YOUR EDUCATION SUCCESS KIT

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©2017 Education Connection. All rights reserved.

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TableofContents

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1. TheValueofaDegree 3AccordingtotheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics,individualswithcollegedegreesreportmakingmoremoneythanthosewhodonot.*

2. AdmissionsProcess 5Findoutwhathappensafteryouselectacollegeandduringtheenrollmentprocess.

3. FinancialAid 10Thankstoawidevarietyoffinancialaidoptions,manyqualifiedstudentspaylessthantheirtotaltuitioncosts.Learnhow!

4. StudyTipsandMore 36Havinggoodstudyhabitscouldhelpyoubeasuccessfulstudent.Don’tmiss

thesegreattips!

5. OnlineLearningResourcesandTools40Websitesandotherlearningtoolscouldhelpgiveyoutheedgetosucceed.

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1. TheValueofaDegreeHowcouldearningadegreebesovaluable?Tobegin,adegreemayhelpyouearnmoremoney.AccordingtotheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(below),collegegraduates may earn more during their careers than high school graduates. They also have much lowerunemployment rates. A degree could allow for more career opportunities and could open doors that mayotherwiseremainclosed.TakealookatthischartfromtheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics.

*Source:http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htmJobSecurityThelargestcorporationsinAmericanowpromotetheimportanceofeducationsomuchthat83%ofcompaniespolledbytheSocietyforHumanResourceManagementreportedthattheyprovidedsomesortofeducationalassistance*.Thismeansthecompanyhelpspayforemployeestoachievehighereducation.*Source:http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/articles/pages/educational-assistance.aspxSenseofAccomplishmentInareportpublishedbytheInstituteforHigherEducationPolicy*,theindividualbenefitsenjoyedbycollegegraduatesmayinclude*:

• Higherlevelsofsaving• Increasedpersonal/professionalmobility• Improvedqualityoflifefortheiroffspring

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• Betterconsumerdecisionmaking• Morehobbiesandleisureactivities

*Source:ReapingtheBenefits:DefiningthePublicandPrivateValueofGoingtoCollege,InstituteforHigherEducationPolicy.http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/publications/m-r/ReapingTheBenefits.pdfInaddition,accordingtotheCarnegieFoundation,*thenon-monetaryindividualbenefitsofhighereducationmayincludethetendencyforpost-secondarystudentstobecome:

• Moreopen-minded• Morecultured• Morerational• Moreconsistent• Lessauthoritarian

*Source:Rowley,L.L.,&Hurtado,S.(2002).TheNon-MonetaryBenefitsofanUndergraduateEducation.UniversityofMichigan:CenterfortheStudyofHigherandPostsecondaryEducation.http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-3/value.htmWhyDoesn’tEveryoneHaveaDegree?Withsomanypotentialbenefits,whydoesn'teveryoneearnadegree?Webelievetheanswercouldbebrokendownintothreeparts:money,time,andhesitation.Fortunately,solutionsexistforeachconcern.Qualifyingstudentsmaybeabletousegovernmentfinancialaidoptionsand/orprivateloansofferedbyfinancialinstitutionstohelppayforhighereducation,ifavailable.Theavailabilityofonlineeducationmeansstudentscanworkdegreeprogramsaroundalreadybusyschedules,offeringconvenienceforprofessionalsandfamilies.Studentscanovercometheremainingconcern--hesitation—byfamiliarizingthemselveswiththeease,convenienceandbenefitsofonlineeducation.Throughoutoursite,youwillfindvaluableinformationtohelpeaseyourfearsandbuildyourenthusiasmforachievinghighereducationsoonerthanlater.

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2. AdmissionsProcessChoosingaDegreeNowthatyouknowhowadegreemayaffectyourqualityoflife,howdoyouchoosewhichdegreetoearn?Well,ifyouarelikemostpeople,thechoiceisprobablydirectlyrelatedtothecareeryouwishtopursue.Ifyoualreadyhaveacareerthatyouwanttoenhance,youmightalreadyhaveanideaofwhichdegreeyouwanttoearn.Ifyouknowwhatcareeryouwanttopursue,thenresearchwhichdegreesmaybenecessaryorbeneficialforthatparticularoccupation.StartwiththeDepartmentofLaborwebsite:http://www.dol.gov.However,manypeoplehavenoideawhattypeofcareertheywanttopursue.Doesthissoundlikeyou?Ifso,thesesimpletipscouldhelpyoufigureitout.

1. Don’tpursueacareerjustbecauseitmaypaywell.Manypeoplemakethismistakeandendupdislikingtheirjobs.

2. Lookinward.Whattypeofpersonareyou?Areyouanintrovertorextrovert?Doyouliketoworkwithpeople?Whatyouwantinajobiskeyfactorindecidingwhichcareersmaysuityou.ThisGoingBacktoSchoolpagemayhelpyouexplorethedifferentquestionstoaskyourselfthatcanhelpyoudecidewhatdegreetoearn—andthenstartonyourcareerpath!

3. Ahobbycouldturnintoacareer.Don’tlistentothepersonwhosaidthatyoucan’tearnmoneywithahobby!Whatisholdingyoubackfromearningmoneyatwhatyoulovetodomost?Checkoutrelevantdegreeprograms.

4. Askquestions.Ifyouareinterestedinacareer,don’tbeafraidtofindsomeonewhohasthatsameoccupationandaskiftheycouldansweryourquestions.Contactassociationsforthatparticularoccupation.Theirinsightcouldsteeryoutotheeducationyouneed.

5. Don’tturnyourbackonyourdreams.Manypeoplehavethatdreamjobthey’vealwayspicturedinthebackoftheirheads.Andmanypeoplehaveshelvedthatdream,dismissingitasimpossible.Thinkback–haveyoueverdonethis?Ifso,takeasecondlook–earningadegreecouldmakethatdreamjobareality.

Nowthatyouhaveanideaofwhichdegreesmightinterestyou,takethenextstepandtalktoadmissionadvisorsatyourselectedormatchedschools.Inthenextsection,youwillfindoutwhatimportantquestionsyoushouldaskasyoutalktoeachschoolthatEducationConnectionhasmatchedyoutoorschoolsofyourchoice.Thefollowinginformationwillhelpyouinmakinganinformeddecisionaboutyoureducation.

AdmissionsProcess

Onceyouhavesubmittedyourinformation,youwillreceiveanemailfromEducationConnectionwiththenamesofuptothreeschools“matched,”orrecommendedtoyou.EducationConnectionsuggeststhatyouconsiderspeakingtoallschoolsmatchedtoyou,andanyotherschoolsyouareinterestedin,beforemakingadecision.Inthenearfuture,theschoolsshouldbeincontactwithyouregardingpossibleenrollmentandtheadmissionsprocesswiththoseschools.Byspeakingtoallschools,youwillbebetterinformedwhendecidingwhichschoolisbestforyou.

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MethodsofContactWhileeachschool'sAdmissionsdepartmenthasadifferentpracticeforcontactingpotentialstudents,somecommonmethodsinclude:

• PhoneCall:Whentheschoolscall,don'tbeafraidtopickupthephone!Typically,youwillbecontactedbyaCollegeAdmissionsRepresentative.Therepresentativesaretheretoansweryourquestions,schedulefutureappointmentswithyou,helpyoumakeinformeddecisionsaboutgoingbacktoschool,andultimatelyhelpmaketheAdmissionsprocessaseasyaspossible.

• Email:Manyschoolswillsendoutanemailtomakecontactwithpotentialstudents.Keepaneyeoutforincomingmail,andbesuretocheckyourspamorjunkfolderperiodicallytobesureyoureceivetheseemails(orturnoffyourspam/junkmailblocksifyouprefer).

• Mail:YoumayalsoreceiveacatalogandpaperapplicationviaUSMailfromschools.

TypicalAdmissionsProcessOverviewStep1:TheFirstPhoneCallDuringthefirstphonecall,theAdmissions/Enrollmentrepresentativemaywanttoscheduleaninterviewtimetospeakwithyou.Otherwise,theymaywanttodiscussthefollowingduringthefirstcallandthenscheduleaninterviewatalatertime:

• Selectingtherightdegreeprogramforyourcareerandlifegoals• Yourscheduleandanytimeorlifeconstraintsforgoingbacktoschool

WhenyouspeakwiththeAdmissionsrepresentativesfromeachschool,theyshouldprovideyouwithspecificinformationregardingtheirschoolanditsofferings.It’sagoodideatoaskthesamequestionssoyoucanmakeaccuratecomparisons.Thefollowingquestionsmaybehelpfultoyou–youcanprinttheseoutandwritedowntheanswersasyouspeaktoeachschool:

1. Whattypeofaccreditationdoyouhold?Schoolsmayholdregionalornationalaccreditationsfromvariousprivateaccreditingagencies.Accreditationshelptoensurethatthedegreeearnedmatchesacertainindustrystandardforlevelofknowledgeandproficiencyobtained.Mostemployershireonlygraduatesofaccreditedinstitutionsandmostschoolswillacceptasgraduatestudentsonlythosewithundergraduatedegreesfromaccrediteduniversitiesorcolleges.AgoodplacetostartasearchforanaccreditedinstitutionisprovidedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationat:http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

2. Doyouofferanyschoolscholarshipsorgrants?TitleIVfunding(governmentfinancialaid)?Helpwithprivate

loans?Someschoolsmayoffertheirownfinancialaidpackagestoqualifyingstudents.Mostschoolsareeligibletoparticipateinstateand/orfederalaidprograms.Privateloansmaybeagoodalternativeifyouarenoteligibleforfederalorstateaid.Financialaidmaybeavailabletothosewhoquality.Forquestionsonhowtopayforyoursecondaryschooling,visittheU.S.DepartmentofEducation's“FundingYourEducation”pageat:http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/funding.jsp

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3. Doyouaccepttransfercreditsfromschool?(ifyouhaveanytotransfer)Therulesvaryfromstatetostate,andfromschooltoschool–somethingtothinkaboutifyouplantomoveabout.Thisisalsoamajoradvantageofonlinedegreeprograms,however,asyouareonlygeographicallylimitedbytheavailabilityofaninternetconnection,butmakesuretocheckeachschool’stransferpolicy.

