It's official: The deadline for the Bank of America Student Voices Essay Contest was June 22nd and our judges are in deep, editing the more than 4,000 essays we received. There are some great entries, but we also noticed some frequent mistakes students make that can instantly disqualify you from an essay contest. Here, an example of what NOT to do ...

Writing a scholarship essay is no easy feat. You could stare at the essay question for three hours hoping inspiration will strike, but outlining your essay is the better path. Ask yourself: How can I organize the information so the reader can understand? How can I make the subject compelling? Likewise, you should be asking the same questions of your readers. ...

Aside from any special essays, there are a few subjects that should always be in your scholarship essay. • Your financial situation. You’re asking for money, so be honest of your situation. On the other hand, don’t turn it into a sob story unless it really, truly is a sob story. • Background and accomplishments. The scholarship committee wants to know ...

The essay: It's the most important part of your scholarship application, and it can be the hardest. But the essay shouldn't keep you from applying. Take a look at some commonly asked essay questions and use them to prepare for your scholarship applications. Brainstorm ideas, do some research or create your own "stock" of scholarship essays. When the time comes, you'll ...

To mount an effective scholarship campaign, the first thing you need is a winning game plan. Start by implementing the following four key action strategies. 1. Plan to apply for as many scholarships as possible Some students make the mistake of thinking that they maximize their chances of winning by pouring all of their energy into one or two scholarships. But ...

I'm about to dispel five widespread myths about winning college scholarships. Myths that have, unfortunately, prevented many deserving students from winning money for college. By learning the truth behind these myths, you'll gain a better understanding of the essential "rules" of the college scholarships game. MYTH #1: "Only students with high academic achievement win merit scholarships." The Real Story: Scholarships ...

You may be eligible for more awards than you think. The secret is to "type" yourself. Find the maximum number of scholarship opportunities by thinking about who you are and what you do. College Major/Field of InterestIf you're in college, start with your major or academic area. Departments and schools, as well as academic and professional organizations, offer scholarships for students ...

Some scholarship applications bring home the bucks—but plenty of others don't. When you put these two groups of applications side by side, the differences are like night and day. What Makes a Winning Application Unsuccessful scholarship applications, more often then not, resembled a laundry list of activities, awards, and accomplishments. Although these credentials were often impressive in and of themselves, reading ...

Paying for college is tough. Luckily, many schools and organizations want to encourage access to higher education for African Americans and other minority students. Examples of some of the good financial resources available for African-American students are listed below. Organizational Scholarships Several national African-American organizations have established scholarships specifically to help students finance their college educations. The dollar amounts of the ...

With the tuition at both public and private colleges skyrocketing, contemplating the total cost of a college degree can be daunting. Luckily there are millions of dollars available in scholarships, grants and other financial aid that you usually don't have to pay back. And if you're Hispanic, there are many scholarships earmarked especially for you. "Once you start doing some research, ...

Paying for a college education can be financially taxing. Fortunately, the Treasury Department has set up the Hope Scholarship Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit for students and their families. These credits can help soften some of the impact that higher education can have on the family budget. Tax Credits: How Much Can You Save? Unlike scholarships that reduce tuition payments or ...

Esta guía enumera más de 100 becas para estudiantes hispanos y latinos que van a empezar a matricularse en programas universitarios, a estudiantes que ya atienden la universidad y para estudiantes profesionales, de posgrado. Sugerimos que estudiantes también usen el servicio de búsqueda de becas en el sitio de FastWeb. La base de datos de becas de FastWeb incluye nuevos premios ...

The Ayn Rand Institute, a non-for-profit, seeks to introduce young readers to the works of Ayn Rand, most famous for her novel Atlas Shrugged. In addition to expanding the breadth of reading of students, the Institute also provides scholarship and research opportunities as well as “promote the principles of reason, rational self-interest, individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism.” The Atlas Shrugged Essay ...

College students have it tough these days — scholarship money is scarce and even loans are harder to come by. Endowments are shrinking and the need for financial aid is exploding. Well, someone took notice — someone with $76 million dollars to spare. In a mystery worthy of the finest TV detectives, an anonymous donor has given $76 million to 15 ...

Do something. Sounds simple enough. DoSomething.org has been pushing students to not only do something for their communities but to change them. In an effort to better recognize students that give back in a big way, DoSomething.org is giving away 52 scholarships worth $500 in 2009—that’s a $500 scholarship every week of the year. Applicants must be social entrepreneurs, someone who ...

I’ve been thinking lately about scholarships. It could be that we’ll be financing three college educations next fall and the need for scholarships has increased exponentially. As I search through FastWeb, it seems there are scholarships of every imaginable kind. Some require a great deal of time and energy to complete the application process and others only require a few simple ...

You’ve made your video and it’s finally up — but now you need the votes. Getting them may not be as hard as you think. The key is using existing social networks and encouraging others to pass your video along. It’s called viral marketing and companies are increasing using it for all types of promotions. You can use the same concepts ...

National Scholarship Month The month of November is devoted to raising awareness of the need for scholarship support for postsecondary education. Scholarships help students realize their dreams. (National Scholarship Month was previously celebrated in the month of May from 1998 to 2007. It was switched from May to November in 2008 to coincide with the start of the main scholarship application ...

Do you sometimes watch a video on YouTube and think that you could do much better? Making a web video is simple and can be a lot of fun. What's more, video contests can help you win scholarship bucks and extra cash for school. With a regular camcorder (or most digital cameras) and your computer, you can make a great web ...

Remember the Blair Witch Project? The student-filmed production, found a year after the "disappearance" of the three students who shot the haunting footage, won 11 film awards. Pretty good for amateurs. While you may not win any Oscars, a great video can win you money for school in video contests. FastWeb's Why I Deserve a Scholarship video contest is a great ...