scholarship

For State of New Jersey residents and those who plan to enroll full-time toward a medical degree - M.D., D.O., or D.M.D. - at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The scholarship is based on financial need.

Wrapping up our week-long focus on non-traditional students, we’ve got a great scholarship from The Ohio State University.

If you’re interested in becoming a Buckeye and are re-entering the college scene after a few years, the Critical Difference for Women Scholarship could be for you.

According to its Web site, the re-entry scholarships help women who have interrupted their college education at any level for at least two years.

Eligible candidates:

• women who have interrupted their education for a minimum of two years
• women who have a financial need
• women who are enrolled or intend to enroll in a degree program whether it be undergrad, grad, or professional at OSU’s main or regional campuses (note: those who are enrolled half-time or more are given preference)

I know there are some fellas out there who are wondering when they are going to get a break. Stay tuned and I will have the hook-up for the non-traditional male students!

Our week-long focus on non-traditional students continues with a little scholarship link love for ya!

The JRF Foundation Scholarship
Requirements:
-A woman 35 or older
-U.S. citizen
-Enrolled or accepted into an accredited school
-Pursuing a technical or vocational education, an associate’s degree, or a first bachelor’s degree
-Low-income according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Lower Living Standard

According to their Web site, in 2005, the Jeanette Rankin Foundation awarded 65 grants of $2,000 each. The site features stories from scholarship recipients, the history behind the foundation, and important statistics.

What’s really cool is that the scholarship recipients’ stories are inspiring, you-can-do-it types. It really gives you perspective on the obstacles people face when trying to obtain a college education.

Most scholarship searches involve students and their parents. But there are students who aren’t sitting at home with mom and dad scouring scholarships aimed at high school seniors. Non-traditional students don’t fit traditional criteria: ages 18-23 and attending college for the first time. Non-trads are students who have often been out of school and working for some time; they could be married or parents or even attending college after serving in the military.

The number of non-traditional students attending college is on the rise and schools are accommodating them by offering flexible class schedules, including online classes. In the past, there were limited funds available for non-trads. The tide is changing as more businesses, schools, and foundations realize the needs of non-trads. Many of these students have to fund their education while maintaining full-time jobs and childcare, and these students are also more likely to want to participate in workshops and other networking opportunities. All of these situations can create hardships for non-trads and their families.

Non-trads may have to look a little harder and refine their search criteria, but the information is out there.