4. Doyouofferanycreditforlifeexperience?Someprogramsmayhavethemeanstoassessandconvertyourlifeexperience–includingmilitaryexperience,professionalcertifications,andworkexperience–tocollegecredit.Thesemeansmayincludestandardizedtestsorcreditsfromotherinstitutions.Creditpoliciesandtheamountofcreditallowedvarybyschool.Informationspecificallyaboutconvertingmilitaryexperienceintocollegecreditsmaybefoundat:http://www.military.com/timesaving-programs/college-credit-for-military-experience

5. DoyouacceptCLEPtransfercredits?CollegeLevelExaminationProgram(CLEP)creditsareofferedbytheCollegeBoard,usuallyforthetypesofcoursesastudentwouldattendinhisorherfirsttwoyearsofclasses,andcanqualifyyouforanywherefrom3to12collegecreditsperexam.Examsareofferedinavarietyofsubjects,includingCompositionandLiterature,ForeignLanguages,HistoryandSocialSciences,ScienceandMathematics,andBusiness.Eachexamis90minutesinlength,withprimarilymultiple-choicequestions,andgenerallycoversonecollegecourseworthofmaterial,asdeterminedbyyourspecificschoolorprogram.Thismeansthatwithapassinggradeyoumayearncollegecreditsyoucanusetowardmeetingyourprogram'sdegreerequirements.TheCollegeBoardrecommendsthat“youconsultatextbookforthecourseatyourcollegethatiscomparabletotheexamyouplantotake”inpreparationforthetest.MoreinformationabouttheCLEPprogramisavailableattheCollegeBoardwebsiteat:http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

6. Howlongwillittaketocompleteyourprogram?Schoolsdiscloseinformationabouttheexpectedtimetocompletetheprogram,andsomemayhavepoliciesconcerningthetotallengthofattendanceallowedbeforeearningadegree.Thetotalnumberofcreditsearnedpercoursecanvarybasedonwhetheryourschooloperatesonaquarterlyorsemestersystem.Talktoyouracademicadvisoraboutthetypeofscheduleusedatyourschool,andhowitwillaffectschedulingyourclassestofityourdegreeplan.

7. Whatareyourtechnologyrequirements?Whilemostprogramswillaccommodateavarietyofoperatingsystemsandplatforms,makesurethatyoucanaffordanynecessaryhardwareorsoftwareupgrades,orevenanewcomputerifnecessary.Inquireabouttheavailabilityofatechnologyaidpackagetowardthepurchaseofacomputerfordistancelearningoronlinestudents.8. Doyouhaveacareerservicesdepartment?Manyschoolsnowofferemploymentservicesforgraduatesoftheirdegreeprograms.Someprogramsarealsoaffiliatedwithprofessionalorganizationswhichmayoffergraduateemploymentserviceswithintheirfieldorfieldsofexpertise.

9. Doyouhaveacademicadvisors?Academicadvisorscanbeoneofyourgreatestassets,especiallyinanonlinedegreeprogram.Theycanhelpyoumapoutyourdegreepathinordertomaximizeyoureducationalvalue.

10. Doyouoffertechnicalsupport?Whetheravailabledirectlyfromtheschool,orfromthethirdpartyvendoroftheinterfaceapplication,techsupportisvitalforonlinelearningsuccess.11. Arebooksincludedinmytuition?

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Someschoolsofferbooksaspartofthetotaltuitioncost,someprovidethenecessaryfundsforyoutopurchasethebooksyourself,andothersrequireyoutobuybooksonyourown.Youmayalsoneedancillarymaterialslikeoptionalstudyguidesorsuggestedreadings.Also,whilemanyon-campusprogramsprovideeasyaccesstotheschoolbookstore,keepinmindthatyoumayneedtofindyourtextbooksatalocalbookstore,orpurchasethemonline,whichmeansyoushouldallowforsearch/deliverytimes.12. WillIhaveaccesstoalibrary?Mostonlinecollegesoffervirtuallibraryaccesstotheirstudents.Somemayalsoofferaccesstosubscription-basedresearchsources.Ifyourprogramdoesnotprovideaccesstoaschooloronlinelibrary,besuretocheckoutyourlocalpubliclibrarysystem,bothonlineandinperson,tofamiliarizeyourselfwiththeavailabilityandlocationsofanyusefulresearchmaterials.

13. Howdoesyourprogramwork?Don'tbeafraidtoasktheseeminglysimplequestions.Gettingagoodideaofthebasicsofadegreeprogramisessentialinchoosingtheonethatisrightforyou.Askifthereisaguidedtourortutorialoftheschool'sinterfaceavailableforyouto“testdrive.”

14. Whatisthetimeinvestmentassociatedwiththisprogramonaweeklybasis?Thetimeinvestmentvariesbythenumberofcredithoursattemptedpersemester,butageneralruleforsecondaryeducationinstitutionsisthatforeveryonehourspentinclass(inpersonoronline),astudentcanexpecttospendtwotothreehoursoutsideofclasstimereading,studying,workingonassignments,andparticipatinginchats,discussionboards,etc.Foratypicalsemester,studentscanexpecttospendanywherefrom36to48hoursperweekonschool.

*NoteforActiveMilitaryMembersorVeterans:Lettheadvisorknowifyouareactivemilitarypersonneloraveteran,astheremaybescholarshipsandaidpackagesavailabletoqualifyingstudents.Someschoolswaiveapplicationfeesandmayevenhavelowertuitionratesformilitarypersonnel.Othersmayevenhaveschool-specificmilitaryaidavailabletothosewhoqualify.FeesforentranceexamssuchastheLSATorGREmayalsobewaived,soexploreallavailableavenues,boththroughyourschoolandyourmilitaryliaison.ActivesoldiersmaywanttovisittheofficialeArmyUwebsiteatwww.goarmyed.com/public/public_earn_degree-earmyu.aspxtofindouthowtoapplyfortuitionassistanceandfilloutnecessarypaperworkandapplications.Step2:ApplicationsandFormsAfteryouhavespokenwiththeschools,youwillneedtobegintheAdmissions/Enrollmentprocess.Thiscouldhappeninseveralways:

• Itisnotuncommontoreceiveanemailwiththelinktoaschool'sapplicationsite.Manyschoolshavestrictapplicationdeadlines;however,donotfeelintimidatedbythis.Thesedeadlinesareusuallyestablishedtoseparateseriousstudentsfromnon-seriousstudents.Sincetheapplicationshouldtakeonlytenminutesorso,takethisopportunitytodisplayyourseriousnesstotheadvisor.

• Youmaybeaskedtopayanapplicationfee,dependingupontheschool'srequirements.Askyourrepresentativeiftheschoolchargesanyfeestofillouttheapplication.

• Yourschoolmayaskyoutofilloutfinancialaidpaperwork.Someschoolscompletefinancialaidpackagesforqualifiedstudentspriortotheiracceptance,whileotherschoolsmaywaituntiltheyhaveaccepted.

• AlwaysfeelfreetocontactyourAdmissions/EnrollmentAdvisororCounselorwithanyquestions.Mostfollowupwithyoutoseewhatquestionsorconcernsyoumayhave.

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• Theschoolmayaskyoutospeakwithafinancialaidrepresentativeorastudentaccountsofficertosetupapaymentplan.

• Someschoolsmayrequireyoutotakeashortexamorwriteanessay.

Whenyouhavechosen,appliedandbeenacceptedbytheschoolyouwishtoattend,youwillbeaskedtosignanenrollmentagreement.ThiscouldbedeliveredviaemailorU.S.mail,oryoumaybedirectedtocompleteitonlineattheschool'swebsite.

Theenrollmentagreementistypicallyathreetosevenpagedocumentthatcontainsyourpersonalinformation,yourprogramofinterest,whattheinstitutionispromisingyou,andwhatyourobligationstotheinstitutionare.

Onceyousignthedocument(youmaye-sign,orsignmanuallyandfaxormailback),youhaveenrolled!

Step3:CourseRegistrationMostinstitutionswillrecommendwhichclassestoregisterforfirst.Othersmayletyouselectfromthecoursecatalog.Keepinmindthatifyourschoolrecommendsthatyouregisterforcertainclasses,itisbesttodosoaccordingtotheirguidelines.Inmostcases,youcanregisteronlineoroverthephone.Onceyoucompleteyourregistration,manyschoolsofferanorientationcoursetofamiliarizeyouwiththeirformat.Itisrecommendedthatyoucompletethiscourse.HelpfulHintsYoumightbecomeanxiousasyourstartdatedrawsnear.Justrememberthatthisisnormal,andthatthefirstweekofschoolmightfeellikecultureshock.Afteracoupleofweeks,you'llassimilateschooltoyourdailyscheduleandeverythingwillbegintofeelnormal.

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3. FinancialAidMakingSenseofFinancialAidPayingforcollegeorgradschoolcanseemdaunting,buttherecouldbemanyoptionsavailabletohelpyouaffordyoureducation.Theseincludefederalaid–loans,grants,andworkstudyprograms–andothertypesofaid,likescholarshipsandnon-federalgrants,whichmaybeavailabletoqualifiedstudents.Thissectionprovidesinformationtohelpyoumakesenseofthefinancialaidprocess.ItalsoincludeseligibilityrequirementsprovidedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationtohelpsimplifyyourunderstandingoffinancialaidandmotivateyoutogetstarted!Financialaidisavailabletothosewhoqualify.

FEDERALAID

FillingouttheFAFSAThebasicfunctionoftheFAFSA(FreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid)istocalculateyour“ExpectedFamilyContribution,”orEFC.Thisnumberiscalculatedusinginformationthatyouprovideaboutyouoryourfamily’sincomeandassets.Theamountofaid(grants,studentloans,andwork-study)youmaybequalifiedtoreceivedependsonyourEFC.Italsofiguresinthecostofyourattendanceandwhetheryouareafullorpart-timestudent.Here’sasimplifiedexplanationofhowitworks:

CostofAttendance–ExpectedFamilyContribution=AmountofAidGiven

Thereareseveralwaystocompleteyourapplication.Youcan:

1) FilloutyourFAFSAonlineatwww.fafsa.ed.gov2) DownloadaPDFversionoftheformathttp://studentaid.ed.gov3) Call1-800-4-FED-AIDtorequestapaperform

Theonlinerouteisthefastestwaytogo.Notonlywillitlikelybeprocessedmorequickly,youcanalsosignintothewebsitetofindupdatesonthestatusofyourapplication.YoucanalsoprintthePDFform,fillitout,andthenusethattoanswerthequestionsonline.

