Min menu

Pages

American Scholarships : How To Finance Higher Education In The United States?

American Scholarships : How To Finance Higher Education In The United States?

American Scholarships


$ 150 billion in grants, student funds and low-interest loans is awarded annually by the Government of the United States to more than 15 million students. The school system in the United States is a true multi-billion dollar economy and allows hundreds of thousands of students to invest in colleges and universities across the country. But what exactly is a scholarship? And a grant, or "grant"? How do we get them? You will be the big winner every time by reading the rest of the article.

Scholarships, what is it?

Scholarships, grants, loans?

There are 4 main ways to finance your studies in the United States:

The easiest way is obviously to tap into your savings (or those of your parents); Many families set aside very soon after the birth of their child to ensure the cost of his future education.
Some students choose to take out a low interest loan to help them finance their studies. The so-called loan says repayment, once the studies are completed generally, or even a year later to allow time for the student to find a job and secure income.

Here are some links to help you:


Scholarships are therefore financial aid, the granting of which is conditioned by the performance and academic level of the "merit-based" student, belonging to a certain group Person (elderly person, with a disability), or sometimes in view of the financial needs of the person in question.

Grants are also financial aid, but this time mainly tied to the financial needs of the families concerned; The aid is then "need-based".

Where does the money come from?

"Grants" and "scholarships" may then be awarded by different sources; The federal government, the state government, your future school (college or university), a non-profit organization, a large corporation, an association, a private foundation, and so on. .

In concrete terms, how do you get a grant or a grant?

The subsidies

The U.S. Department of Education offers various "grants" to students, and 4 major: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.

All these grants are therefore reserved for people in need, who must then fill in the FAFSA form, the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid", on this site: Studentaid.ed.gov. Filling this application is totally free, so beware of sites that claim otherwise.

Once this application is complete, you will know a little more about the amount you will be allocated and when you will receive it.

Scholarships

What are the different scholarships?

There are thousands of scholarships, distributed by different organizations. You can usually claim it according to your academic level, your merit, your sports prowess or your facilities for a particular activity.

Other scholarships are awarded to individuals because they belong to a particular group; We then think of elderly people who wish to resume their studies, women, minorities, or people whose parents work for a certain society, or are / were in the army.
Conditions for obtaining a scholarship

The good grades

It often takes a good overall average of 3.3 (GPA) or better, and ideally be a very good student who cumulates AP (Advanced Placement) classes with good grades. You can also pretend if you are a football player out of pairs member of the sports team of your school (or "club varsity"), an excellent young chess or passionate about astronomy ...

The community service

On the other hand, service to others is fundamental in the United States: almost all public schools in the United States require a minimum quota of community service (usually 100 hours) in order to obtain a diploma in Terminale. Some scholarships (such as Bill Gates') place great emphasis on this criterion, and look first at your commitment.
Where to look for his purse?

Watch out for scams. Before you start, be sure not to pay for anything and everything. For example, companies can boast about helping you find the financial assistance you need, and asking you for $ 1,000; It is not illegal in itself, but it becomes so if it does not find ... and keeps your money.

Financial Aid Office or Education Advisor. To find a scholarship yourself, you can check with the Financial Aid Office of your school first and ask your education consultant.

The different sites to help you:

Career One Stop

You can search this site among more than 7,000 scholarships and grants, and sort by states, level ...

College Board

You can also refine your search and select the scholarship (s) you will most likely get. Since 1900, for example, CollegeBoard.com allows you to choose from 2,300 different scholarships (which represent 3 billion dollars) and take advantage of it to surf the site and discover all their other offers (preparation for competitions such as the SAT, The Advanced Placement Program ...)

Application deadline

Between the 1st and the terminal
Attention, searching, finding and applying for a scholarship is not done at the last moment. Often, your application must be made one year before you enter the "college"; The young high school students between their 1st (11th Grade) and their Terminale (12th Grade) know what to do with their summer ...


Then count also a few weeks or even months to floor on your essay, major condition of your application to a scholarship. Among the hundreds of other files that are also competing for a scholarship, yours has a chance to stand out if it contains a personal essay, passionate and who knows well what it speaks ... To your feathers, and do not forget Not to have it read again.

Grouping Cover Letters

Also take your time to establish a list of people to whom you can request a letter of recommendation, which are also closely watched in applications.

How do you get the money?

Some scholarships are sent directly to your future school, which will then deduct the amount received (or all) of your tuition fees; Sometimes you receive the money directly by check.

Getting a scholarship, yes, but under what conditions?

The main one: if you ever stop your studies along the way, you will generally have to repay part or all of the amount you were allotted.

Similarly, if you have other grants available to you, the total amount you receive can not be more than the total cost of your school.

Other conditions may be attached to a particular scholarship or grant, so inquire when you request it.

Some scholarships or grants

Federal Pell Grant

What's this ? It is one of the most popular and popular grants in the United States and is awarded to students to finance their studies at the college.

How much is it ? It is awarded for $ 5,500.

How do we do ? You have to start by applying on-line on the FAFSA, from 1 March of each year, and have a GPA of more than 3.3.

For more information please visit: Studentaid.ed.gov

The Gates Millennium Scholars

What's this ? Created by Bill Gates and his wife in 1999.

How much is it ? It can very well cover all the expenses of your studies ...

How do we do ? Reserved for students with a cumulative GPA of 3.3, this scholarship is a special reward for students who invest in their school's "community service" or other extracurricular activities. Entries are open between August and January.

For more information visit: Gmsp.org

Coca Cola Scholars Foundation

What's this ? Since 1989, the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation (yes, like the soda giant) has helped more than 5,500 students finance their studies.

How much is it ? $ 10,000 or $ 20,000.

How do we do ? You generally need to be a very good student, demonstrate positive leadership and selflessness.

National Merit Scholarship Program

What's this ? 1.5 million students from 22,000 different schools participate annually in NMSP competitions for a scholarship since 1955.

How much is it ? $ 2,500 for contest finalists.

How do we do ? Competitions are held every year between students, and those who stand out can leave with a check