1 in 4 Students Submits 7 or More College Applications

According to a 2010 survey conducted by College Board, 90% of four-year, not-for-profit colleges have an average application fee around $40. A recent NACAC Admissions Trends survey found that 1 in 4 students now submits 7 or more college applications. Those application fees can certainly put a dent in your wallet!

Enter to Win $250 Toward Your College Application Fees

Sound scary? Don’t worry – StudentAdvisor and Kaplan Test Prep have got you covered. We’ve teamed up to give away $250 to help one lucky student pay their application fees this Fall.

Win $250 to Help Pay Your College Application

Want to win $250 toward your college application fees? Enter now before November 17th!

Taking a college campus tour is the best way to weed through the marketing materials and really get a feel for the campus atmosphere, the students, environment, and location of the colleges that you are considering. By visiting, you can quickly figure out how comfortable you are on campus and begin to understand how the amenities suit you.  Learn more about taking a college tour from our friends at StudentAdvisor.com.

This guide helps you maximize your time on college campus tours by offering tips and advice on:

• Planning Ahead
• What To Do Once You Arrive
• Visiting Colleges from a Parent’s Point of View
• What To Do When You Can’t Visit
• Acing the College Interview

Making the most of your college campus tour

StudentAdvisor.com Scholarship

“College is incredibly expensive so it is thrilling to be able to offer $24,000 in scholarships to students currently in college as well as alumni,” said Dean Tsouvalas, Editor-in-Chief of StudentAdvisor.com. “It’s a rare opportunity to help change someone’s life for the better and also pay your student bills.”

Tsouvalas continued, “April is a critical month as students decide which school is the right fit because many deposits are due at schools May 1st. By writing an honest review of your college experience you are helping students and their families not only make the right choice but help them find the place where they will thrive.”

Quality counts and the most helpful reviews will win!

WRITE A REVIEW OF YOUR COLLEGE – YOU COULD WIN A $1000 SCHOLARSHIP!
The Decision Month Scholarships are open to current college students and alumni and you must be at least 18 years old to enter. Visit StudentAdvisor.com between now and April 26, 2011 to submit your college review.

One $1000 Scholarship will be announced each hour during the $24,000 Scholarships All-Nighter that will be live on the web from the StudentAdvisor.com offices in Boston, MA. The announcements begin at NOON on Tuesday, April 26 and last for 24 hours.

Even parents and faculty are eligible. Entering is easy and you could win one of twenty-four $1,000 scholarships to use as you want for tuition, books, and other expenses – you decide!

Also, if you haven’t visited our just released ranking of the Top 100 Social Media Colleges by all means check out how colleges around the country are leveraging social media for their online communities.  We will be updating the rankings approximately once each month.

Sodexo Foundation STOP Hunger Scholarship Program Now Accepting Applications

Recognizing and Rewarding Students who Fight Hunger in America with $5,000 Scholarships

The Sodexo Foundation, the anti-hunger charitable arm of Sodexo, Inc., opened applications for its national STOP Hunger Scholarship program on January 1, 2011.

Sodexo Foundation Stop Hunger

Up to five students will be selected as national winners. Each will receive a $5,000 scholarship award and a matching $5,000 grant in their name for the hunger charity of their choice. In addition, up to 20 students will earn regional recognition, with a $1,000 donation in their name to the hunger charity of their selection. The deadline for applications is February 18, 2011. For a complete description of the program or an online application visit www.SodexoFoundation.org.

The STOP Hunger Scholarships recognize students (K-grad school) who are driving awareness and mobilizing youth to be catalysts for innovative models and solutions to eliminate hunger in America.  First introduced in 2007, the scholarships support the education of young people who are working to end hunger in communities across the country – and to draw attention to the innovative and effective solutions that they are implementing toward ending hunger in their lifetime.

“One in four people on line at food banks is a child,” said Stephen J. Brady, president of the Sodexo Foundation. “The STOP Hunger Scholarship program recognizes that young people not only are the victims of this national tragedy, many of them are offering fresh, creative and effective solutions so that their friends and neighbors – and even complete strangers – have enough to eat.”

According to Share Our Strength, millions of kids struggle with hunger. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more than 17 million kids don’t get the food they need. That’s millions of kids who are sick more often, have trouble learning, and are more likely to develop behavioral and emotional problems.

The scholarships will be presented on June 9, 2011 at the Sodexo Foundation Dinner in Washington, D.C.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled in an accredited education institution (kindergarten through graduate school) in the United States and be able to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to hunger-relief activities in their community.

The deadline for applications is February 18, 2011. For a complete description of the program or an online application visit www.SodexoFoundation.org.