GatheringtheRequiredDocuments

BeforefillingouttheFAFSA,youshouldprepareyourselfbygatheringallnecessaryinformationanddocuments.Rundownthischecklisttomakesureyouhaveeverythingyouneedtogetstarted:

• Socialsecuritynumber• Driver’slicense(ifyouhaveone)• AlienRegistrationNumber(ifyouarenotaU.S.citizen)• RecordsofmoneyearnedinthepreviousyearincludingW2sand1099s.Forexample,ifyouareapplying

foraidin2017,youwillneedyour2016records• Previousyear’staxreturn.Ifyouhavenotdoneyourtaxes,youstillmustcalculateyouradjustedgross

incomeandtaxesbyfollowingtheIRSinstructions• Recordsofanynon-taxableincome,suchassocialsecuritybenefits,temporaryassistanceforneedy

families,childsupportreceivedandveteran’sbenefits• RecordsofanyFederalWork-Studyearnings• Recordsofgrants,scholarshipsandfellowshipaid

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• Stock,bond,andotherinvestmentrecords• Businessrecords• Currentbankstatements• Anydocumentationofunusualfinancialcircumstances,suchasjobloss,highmedicalbills,death,or

divorce

Insomecases,taxinformationforyourguardianorspouseisalsorequired.Pleasecall1-800-4-FED-AIDforquestionsregardingrequiredinformationorvisithttps://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.

SomeHelpfulHints

WhenyoufilloutyourFAFSA,rememberthisinformationtohelpyoureceivethemaximumamountofaidavailabletoyou.PleaseconsultafinancialaidadvisorortheFAFSAwebsitetogetthemostup-to-dateinformation.

• Formoney-relatedquestions,ifyouhavenothingtoreport,donotleavetheanswerblank;useazeroinstead.

• TheEarnedIncomeCreditisconsidered"untaxedincome."Retirementplancontributionsandmilitaryfoodandhousingallowancesareothertypesofuntaxedincome.

• Youmaywanttoansweryestoalltypesofaid;thisdoesnotobligateyoutoanythingandansweringnodoesn’tbenefityouinanyway.

LoansIfyouneedtoborrowfundstohelppayforyoureducation,thenfederalloansareoftenagreatplacetostart.BothDirectSubsidizedLoansandDirectUnsubsidizedLoansofferlow-costalternativesthatmaybeavailabletobothqualifiedundergraduateandgraduatestudents.DirectSubsidizedLoansIfyoudemonstratefinancialneed,youmaybeabletoborrowaDirectSubsidizedLoantocoversomeorallofthatneed.Forasubsidizedloan,theU.S.DepartmentofEducationpaystheinterestwhileyou'reinschoolatleasthalftime,forthefirstsixmonthsafteryouleaveschool,andduringperiodsofdeferment(whenyouareeligibletodelaypaymentsforqualifyingreasons).DirectUnsubsidizedLoanADirectUnsubsidizedLoanisnotbasedonfinancialneed.Withthistypeofloan,youareresponsibleforpayinginterestontheloanfromthetimeit’sdisburseduntilit'spaidinfull.Youcanpaytheinterestasyougoorallowtheinteresttoaccrue(accumulate)andhaveitaddedtotheprincipalamountofyourloanlater.Thismeanstheinterestwillbe"capitalized."Keepinmindthatifinterestaccumulates,thetotalamountyourepaywillbehigherthanifyoupaidtheinterestallalong.ToapplyforasubsidizedorunsubsidizedDirectLoan,youmustsubmityourFAFSA.WhiletheUnsubsidizedDirectLoanisavailabletoallqualifiedstudentsregardlessoffinancialneed,aFAFSAmustbesubmittedforeligibility.FormoreinformationonDirectLoans,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized.

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FederalPerkinsLoans

AFederalPerkinsLoansisanotherlow-interestloanavailabletoeligibleundergraduateorgraduatestudents.Thiscampus-basedloanusesgovernmentfundswithasharecontributedbytheschool.YourschoolwilldetermineyoureligibilityandamountofyourFederalPerkinsLoan.

CompleteaFAFSAsoyourschool’sFinancialAidOfficecandetermineyoureligibilityforaFederalPerkinsLoan.FormoreinformationonFederalPerkinsLoans,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/perkins.

DirectPLUSLoan

Forparentsofdependentundergraduatestudentsorgraduate/professionalstudents,DirectPLUSloansofferalow-interestalternativetohelppayfortheireducation.Inthiscase,theU.S.DepartmentofEducationisthelender,andthequalifiedborrowermustnothaveanadversecredithistory.Themaximumloanamountisthestudent’scostofattendanceminusanyotherfinancialaidreceived.

PLUSloanscanhelpparentspayfortheirchild’seducation.FormoreinformationonPLUSLoans,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/plus.

GrantsFederalgrantsareavailableforqualifyingundergraduatestudentswithademonstratedsubstantialfinancialneed.Theamountofmoneyawardeddependsonwhichgrantsyouqualifyforbasedonyourresources.Aswithfederalloans,yourneedisdeterminedbyyourFAFSAapplication.Unlikeloans,grantsdonothavetobepaidback.Butyoucan’tbeawardedgrantmoneyifyoudon’tapply!Youcanspeaktoyourschool'sfinancialaidofficeorviewtheU.S.DepartmentofEducation'sGrantProgramsFactPagetofindup-to-dateinformationaboutavailablegrantsandtheapplicationprocess.FederalPellGrantsOneofthelargestsourcesoffederalgrantaid,FederalPellGrantsareawardedtoqualifyingundergraduatestudentsbasedonfinancialneed.HowmuchyoumaybeawardeddependsonyourExpectedFamilyContribution(EFC),yourcostofattendance,whetheryou'reafull-timeorpart-timestudent,andwhetheryouattendschoolforafullacademicyearorless.YoumayreceiveonlyonePellGrantinanawardyear,andyoumaynotreceivePellGrantfundsfrommorethanoneschoolatatime.

• Youmayreceiveamaximumof$5,775annuallyforthe2015-16-schoolyear.• Generally,PellGrantsareawardedonlytoqualifyingundergraduatestudentswhohavenotearneda

bachelor’sorprofessionaldegree.

FindmoreinformationonFederalPellGrants,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell.

FederalSupplementalEducationalOpportunityGrants(FSEOG)

FSEOGawardsaregiventoqualifyingundergraduatestudentsdemonstratingexceptionalfinancialneed.FederalPellGrantrecipientsreceivepriorityforFSEOGawards.Youcouldreceivebetween$100and$4,000ayear,dependingonwhenyouapply,yourfinancialneed,thefundingleveloftheschoolyouareattending,andthepoliciesofyourschool'sfinancialaidoffice.

• Youmayreceiveamaximumof$4,000annually.• Yourschooldetermineseligibilitysinceit’sacampus-basedaidprogram.

FindmoreinformationonFSEOGawards,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/FSEOG.

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TeacherEducationAssistanceforCollegeandHigherEducation(TEACH)Grant

Ifyou’reinterestedinbecomingateacher,thentheTEACHGrantcouldbeanoptionforyou.TEACHGrantsareawardedtostudentswhosignagrantagreementinwhichtheypromisethefollowing:toteach(1)inahighneedfield,(2)atanelementaryschool,secondaryschooloreducationserviceagencythatservesstudentsfromlow-incomefamilies,and(3)foratleastfourcompleteyearswithineightyearsaftercompletingtheircourseofstudyfundedbythegrant.

Youmayreceiveamaximumof$4,000annually,andyourtotalamountmustnotexceed$16,000.Youmustalso:

• Meetbasiceligibilityrequirementsforfederalstudentaid• BeenrolledinaTEACH-Granteligibleprogram• Meetcertainacademicachievementrequirements,includingmaintainingacumulateGPAof3.25• SignaTEACHGrantAgreementtoServe

FindmoreinformationaboutTEACHgrants,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/teach.

TheIraqandAfghanistanServiceGrant

IraqandAfghanistanServiceGrantsareatypeoffederalgrantforstudentswhoseparentswerekilledduringserviceinIraqorAfghanistan,andwhoaren’teligibleforthePellGrantbasedontheirEFC.TheawardamountisequaltothemaximumPellGrantaward,or$$5,775forthe2015-2016year*.Duetosequestration,anygrantthatisfirstdisbursedonorafterOctober1,2015andbeforeOctober1,2016mustbereducedby6.8%.Applicantsmustmeetthefollowingcriteria:

• Student’sguardianorparentwaskilledinconnectionwithserviceinIraqorAfghanistanfollowingSeptember11,2001

• Studentwasunder24yearsoldorenrolledincollegeatleastpart-timeatthetimeofthedeathoftheparentorguardian

• StudentmeetstheremainingeligibilityrequirementsofthePellGrant

*Thisnumberissubjecttochange.Forthemostrecentinformation,pleaseseehttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell.TofindmoreinformationabouttheIraqandAfghanistanServiceGrant,pleasevisithttp://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/iraq-afghanistan-service.

AdditionalGrantResources

StudentAidontheWeb:http://studentaid.ed.gov

ThissiteisadministeredbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation,andoffersextensiveinformationonoptionsforfinancialaid.You’llalsofindtipsonfillingoutyourFAFSA.

Grants.gov:http://www.grants.gov

Grants.govallowsindividualsandorganizationstoelectronicallyfindanapplicationforfederalgrants.Thesiteisupdatedoftenwithnewgrantopportunities.

Work-StudyProgramsTheFederalWork-StudyProgramhelpsprovidejobsforundergraduateandgraduatestudentswithfinancialneed.Itenablesstudentstoearnmoneythatcouldhelppayeducationexpenses.Theprogramencouragescommunityserviceworkandtriestoofferworkrelatedtoyourcourseofstudy.Eachschoolhaswork-studyprogramsspecifictothatparticularschool.Somestudentsmaybeeligibletobeginuponenrollmentandothersmayhavetowaituntiltheyhaveobtainedacertainamountofcredits.Pleasecontactyourschool’sfinancialaidofficeformoreinformation.

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ByworkingthroughaFederalWork-StudyProgram,youmaygainpracticalexperiencethatcouldhelpyourjobsearchaftergraduation–andshowfutureemployersyoucanbalancethedemandsofschoolandwork.

Formoreinformationonspecificprogramsofferedbyschools,pleasevisittheEducationResourceOrganizationsDirectory.

FederalStudentAidSummaryThefollowingisasummaryoftheU.S.DepartmentofEducation’sFederalStudentAidPrograms.FederalStudentAidProgram

TypesofAid ProgramDetails AnnualAwardAmountsforqualifyingstudents

FederalPellGrant Grant:doesnothavetoberepaid

Availablealmostexclusivelytoundergraduates

Upto$5,775

FederalSupplementalEducationalOpportunityGrant(FSEOG)

Grant:doesnothavetoberepaid

Forundergraduateswithexceptionalfinancialneed;priorityisgiventoFederalPellGrantrecipients;fundsdependonavailabilityatschool

$100to$4,000

FederalWork-Study Moneyisearnedwhileattendingschool;doesnothavetoberepaid

Forundergraduateandgraduatestudents;jobscanbeoncampusoroffcampus;studentsarepaidatleastminimumwage

Noannualminimumormaximumawardamounts

FederalPerkinsLoan Loan:mustberepaidwithinterest

5%loansforbothundergraduateandgraduatestudents;paymentisowedtotheschoolthatmadetheloan

$5,500maximumforundergraduatestudents;$8,000maximumforgraduatestudents

DirectSubsidizedLoan Loan:mustberepaidwithinterest

Studentisnottypicallychargedinterestonloanduringcertainperiods;ForloansfirstdisbursedonorafterJuly1,2016andbeforeJuly1,2017,interestrateisat3.76%

Between$3,500and$5,500dependingonyearinschool

DirectUnsubsidizedLoan Loan:mustberepaidwithinterest

Forundergraduateandgraduatestudents;borrowerisresponsibleforallinterestduringallperiods;financialneednotarequirement;forloansfirstdisbursedonorafterJuly1,2016andbeforeJuly1,2017interestrateis3.76%forundergraduatestudentsand5.31%forgraduateandprofessionalstudents

Between$5,550to$20,500(minusanysubsidizedamountreceivedduringthesameperiod)dependingonyearinschoolanddependencystatus

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DirectPLUSLoan Loan:mustberepaidwithinterest

Availabletoparentsofdependentundergraduateorgraduateandprofessionaldegreestudents;financialneedisnotrequired.ForloansfirstdisbursedonorafterJuly1,2016andbeforeJuly1,2017,interestrateis6.31%

Maximumamountiscostofattendanceminusanyotherfinancialaidthestudentreceives;nominimumamount

HelpfulPhoneNumbers:

• FederalStudentAidInformationCenter(FSAIC):1-800-4-FED-AID(1-800-433-3243)• TTYusers(forthehearing-impaired)cancall1-800-730-8913• Callersinlocationswithoutaccessto800numbersmaycall1-319-337-5665(notatollfreenumber)

OTHERTYPESOFAID

ScholarshipsandNon-FederalGrantsScholarshipsareawardedtostudentsbasedonmanydifferentfactorsthatmayincludeacademicperformance,financialneed,religiousaffiliation,minoritystatusandheritage.Youdon’thavetopaybackthistypeoffinancialaid,soifyouthinkyoumayhaveashot,itcouldbeworthittoapply!Scholarshipsarealsoavailablethroughavarietyofsources,includingschools,employers,individuals,companies,nonprofits,organizationsandclubs.Theawardsareoftenbasedonthefactorsmentionedabove,auniquesetofcriteriathatisimportanttotheorganizationprovidingfunds,orevencommunityaffiliations.

FreeScholarshipResources

• Thefinancialaidofficeatyourcollege• TheU.S.DepartmentofLabor’sFREEscholarshipsearchtool• Federalagencies• Yourstategrantagency• Yourlibrary’sreferencesection• Foundations,religiousorcommunityorganizations,localbusinessesandorganizationsrelatedtoyourfield

ofinterest• Possiblyyouremployer• Onlinescholarshipdatabases/websites

HelpfulTipsforApplyingtoScholarships

• Reviewqualificationstoensurethatyouareeligible.• Reviewduedatesandapplyasearlyaspossible.• Ifyoumissanyduedates,keepalistsoyoucanapplyagainnexttime.• Carefullyreviewtherequiredlistofdocuments(whetherthatbeanessayorletterofrecommendation)to

ensureyoucompleteallnecessaryelements.• Whenwritinganessay,alwaysrememberyouraudience.Considerwhowillbereadingyourwork,and

directyourverbiagetothatparticularorganizationorinstitution.

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• Double-checkyourspellingandgrammar,andifpossiblehavesomeoneelsereaditover.Asecondsetofeyescanneverhurt!

• Whenmailinginascholarshipapplication,besuretosenditcertifiedandrequestareceipttoensurewhoeverisofferingthescholarshipreceivesit.

AdditionalScholarshipResources

Therearemanywebsitesthatlistanabundanceofscholarshipoptions.Youcanoftensearchfortherightscholarshipbyusingyourpersonalcriteria.Hereareafewhelpfuldatabases:

FastWeb:www.fastweb.com

Youmustcreateaprofile,butthiswebsiteisoneofthelargerlistsavailableontheinternet.Also,theywillsendyounotificationsofnewscholarshipsastheyareadded,aswellasremindersofduedatesofscholarshipsyouindicatethatyouareinterestedin.

AdventuresinEducation:http://www.aie.org/scholarships/

Thiswebsiteallowsyoutosearchover15,000scholarshipsbykeyword.

CollegeBoard:http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp

Amongothertools,likeasearchforcollegesandfinancialaidcalculators,thissitealsooffersascholarshipsearchofover2,200scholarships.Theirsearchformallowsyoutoenterpersonalinformationandacademicinformationtohelpnarrowdownyoursearch.

Formorescholarshipinformation,visitthefollowingsites:SallieMaeCollegeScholarshipsCollegeConnectionScholarships

Scholarships,GrantsandFellowshipsbyEligibility

ARMEDFORCESANDVETERANS:

TheMarineCorpsScholarship

http://www.mcsf.org/page.aspx?pid=365

AwardAmount:Varies

ThisscholarshipwasestablishedtoprovidefinancialassistanceintheformofscholarshipsforhighereducationtodeservingsonsanddaughtersofMarinesandchildrenofformerMarines.Particularattentionisgiventochildrenwhoseparentwaskilledorwoundedinaction.

Eligibility:

Youmustbetheson/daughterofoneofthefollowing:

• AnactivedutyorreserveU.S.Marine• AU.S.MarinewhohasreceivedanHonorableDischarge,MedicalDischarge,orwaskilledwhileservingin

theU.S.MarineCorps• AnactivedutyorreserveU.S.NavyCorpsmanwhoisserving,orhasserved,withtheU.S.MarineCorps

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• AU.S.NavyCorpsmanwhohasservedwiththeU.S.MarineCorpsandhasreceivedanHonorableDischarge,MedicalDischarge,orwaskilledwhileservingintheU.S.Navy

Also,youmust:

• Beahighschoolgraduate,orregisteredasanundergraduatestudentatanaccreditedcollegeorposthighschoolvocational/technicalinstitution(scholarshipawardsarenotavailableforgraduatestudy)

• Haveamaximumfamilyadjustedgrossincomeof$95,000orless.Forthepurposeofdeterminingeligibility,non-taxableallowancesreceivedbymilitarymembersonactivedutyareNOTincludedindeterminingadjustedgrossincome.ThisincomelimitrequirementiswaivedforanyapplicantwhoseparentwaskilledincombatintheGlobalWaronTerror.

• MusthaveaGPAofatleast2.0(ona4.0scale)

AMVETSScholarshipProgram

http://www.amvets.org/programs/scholarships/AwardAmount:$4,000overfouryears

TheAMVETSassociationgivesoutthreescholarshipsayeartoU.S.veteranswhoshowmeritandfinancialneed,twospecifictochildren/grandchildrenofveterans,activeduty,guard/reserves,andonespecifictoveterans,activeduty,guard/reserves&familymembersofferedinpartnershipwiththeUniversityofPhoenix

Eligibility:

• MustbeaUnitedStatescitizen• • MusthaveahighschooldiplomaorGED• Mustprovideevidenceofactivedutystatusorveteranstatushavingservedhonorably• Mustbeenrolledoracceptedforenrollmenttoaneligibleprogram• Mustdemonstratefinancialneed• MustauthorizeAMVETStopublicizeyourscholarshipaward,ifyouareselected• Mustnotbeindefaultonfederalstudentloan(s)• Mustnotbeconvictedunderfederalorstatelawforpossessionorsaleofillegaldrugs

TheSpouseEducationAssistanceProgram(EAP)

http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/Scholarships/Spouses.aspx

AwardAmount:Varies

TheSpouseEducationAssistanceProgramisaneed-basedscholarshipprogramestablishedtoassistspousesofArmySoldiersinobtainingafour-yearundergraduatedegree.

Eligibility:

• BethespouseofeitheraSoldieronfederalactiveduty,aretiredSoldier,orthewidow(er)ofaSoldierwhodiedonactivedutyorinaretiredstatus

• BepursuingtheirfirstundergraduatedegreeataschoolaccreditedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation• Beenrolledpart-time(6ormorecredithourspersemester/term)orfull-time(12ormorecredithoursper

semester/term)• Maintaina2.0cumulativeGPAona4.0scale

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Navy-MarineReliefCoreSociety(NMCRS)EducationAssistanceProgramhttp://www.nmcrs.org/pages/education-loans-and-scholarships

AwardAmount:No-interestloansandgrantsofupto$3,000per12-monthperiod

TheNavy-MarineReliefCoreSociety(NMCRS)EducationAssistanceProgramprovidesfinancialassistanceforspousesofactivedutyNavyandMarineCorpsservicemembersandchildrenofactivedutyNavyandMarineCorpsservicemembersforundergraduateeducationatanaccredited2-or4-yeareducation,technicalorvocationalinstitutionintheUnitedStates..

Eligibility:

• Mustbeenrolled,orplanningtoenroll,full-timefortheentireacademicyear• Mustbeenrolledatanaccreditedcollege/universityapprovedbyDept.ofEducation• Beachildofanactiveduty,retiredordeceasedSailororMarineundertheageof23onMay1,2016• BeaspouseofanactivedutyorretiredSailororMarine• Haveacumulative2.7GPAorbetterona4.0scale• Demonstratefinancialneed• BeeinDEERS(DefenseEligibilityEnrollmentReportingSystem)

GeneralHenryH.ArnoldEducationGrantProgram

http://www.afas.org/education-grants

AwardAmount:Varies

TheGeneralHenryH.ArnoldEducationGrantProgramisofferedbytheAirForceAidSociety(AFAS)andiscommittedtohelpingAirForcemembersandtheirfamiliespursetheireducationalgoals.