Watch videos of the 2010 recipients of the Stop Hunger Scholarship

Here are 10 financial aid tips from The Chronicle of Higher Education:

1. Apply, apply, apply

Many families will be affected by the economy and financial situations may change from one week to the next. This means that students ineligible for financial aid now maybe become eligible with any change in income, so you should always fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) every year, even if you think you won’t qualify for aid.

2. Know and meet financial aid application deadlines

Be aware of the deadlines for your financial aid application paperwork and meet them. Keep in mind that you have to apply for financial aid every year, it’s not a one time thing. Also, the deadline at your college may be different from your best friend’s college down the road, so make sure you know the deadline for your college.

10 Ways to Find Financial Aid

3. Financial aid application requirements vary from school to school

All schools require a FAFSA form but some colleges require an additional form – the CSS/Financial Aid Profile. Requirements for grants and scholarships may also include additional paperwork.

4. Understand the definition of Expected Family Contribution

The family contribution is the amount that a family can contribute towards the student’s school costs, as determined by the college. The family contribution is based on the information the student provides in the FAFSA and sometimes the CSS/Financial Aid Profile forms. The dollar amount of the family contribution is not necessarily what a family will pay and the amount could differ depending on the college.

5. Know the overall cost necessary to attend college

It important to calculate costs for books, supplies and transportation, in addition to tuition, fees and housing when considering paying for college. As usual, the amount a student receives for these additional costs will vary depending on the school.

6. Understand that there may be a difference between a student’s eligibility and a student’s need

If a student can meet all the requirements for a Pell Grant, their college must award them the funds. However, because a student is eligible for a Pell Grant does not automatically make them eligible for other types of aid.

7. Know the difference between need-based and merit-based financial aid

Merit-based aid is aid given to students based on their academic performance. Need-based aid is awarded to students based specifically on their family’s documented financial circumstances.

8. Get educated in the many types of financial aid

Students can receive federal aid, state aid and/or institutional aid. Students can receive aid in the form of grants, loans or work. And, for the record, colleges see loans as a type of aid.

9. Read your financial aid award letter carefully

Award letters vary so make sure you are aware of whether your aid is a grant or a loan. Also, check to find out if your aid is renewable every year so that you can make the necessary arrangements regarding deadlines or finding a different means of aid.

10. Didn’t get the financial aid you wanted? Appeal the award letter

If your family’s financial situation changes for any reason, contact the financial-aid office at your college to discuss aid options. Many college financial-aid offices will do their best to assist families as unexpected situations arise and this year colleges and families alike are expecting such situations.

Since your financial situation may change in the coming months or more, be thorough and careful in your efforts to receive financial aid so that you can continue on your path toward an education and the possibility of a brighter future. If you apply the above 10 tips to managing your student aid, you will improve your chances of receiving financial aid despite the unpredictable economic times.

• magicians who are adept in the field of magic
• students who possess the potential of performing magic professionally
• students who attend college as full-time students registered in a curriculum containing courses in drama/theater/business/marketing
• students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need

Deadline: March 31, 2011

Read more information or apply for the magician scholarship.

The competition is open to high school students throughout the U.S., Canada (excluding Quebec) and Puerto Rico, with a passion for Fashion Design or Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management.

There are two categories for the competition, Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management.

Entries must be postmarked by November 19, 2010.

Local competitions will take place at each participating Art Institutes school throughout U.S. and Canada. Each local winner will earn a $3,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institutes school they represent in the competition. Local first place winners in each category will move on to the national competition.

The national grand prize winners in both categories will earn a full tuition scholarship to their respective Art Institutes school. In addition, the winners will receive a VIP trip to Fashion Week in New York City in February 2011, participate in a “meet and greet” at Seventeen Magazine’s New York City offices, and lunch with a Seventeen Magazine Style Pro.

Learn more about The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition.

Type of Awards:

• Five (5) Digital Cameras will be awarded to five (5) high school students.
• Five (5) $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to five (5) college or technical school students. Four awards will be for video work while one will be for still photography.

Focus of work and entries: photojournalism. Scholarships will be awarded to those students whose work “tells a story”.

Scholarship deadline: October 15, 2010.

For more information on the scholarship requirements and rules, or to apply, visit the The James Alan Cox Foundation website.

The Levi’s® brand and JCPenney created this tuition campaign to specifically support access to higher education and to increase opportunities for lifetime success.

The tuition sweepstakes begins on July 21, 2010 and ends on September 6, 2010.

Anyone age 13 or older is encouraged to enter by:

• texting “TUITION” to 45481
• visiting www.LevisTuition.com
• going to the JCPenney Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JCPenney

Good luck!

In the article, “How Can StudentAdvisor.com Help You?”, resident career expert Laura LaPerriere shares some helpful information for students about internships and searching for jobs.