Eligibility:

Applicantsmustbeinoneofthefollowingcategories(items1-3)andmeetallothereligibilitycriterialistedbelow(items4-6):

1) DependentsonsanddaughtersofAirForcemembersinoneofthefollowingcategories:o ActiveDuty,Title10AGR/Reserveonextendedactiveduty,andTitle32AGRperformingfull-time

activeduty.AllmembersmustbeonactivedutythroughDecember1,2016(allotherGuardandReservearenoteligible).

o Retiredduetolengthofactivedutyserviceordisability,orretiredAGR/Reservewith20+qualifyingyearscreditableforretiredpay(allothersarenoteligible)

o Deceasedwhileonactivedutyorinretiredstatus

Forfinancialaidpurposes,a"dependent"studentisonewhowillnotreachage24duringtheawardyear;willnotbeagraduateorprofessionalstudent;willnotbeaveteran;willnotbeanorphanorwardofthecourt;willnotbemarriedorhavelegaldependentsotherthanaspouse.

2) SpousesofActiveDutymembersandTitle10AGR/Reservistsonextendedactiveduty.Member'sactivedutystatusmustextendthroughDecember1,2016.Eligiblespousesmustbelegallymarriedtomember(notseparatedorpendingdivorce)attimeofapplicationanddisbursementofaward.

3) SurvivingspousesofAirForcememberswhodiedwhileonactivedutyorinretiredstatus.4) Willbeahighschoolgraduateenrolledoracceptedasafull-timeundergraduatestudentinthe2016-

2017academicyear.(NOTE:Studentsenrolledexclusivelyindistanceeducationcoursesshouldcheckwiththeirschoolofficialtoverifytheirenrollmentasmeetingschool'sfull-timestatusrequirements.)

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Willbeenrolledoracceptedinanaccreditedcollege,universityorvocational/tradeschoolapprovedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationforparticipationinfederalaidprograms.inatleastacumulative2.0gradepointaverage(GPA)ona4.0gradingscale.

WOMEN:

JaneM.KlausmanWomeninBusinessScholarship

http://www.zonta.org/WhatWeDo/InternationalPrograms/JaneMKlausmanWomenInBusinessScholarship.aspx

AwardAmount:$1,000eachatthedistrict/regionlevel;$7,000attheinternationallevel

TheJaneM.KlausmanWomeninBusinessScholarship,operatedbytheZontaClub,isawardedannuallytowomenpursuinganundergraduateormaster’sdegreeinbusinessmanagement.

Eligibility:

• Womenofanyagepursuingabusinessorbusiness-relateddegreewhodemonstrateoutstandingpotentialinthefieldareeligible(undergraduateandgraduate).

• Onlinestudentsarealsoeligible.• MembersandemployeesofZontaInternationalortheZontaInternationalFoundationarenoteligibleto

applyfortheScholarships.

JeannetteRankinFoundationforLowIncomeWomen

http://www.rankinfoundation.org/

AwardAmount:Varies

JeannetteRankinWomen'sScholarshipFundprovidesscholarshipstowomenage35orolderwhodemonstratefinancialneedandwhoareenrolledinanundergraduateorvocationaltrainingprogram.

Eligibility:

• Awoman,age35orolder• Low-income • AU.S.citizenorPermanentResidentoftheUnitedStates• Pursuinganundergraduatedegree• Enrolledin,oracceptedto,aregionallyorACICSaccreditedschool

GoogleAnitaBorgMemorialScholarship

http://www.google.com/anitaborg/us/

AwardAmount:$10,000

ThisscholarshipisadministeredbyGoogleinthememoryofDr.AnitaBorgandsupportswomenintechnology.

Eligibility:

• U.S.Citizensandpermanentresidents,internationalstudents

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• MustbeafemaleundergraduateorgraduatestudentenrolledintheUnitedStatesforthe2016-2017academicyear

• Beenrolledinacomputerscienceorcomputerengineeringdegree,oracloselyrelatedprogram• Maintainastrongacademicrecord• Showleadershipandpassionforintroducingwomenintothecomputersciencefield

Women’sIndependenceScholarshipProgram(WISP)

http://www.wispinc.org/Scholarship/tabid/56/Default.aspx

AwardAmount:Varies

WISPwascreatedtosupportsurvivorsofintimatepartnerabuseinearninganeducationtoimprovetheiremployabilityandachievefinancialstability.

Eligibility:

• Womenwhohavesurvivedintimatepartnerabuseandhavebeenseparatedfromtheirabuseraminimumofoneyear—butnomorethanseven.

• CitizenorpermanentlegalresidentoftheU.S.(eligibleforFAFSA)• AppliedfororacceptedintoanaccreditedprogramataU.S.institution• Demonstrateastrongneedforfinancialassistance• Showastrongdesireandabilitytocompleteyourtraining/academicprogram

MicrosoftResearchWomen’sFellowshipProgram

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/academic-program/womens-fellowship-program/

AwardAmount:$20,000;$18,000towardtuitionand$2,000towardstravelexpensestoaconferenceintherecipient’sfieldofstudy

TheMicrosoftResearchWomen’sFellowshipProgramprovidesfundingforselectacademicuniversitiestoprovidefellowshipstowomeninterestedinpursuingaPhDandinneedoffinancialassistance.RecipientsalsohaveachancetoengagewithMicrosoftresearchersintheirareaofstudy.

Eligibility:

• WomenenrolledinaparticipatinguniversityandinterestedinorcurrentlypursuingaPhD• Demonstratefinancialneed• Haveahighpotentialforengagingincomputingresearch• Remainanactive,full-timePhDstudentduringtheacademicyearoftheaward

SocietyofWomenEngineers(SWE)ScholarshipProgram

http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/swe-scholarships

AwardAmount:Rangesfrom$1,000to$15,000

TheSWEScholarshipProgramwascreatedtoprovidefinancialassistancetowomenacceptedtoaccrediteddegreeprogramsthatpreparethemforcareersinengineeringtechnology,engineeringandcomputerscience.

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Eligibility:

• WomenenrolledoracceptedintoabaccalaureateorgraduateABET-accreditedengineering,computing,ortechnologydegreeprogram

• Beinapositiontoreceivethescholarshipintheschoolyearitisrewarded• HaveaminimumGPAof3.0/4.0forupper-classapplicants• Beafull-timestudent(unlessreentryornon-traditionalapplicants)• BeaU.S.citizenorpermanentresidentforsomescholarships• NotalreadyarecipientofarenewableSWEScholarship• Notreceivingfullfundingforeducationfromtheirschooloranotherorganization

AliceT.SchaferMathematicsPrizeforExcellenceinMathematics

https://sites.google.com/site/awmmath/programs/schafer-prize

AwardAmount:Notspecified

OfferedbytheAssociationofWomeninMathematics(AWM),thisprizeisawardedbynomination—frommembersofthemathematicalcommunity—toanundergraduatewomanwhohasillustratedexcellenceinthefield.

Eligibility:

• Womenatanylevelintheirundergraduatecareers• Mustbeanundergraduatestudentwhennominated• MustbeaU.S.citizenorhaveaschooladdressinthecountry• Showhighperformanceinadvancedmathematiccourses/specialprograms• Demonstratearealinterestinthesubjectarea

AmericanAssociationofUniversityWomen(AAUW)SelectedProfessionsFellowships

http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/selected-professions-fellowships/


TheSelectedProfessionsFellowshipprogram,offeredbytheAAUW,wascreatedtosupportforwomeningraduateandprofessionalprogramsinfieldswherefemalerepresentationhastraditionallybeenlow.Fellowshipsareawardedformaster’sprogramsinarchitecture,computer/informationsciences,engineering,andmathematics/statistics.Awardsformaster’sinbusinessadministration,law,anddoctorateinmedicinedegreeprogramsarerestrictedtowomenofcolor.

Eligibility:

• WomenwhoarecitizensorpermanentresidentsoftheU.S.• Musthaveachievedahighstandardofacademicexcellence• Mustshowpromiseinyourrespectivefield• Beafull-timestudentatanaccreditedU.S.institutionforthefullacademicyearofthefellowship• Priorityisgiventowomenwhodon’talreadyhaveamaster’sorprofessionaldegree

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BusinessandProfessionalWomen’sFoundation(BPWF)CareerAdvancementScholarship

http://bpwfoundation.org/bpw-in-your-community/career-advancement-scholarship/

AwardAmount:Varies

TheCareerAdvancementScholarshipprogram,operatedbyLegacyPartnersoftheBPWF,isopentowomenpursuingtheireducationinscience,technology,engineering,ormathematics(STEM}—orarelatedfield.

Eligibility:

• Womenwhoare25yearsoldandup• MustbeaU.S.citizen• Mustbewithin2yearsofcompletingaSTEMbachelor’sdegreefromanaccreditedinstitution

InterestedapplicantsshouldcontacttheBPWFLegacyPartnersintheirareadirectlyformoreinformation.

P.E.OGrantProgramforContinuingEducation(PCE)

http://www.peointernational.org/about-peo-program-continuing-education-pce

AwardAmount:Upto$3,000

P.E.Ocreatedthisneed-basedgrantprogramtoprovideone-timefinancialassistancetowomenwhoarereturningtoschooltoearnadegreeorcertificationthatwillimprovetheiremploymentcredentialstohelpthemsupportthemselves—and/ortheirfamilies.MembershipinP.E.OisnotarequirementbyaccesstotheonlineapplicationisonlygivenaftermembersofaP.E.Ochapterhavevotedtosponsoranapplicant.

Eligibility:

• WomenwhoarecitizensorlegalpermanentresidentsoftheU.S.orCanada• Mustbeenrolledinadegreeorcertificationprogram• MustliveandstudyintheU.S.orCanadaforyourentirecourseofstudy• Musthavehadaminimumof24consecutivemonthsasanon-studentatsomepointinyouradultlife• Mustbewithin24consecutivemonthsofcompletingyoureducationalprogram,whichwillleadto

employmentorjobadvancement—andmustcompletetheprogramwithin24monthsofthebeginningdateofthetermyouarerequestingthegrantfor

AmeliaEarhartFellowship

http://www.zonta.org/Global-Impact/Education/Amelia-Earhart-Fellowship

AwardAmount:$10,000

AwardedbyZontaInternationalinhonorofAmeliaEarhart,thisgrantprogramwascreatedtohelp35talentedwomeninaerospace-relatedsciencesandaero-spaceengineeringwhoarepursingPh.D.orDoctoraldegreesinthefield.

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Eligibility:

• WomenofanynationalitypursuinganapplicablePh.D.orDoctoraldegree• Mustdemonstrateasuperioracademicrecordinaerospace-relatedsciencesoraerospace-related

engineering• Mustberegisteredinafull-timeprogramwhenthegrantisreceived• MustnotbeamemberoremployeeofZontaInternationalortheZontaInternationalFoundation

SINGLEPARENTS:

ArkansasSingleParentScholarshipFund(ASPSF)

http://www.aspsf.org/

AwardAmount:Varies

TheASPSFwasstartedtohelpsupportsinglemothersandfathersastheypursuetheireducationtohelpfurthertheircareers.Scholarshipscanbeusedtohelpcoverpersonallivingexpenseslikegas,groceries,utilities—andchildcare.

Eligibility:

Eligibilityrequirementsvarybycounty.Findyourcountyhereformoreinformation.

AnnandPeterZieglerScholarship

http://www.cnm.edu/depts/financial-aid/scholarships/documents/ann-and-peter-ziegler.pdf

AwardAmount:Notspecified

TheCNMFoundationcreatedtheAnnandPeterZieglerScholarshiptohelpsinglemothersmajoringinLiberalArtswhoplantotransfertoafour-yearinstitution.

Eligibility:

• SinglemothersmajoringinLiberalArts• Plantotransfertoa4-yearinstitution• HaveaGPAof3.0orhigher• Beenrolledinaminimumof9hours• Havecompletedatleast12college-levelcreditsatCNM• HavecompletedFAFSAandshowunmetneed• Maintainsatisfactoryacademicprogress

CapturetheDreamScholarshipFund

http://www.capturethedream.org/programs/scholarship-fund/

AwardAmount:$1,000

ThegoaloftheCapturetheDreamScholarshipfundistohelpprovidesingleparentsandminoritystudentsinCalifornia’sBayAreawiththemeanstopursueahighereducation.

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Eligibility:

• Low-incomesinglemotherorfather/minoritystudent• Enrolledatanaccreditednot-for-profit2or4-yearinstitutioninthefall• Showaleadershiphistory/communityservicerecord• Haveprofessionalrecommendations• Academicperformance

ApplicantsmusthavelivedintheGreaterSanFranciscoBayArea—includingAlameda,ContraCosta,Marin,Napa,SanFrancisco,SanMateo,SantaClara,SolanoandSonomacounty—foratleasttwoyearspriortotheapplicationdeadline.

WomeninTransitionScholarship

http://www.efwa.org/scholarships_undergraduate.php

AwardAmount:Upto$16,000over4years

Thisscholarship,offeredbytheEducationalFoundationforWomeninAccounting(EFWA),wascreatedforawomanwhoistheprimarysourceofsupportinherfamily—andisenrollingasafreshmantoearnabachelor’sdegreeinaccounting.

Eligibility:

• FemaleU.S.citizenpursuinganaccountingdegreeatanaccreditedU.S.school• Showcommitmenttothegoalofpursuingacareerasanaccountingorfinanceprofessional(including

evidenceafterreceivingtheaward)• Demonstrateaptitudeinaccountingandbusinessthroughpriorcourseworkorworkexperience• Showclearevidenceofanestablishedpersonalandprofessionalplantoachieveyourgoals• Displayfinancialneed

AmericanAssociationofUniversityWomen(AAUW)CareerDevelopmentGrants

http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/career-development-grants/cdg-application/


TheAAUW’sCareerDevelopmentGrantsweredevelopedtohelpwomenwhowanttomakecareerchanges,advancetheircareers,orreentertheworkforcebypursuingadditionalhighereducation,technicaltraining—orparticipatinginprofessionaldevelopmentinstitutes.Womenofcolorpursuingcredentialsinnon-traditionalfields,andwomenwhodonotcurrentlyhaveanadvanceddegree,willbegivenprimaryconsideration.

Eligibility:•WomenwhoarecitizensorpermanentresidentsoftheU.S.•Musthaveearnedabachelor’sdegreeonorbeforeJune30,2012•Mustnotholdanearnedgraduateorprofessionaldegree•Plantoenrollinorareenrolledincoursesthatarerequiredforprofessionalemployment/advancement•Plantoenrollorareenrolledineither:abachelor’sorassociatedegreeprogramthatisdifferentfromthefieldofstudyofourpreviouslyearnedbachelor’sdegree;amaster’sdegreeprogram;acertificationprogram;atechnicalschool;oraprofessionaldegreesuchaslawormedicinePleasevisittheAAUWwebsiteforadditionaleligibilityinformation.

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SINGLEPARENTS:

EscrowTech’sScholarshipforSingleParents

http://www.efwa.org/scholarships_undergraduate.phpv

AwardAmount:$1,000

ThisscholarshipprogramwasdevelopedbyEscrowTechtohelpeasethefinancialburdenofpursuinganeducation—andafuturecareer—asasingleparent.

Eligibility:

• Beasingleparent• Attendanaccreditedcollegeoruniversity• HaveaminimumGPAof3.0• Be18yearsorolder

BethelFoundationGraceScholarshipFund

http://www.bethelfoundationusa.com/programs_for_single_mothers.aspx

AwardAmount:$3,000

ThepurposeoftheBethelFoundationGraceScholarshipFundistohelpsinglemotherscoverthecostsoftuitionandbookswhilepursuingacourseofinstructiontoincreasetheirearningpotential.

Eligibility:

• BeacitizenoftheU.S.atornearthepovertylevel• HaveahighschooldiplomaorGED(mustnothaveanundergraduatedegree)• Bethesinglehead-of-a-householdwithsolecustodyofoneofmorechildrenunder18years• Pursueacareer-orientedcourseofstudytoimproveyourfamily’sstandardofliving• BearecipientofaPellGrantorintheprocessofobtainingone

MINORITIES:

Minorities(allminorities)

TheGatesMillenniumScholars

http://www.gmsp.org

AwardAmount:Varies

ThesescholarshipsarefundedbyagrantfromtheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation.

Eligibility:

• AreAfricanAmerican,AmericanIndian/AlaskaNative,AsianPacificIslanderAmericanorHispanicAmericanoramemberofanotherminoritygroup

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• Areacitizen/legalpermanentresidentornationaloftheUnitedStates• HaveattainedacumulativeGPAof3.3ona4.00scale(unweighted)attimeofnomination• WillbeenteringaU.S.accreditedcollegeoruniversityasfull-time,degreeseekingfreshmen• Havedemonstratedleadershipabilitiesthroughparticipationincommunityservice,extra-curricularor

otheractivities• MeettheFederalPellGranteligibilitycriteria• Havebothrequiredforms(NominatorFormandRecommenderForm)completedandsubmittedbythe

deadline

JackieRobinsonFoundationScholar

http://www.jackierobinson.org/apply/applicants/AwardAmount:Upto$7,500peryearforfouryears

TheJackieRobinsonFoundationawardsscholarshipstohighschoolseniorswhoareminoritiesandshowdedicationtoacademics,leadershipandtheircommunity.

Eligibility:

• Beagraduating,minorityhighschoolsenior• Plantoattendanaccreditedandapprovedfour–yearinstitutionwithintheUnitedStates• Showleadershippotential• Demonstrateadedicationtocommunityservice• AminimumSATscoreof1,000combinedonthemathandcriticalreadingsectionsoracompositeACT

scoreof21• Presentevidenceoffinancialneed• BeaUnitedStatesCitizen• Notpossessadegreefroma2or4–yearcollegewhenapplyingforthescholarship

AfricanAmericanHeritage

TheRonBrownScholarProgram

https://www.ronbrown.org/section/apply/rbsp-application

AwardAmount:$10,000annuallyforfouryears

TheRonBrownScholarProgramawardsscholarshipstoAfrican-Americanhighschoolseniorswhodemonstrateacademicexcellenceandleadershippotential.

Eligibility:

• MustbeU.S.citizensorpermanentresidents• MustbeBlackorAfricanAmericanandcurrenthighschoolseniorsatthetimeoftheirapplication• Currentcollegestudentsarenoteligibletoapply• Applicantsshoulddemonstrateacademicachievement,exhibitleadershipability,participateincommunity

serviceactivitiesanddemonstratefinancialneed

RonaldMcDonaldHouseCharitiesScholarships

http://www.rmhc.com/what-we-do/rmhc-u-s-scholarships/

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AwardAmount:Varies

RMHCGlobaloffersscholarshipstostudentswithfinancialneedwhohavedemonstratedacademicachievement,leadershipandcommunityinvolvement.ThisorganizationhasdifferentscholarshipsforstudentsofAsian-Pacific,AfricanAmerican,andHispanic/LatinoHeritage.

Eligibility:

• • Beahighschoolsenior• Beyoungerthan21yearsold• Beeligibletoattendatwo-orfour-yearcollege,universityortechnicalschoolwithafullcourseofstudy• BealegalU.S.resident• HaveaminimumGPAof2.7• LiveinaparticipatingRMHCChapter’sgeographicarea• Submitacompleteapplicationandallrequireddocumentationbythedeadlineontheapplication• Meetanyadditionaleligibilityrequirementsoutlinedbyeachscholarshipprogram• Provideverificationofenrollmenteachyearatrespectiveaccreditedpost-secondaryinstitution

HispanicHeritage

TheHispanicScholarshipFund(HSF)

http://www.hsf.net/scholarships-home.aspx

AwardAmount:Rangesfrom$500-$5,000

TheHispanicScholarshipFund(HSF)isthenation’sleadingorganizationsupportingHispanichighereducation.Thereareseveraldifferentscholarshipswithslightlydifferentrequirements,butthegeneralrequirementsareasfollows.

SomeEligibilityRequirementsInclude:

• AreofHispanicHeritage:personsdescendedfromMexican,PuertoRican,Cuban,Dominican,CentralAmerican(excludingBelize),SouthAmerican(excludingGuyana,SurinameandFrenchGuiana),orotherSpanishcultures

• AreaU.S.citizenORlegalpermanentresidentwithavalidpermanentresidentcardorpassportstampedI-551

• Asahighschoolstudent,haveaminimum3.0cumulativeGPAona4.0scale(ortheequivalent)• Asanundergraduate,haveaminimumof2.5GPAona4.0scale(orequivalent)• Arepursuingorplantopursueyourfirstundergraduateorgraduatedegree• MustapplyforfederalfinancialaidusingtheFreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)• MustcompletestateDreamActfinancialaidapplication(ifapplicable)

HispanicCollegeFundScholarship

http://www.hispanicfund.org/

AwardAmount:Rangesfrom$1,000-$15,000

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TheHispanicCollegeFundprovidestalentedandunderprivilegedHispanicswithvision,mentors,resourcesandscholarships.Theyhaveseveraldifferentscholarshipsavailable,eachwithdifferentrequirements,butthegeneralrequirementsareasfollows:

SomeEligibilityRequirementsInclude:

• MustbeaU.S.citizenorpermanentresidentresidingintheUnitedStates• Mustbestudyingfull-timeintheUnitedStatesorPuertoRico• Asahighschoolstudent,haveaminimumcumulative3.00GPAbasedona4.0scale(orequivalent);asa

college/graduatestudent,haveaminimumofa2.5GPAona4.0scale(orequivalent)• Mustbeatleastone-quarterHispanic/Latino

NativeAmerican(AmericanIndian)Heritage

WellsFargoAmericanIndianScholarshiphttps://aigc.academicworks.com/opportunities/328

AwardAmount:Varies

ThisscholarshipissponsoredbyWellsFargoandadministeredbytheAmericanIndianGraduateCenter.ItismeanttohelpAmericanIndianstudentspursueagraduatedegree.

Eligibility:

• MustbeanenrolledmemberofafederallyrecognizedAmericanIndianTribeorAlaskanNativeGroup• Pursuingacareerinbanking,resortmanagement,gamingoperations,ormanagementoradministration

(includingaccounting,finance,informationtechnology,andhumanresources)• Full-timejuniororseniorundergraduatestudent,oragraduatestudent• MeetFederalPellGranteligibilityrequirements• Maintaina3.0ona4.0scale• Demonstratefinancialneed

AsianAmericanHeritage

Asian&PacificIslanderAmericanScholarshipFund

http://www.apiasf.org/scholarship_apiasf.html

AwardAmount:$2,500-$15,000

TheAPIASFhelpsdeservingAsianAmericanandPacificIslander(AAPI)studentscompletepost-secondaryeducationthroughfinancialassistance.

Eligibility:

• BeofAsianand/orPacificIslanderethnicityasdefinedbytheU.S.Census• Beacitizen,national,orlegalpermanentresidentoftheUnitedStates.CitizensoftheRepublicofthe

MarshallIslands,FederatedStatesofMicronesiaandtheRepublicofPalauarealsoeligibletoapply.• BeenrollinginaU.S.accreditedcollegeoruniversityintheFallof2016.Pleasereadeachlistingforspecific

eligibilityrequirementsregardingtheacademicstandingrequiredforeachscholarship.• HaveaminimumcumulativeGPAof2.7ona4.0scale(unweighted)orhaveearnedaGED• MustapplyforfederalfinancialaidusingtheFreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)• Submitoneletterofrecommendationonline

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SEEDFoundationScholarship

http://www.seedfoundation.org/scholarship.html

AwardAmount:Varies(couldn’tconfirm$10,00figure)

TheSEEDFoundationScholarshipsupportsAsian-Indiancollege-boundhighschoolseniorspursuingacollegeeducation.

Eligibility:

• MustbeofAsian-IndianheritagewithatleastoneparentfrompresentdayIndia• MustbeagraduatingU.S.highschoolsenior• HaveaminimumG.P.A.of3.0ona4.0scale• Mustenrollasafull-timeundergraduatestudentinaU.S.universityintheFall• MustbealegalresidentoftheU.S.

ACADEMICPERFORMANCE:

NationalMeritScholarshipProgram

http://www.nationalmerit.org/

AwardAmount:Varies

TheNationalMerit®ScholarshipProgramisanacademiccompetitionforrecognitionandscholarshipsthatbeganin1955.Therearemanyscholarshipsgivenoutinthiscompetition,includingthousandsofcorporateandcollegesponsoredscholarships.

Eligibility:

• TakethePSAT/NMSQT®inthespecifiedyearofthehighschoolprogramandnolaterthanthethirdyearingrades9through12,regardlessofgradeclassificationoreducationalpattern

• Beenrolledfulltimeasahighschoolstudent,progressingnormallytowardgraduationorcompletionofhighschool,andplanningtoenrollfulltimeincollegenolaterthanthefallfollowingcompletionofhighschool

• BeacitizenoftheUnitedStates;orbeaU.S.lawfulpermanentresident(orhaveappliedforpermanentresidence,theapplicationforwhichhasnotbeendenied)andintendtobecomeaU.S.citizenattheearliestopportunityallowedbylaw

HIGHSCHOOLSENIORS:

TheJackKentCookeCollegeScholarship

http://www.jkcf.org/scholarship-programs/college-scholarship/

AwardAmount:Upto$40,000peryear

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ThemissionoftheJackKentCookeFoundationistohelpyoungpeopleofexceptionalpromisereachtheirfullpotentialthrougheducation.

Eligibility:

• PlantograduatefromaUShighschoolinspring2016• Intendtoenrollinanaccreditedfour-yearcollegebeginninginfall2016• EarnacumulativeunweightedGPAof3.5orabove• ReceiveanSATcombinedcriticalreadingandmathscoreof1200orhigherand/orACTcompositescoreof

26orabove• Demonstratesignificantunmetfinancialneed

AmericanFireSprinklerAssociationScholarship

http://www.afsascholarship.org/

AwardAmount:$1,000-$2,000

TheAmericanFireSprinklerAssociationbelievesineducationandtrainingandoffers$2,000annualscholarshipsto10eligiblehighschoolgraduateapplicantsand$1,000to5eligiblehighschoolgraduateswhoarepursuingacollegedegreeortradeschooleducation..

Eligibilitydiffersforhighschoolapplicantsandpost-highschoolapplicants.Eligibilityrequirementssharedbybothscholarshipsinclude:

• U.S.citizensandalienslegallyresidingintheU.S.• Winnerschosennotbasedonfinancialneed

MISCELLANEOUSSCHOLARSHIPS:

Unigo$10KScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/unigo-10k-scholarship

AwardAmount:$10,000

Deadline:December31,2016

TheUnigo$10KScholarshipwasfoundedonthebeliefthatcollegeisasmartinvestment,withapotentiallyevengreaterreturn.In250wordsorless,applicantsmustexplainwhethertheythinkcollegeisaworthyinvestmentandwhy.

Eligibility:

• Bethirteen(13)yearsofageorolderatthetimeofapplication• Belegalresidentsofthefifty(50)UnitedStatesortheDistrictofColumbia• Becurrentlyenrolled(orenrollnolaterthanthefallof2022)inanaccreditedpost-secondaryinstitutionof

highereducation

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UnigoEducationMattersScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/education-matters-scholarship

AwardAmount:$5,000

Deadline:November30,2016

TheEducationMattersScholarshipgivesstudentstheopportunitytotalkaboutwhyeducationissoimportanttothem.In250wordsorless,studentscananswerthesethought-provokingquestionsaboutthevalueofacollegeeducation:Whydoeseducationmattertoyou?Whatisthevalueyouhopetoreceivefromcollege?Whatwouldyoudotoconvincethecollegecynics?

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoMakeMeLaughScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/make-me-laugh-scholarship

AwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:August31,2016

MakeMeLaughisafunscholarshipthatinjectssomehumorandfunintothescholarshipapplicationprocess.Doyouhaveanembarrassingorfunnystorytotell?Shareyourexperiencebysubmittingashortonlineresponse(250wordsorless)describinganincidentinyourlife,funnyorembarrassing,factorfiction.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoShoutItOutScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/shout-it-out-scholarship

AwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:September30,2016

TheShoutItOutScholarshipgivesstudentsaplatformtospreadthewordandmaketheirvoicesheard.In250wordsorless,studentscanwriteaboutwhatever’sontheirmind.Whetherit’sanimportantmessagefortheworld,orsimplyaheartfeltmessageforafamilymember,theShoutItOutScholarshipcommitteewantstohearit.

Eligibility:

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highereducation

UnigoZombieApocalypseScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/zombie-apocalypse-scholarship

Areyouafanof“TheWalkingDead”orotherzombie-themedTVshows,movies,orbooks?Whatifazombieapocalypsewasn’tjustfiction?TheZombieApocalypseScholarshipcommitteewantstoknowallaboutyourzombiesurvivalplan.In250wordsorless,shareyourstrategytoavoidthezombies,whereyouwouldhide,andthetopfivethingsyou’dbringtostayalive.

AwardAmount:$2,000

Deadline:October31,2016

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoIHaveaDreamScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/i-have-a-dream-scholarship

AwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:January31,2017

Whenwedream,ourimaginationsourlimitless.TheIHaveaDreamScholarshipcommitteewantstohearaboutyourdreams,whetherit’sabizarreoneyouhadlastweek,oryourhopesforthefuture.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoTopTenListScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/top-ten-list-scholarship

AwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:December31,2016

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TheTop10Scholarshipgivesstudentsthechancetoshowwhat’strulyspecialanduniqueaboutthem.In250wordsorless,createalistofthetop10reasonswhyyoushouldbeselectedtowinthisscholarship.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoAllAboutEducationScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/all-about-education-scholarship

AwardAmount:$3,000

Deadline:April30,2017

Educationcantrulychangeaperson'slife–andthisscholarshipjustmightbethatfirststep.In250wordsorless,letusknowwhywinningascholarshipforeducationmatterstoyou.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoSuperpowerScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/superpower-scholarshipAwardAmount:$2,500

Deadline:March31,2017

Forallthosesuperheroloversandvillainenthusiasts,thissuperscholarshipcangiveyouthepowertopotentiallywinascholarship(ifyouqualify).In250wordsorless,telltheSuperpowerScholarshipcommitteewhichsuperheroorvillainyouwouldwanttochangeplaceswithforadayandwhy.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoSweetandSimpleScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/sweet-and-simple-scholarship

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AwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:February28,2017

Sometimesthesimplestgiftsmakethebiggestimpact.In250wordsorless,telltheSweetandSimpleScholarshipcommitteeaboutsomethingyoureceivedasagiftandwhyitmeantsomuchtoyou.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoFlavoroftheMonthScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/flavor-of-the-month-scholarshipAwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:July31,2017

You’veheardofthefamousjobinterviewquestion,“Ifyouwereanicecreamflavor,whichonewouldyoube?”Nowisyouropportunitytoanswer!In250wordsorless,sharewhichicecreamflavorbestreflectsyourpersonalityandwhy.

Eligibility:


highereducation

UnigoDo-overScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/do-over-scholarshipAwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:June30,2017

Everwishyoucoulddo-overamomentinyourlife?Whatwelearnfrompastmistakescanteachinvaluablelessonsforourfuture.In250wordsorless,describewhichmomentinyourlifethatyou’dreliveandchange,andwhy.

Eligibility:


highereducation

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UnigoFifthMonthScholarship

https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/fifth-month-scholarshipAwardAmount:$1,500

Deadline:May31,2017

Thisscholarshipbringsawarenesstothenumberfive–andapplicationsaredueinthefifthmonthoftheyear,May!Answerthefollowingquestionin250wordsorless:“Writealettertothenumberfiveexplainingwhyfiveisimportant.Beseriousorfunny.Eitherway,here’sahighfivetoyouforbeingoriginal.”

Eligibility:


highereducation

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4. StudyTipsandMoreOnlinelearningcanbedifficultforsome.Luckily,thereareresourcesavailablethatmaymakeiteasiertolearnmoreeffectively.Thissectionincludestipsonhowyoucouldmakeyourenvironmentmoreconducivetoproductivestudying.Youwillalsofindmanylinkstoresourcesthatareavailableontheinternettohelpyouwithyourstudies.

CreatingthePerfectStudyingEnvironmentUseYourEyes:Findacomfortablespotforyourdesktopand/orlaptopstudyspace,butnottoocomfortable.Youdon'twanttodozeoffduringalecture,orevenworse,agrouppresentation.Ifyouhavemorethanonecomputeravailable,youmaywanttoconsidersettingoneuptothesidefornote-takingduringlecturesessions.Thiswillallowyouandyourprimarycomputertofocusontheclasssession,whilegivingyoutheflexibilitytotakenotesandlookupanypertinenttermsonyoursecondarycomputer.DirectYourEyes:Trytofindarelativelyquietspotwithgoodlightingandfewdistractions.Becausenooneisactuallywatchingyou,itcanbeeasytolosefocusorgetsidetrackedduringclassesorstudytime.Ifyoufindthatthebackgroundnoiseofatelevisionormusichelpsyoutotuneoutoutsideinfluences,usethistoyouradvantage.SaveYourEyes:Haveaprinteravailable.It'snotnecessarytohavetheprinterinyourprimarystudyarea,butyouwillbethankfultohaveonenearbythefirsttimeyoureceivea20-pagereadingassignmentfromanonlinesource.Whilereadingdirectlyfromwebpagesisacommonpracticeatthispoint,youreyeswillquicklyremindyouwhythemajorityofwebcontentisbrokenintosmall,easy-to-readsections.TheFirstDayofSchoolBePrepared:Assoonasyouhaveaccess,takealookatyourclasswebpagesorsitestocheckforanyrequiredtexts,software,orhardware,andjusttogetanideaofhowtonavigatetheonlineclassroomexperience.Takenoteofthepreferredmethodofcontactandcontactinformationforyourinstructorsandteachingassistants,aswellasinstructionsonformattingforemail,chatinteraction,etc.Everyinstructorwillhaveslightlydifferentrequirements,butremember,moreinformationisalmostalwaysbetterthannotenough.Forexample,mostinstructorswillrequireatleastyournameandcourse&sectionnumbersinthesubjectlineofemailcorrespondence.Sincetheyprobablyreceivehundredsofstudentemailsperday,youwanttobesuretoprovideasmuchinformationaspossiblebeforeyourinstructorsevenopenyourmessages.Lookatthecoursesyllabusand/orschedule,too,asclassessometimesrequireorrecommendreadingsorpreliminaryintroductory-typeassignmentsdueonorpriortothefirstdayofclass.Mostmajoruniversitiesalsohavemandatoryfirst-dayattendancepolicies.Don'tletaneasilyavoidedsoftwareissueonthefirstdaycauseyoutobedroppedfromaclass.BeAware:Lookforanybrowserconflicts,aswellasanycontentthatmaynotbedisplayedduetopop-upblockers,missingplug-ins,etc.It'salwaysagoodideatohaveanalternatebrowserinstalledandconfiguredincaseofanyunexpectedissues.CommonlyusedbrowsersincludeInternetExplorer,FirefoxandGoogleChrome.Besuretoarriveearlyenoughtoallowforanylast-minutebrowsertroubleshooting,bandwidthdetection,andspeakerand/ormicrophonecalibrations.BeProactive:Manyonlineschoolsarebeginningtousethird-partyinterfaces,suchasBlackBoardAcademic.Checkoutthefreetutorialsavailableonlinefortheseinterfaces,bothofficialandunofficial.Examplesinclude:

• http://ondemand.blackboard.com/students.htm• http://learn.maine.edu/services/student-services/quick-guides/bbguide/

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Don'tforget,yourmoreexperiencedclassmatescanbeagreatresource.Theymaybewillingtosharetheirpastexperiencestohelpsomeoneelseavoidthesamestumblingblocks.Coursecalendarscanbeyourgreatestasset,especiallywhentakingmorethanoneclasspersemester.Itmaybehelpfultocopyyourcoursecalendarstogetherintoonepaperand/ordigitalversion,usingcolor-codingtodistinguishbetweenclassesandtypesofassignments.Thiswillallowyoutoseeataglanceanypotentialschedulingconflicts,suchasalargepaperandagrouppresentationfromtwodifferentclasses,givingyouplentyoftimetoplantoworkaheadononeorboth.HowtoEffectivelyCommunicateOnlineSending&ReceivingEmail:Yourschoolshouldprovideyouwithaschoolemailaddress,usuallyoneendinginan.edu.Youshouldbeabletoaccessthisaddressfromwithintheschool'swebpageorsite,butyoumaywanttoconsiderhavingitforwardedtoyourpersonalemailaccountaswellsoyoudon'tmissanyimportant,time-sensitivemessages,andforarchivalpurposes.Remembertoprovidecourtesycopies(CC)toinstructors,teachingassistants,groupmembers,etc.,asthecircumstancesdictate.Alsobearinmindwhencommunicatingviathewebthatbodylanguageandvisualcues,twoofthebiggestfactorsincommunication,arenoticeablyabsentonline.Readwhatyou'vewrittenbeforesending,andifyouthinkitcouldbetakenthewrongway,carefullyrewordit.ParticipatinginandViewingRecordedClass&SmallGroupChatSessions:Everyinstructorwillhavespecificguidelinesforonlineclassconduct,andthismayvaryaccordingtotheformatoftheparticularclasssession.Formostlectures,youwillprobablyfindthattheinstructorwillutilizeanyavailablemicrophonecapabilities,whileleavingthechatwindowforstudentquestionsandcomments.Incontrast,forgrouppresentations,theinstructorwillmostlikelyallowmicrophoneaccesstooneormoregroupmemberstofacilitatethepresentationtotheclass.Keepinmindthatinachatsetting,sayingmoreinfewerwordsisideal,butdon'toveruseabbreviationstothepointthatnooneissurewhatyou'retalkingabout.Also,becarefulnottodominatetheconversationorcontinuetoprovideunnecessaryinformation.Yourclassmatesneedtomaketheirthoughtsandopinionsknownandmanyinstructorsassignaportionofeachstudent’sparticipationinclassroomactivities,sodon'tdenyotherstheirdiscussionpoints.Somegoodbasicrulesinclude:

• Avoidtypinginallcapitalletters(asthisisoftenreadasyellinginchatconversations)• Allowyourinstructortofinishspeakingortypingbeforeyoubegintoaskaquestionorrespondtoa

statement• Choosethecorrectoptionwhensendingprivatemessagestoprofessors,fellowgroupmembers,orspecific

classmatestoavoidpotentiallyembarrassingsituations

Eventhoughyourclassroomchatsessionsmaybesmallerthanmanyon-campusclassesyouhaveattended,andtheatmospheremayappeartobemorecasual,remembertokeepaprofessionaldemeanoratalltimes,avoidingsmileysandemoticons,andusingpunctuationsuchasexclamationpointstoaminimum.Chooseyourwordscarefullyandreviewyourchatentriesbeforesendingtoavoidanyeasily-fixedgrammaticalerrors.

KeepingupwithDiscussionBoards/Forums:Manyinstructorsusethediscussionboardorforumformattoconductongoingclassdiscussions,weeklyarticlepostings,smallgroupinteraction,andmore.Checkthepageorsiteforeachclasstotakefulladvantageofthediscussionboardsorforums.Youwilloftenfindanintroductionboardorforumforaclass,wherestudentspostsomebasicschoolandpersonalinformationforoneanothertoread.Thisisagoodplacetoscoutoutmoreexperiencedstudentsthatyoucanlooktoforleadershipandguidanceinthecomingweeks.They’vemostlikelybeenthroughtheonlineschoolprocessforatleastafewsemesters,andhaveafew“tricks”uptheirsleevesfortroubleshootingissueswiththeschool'sinterface.Heretoo,asinemailandchatcommunications,becarefulthattheintentofyourwordsisnotmistaken.AgoodtrickistocomposepostsinaseparateWorddocument,copyingandpastingtotheboardonlyafteryou’ve

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proofreadit.Onceyoupostathreadtotheboardorforum,it'susuallyupthereforgood,andyoudon'twanttohavetopostareplyexplainingtherealintentofyouroriginalthread.AccessingandUsingRecordedLectures/Notes:Moreoftenthannot,onlineinstructorssometimesrecordtheirclassroomandlecturesessionssothatstudentscangobackandlistenagain.Usually,therequiredplaybacksoftwarewillbeincludedintheschool'sinterface,butbepreparedtodownloadandinstallanewplayerifnecessary.Manyprofessorsdonothaveanofficialattendancepolicyafterthefirstclasssession,butremember,ifyouaren'ttherefortheclasssession,youcan'taskanyquestionsyoumayhavewhileyou'relisteningtoarecording.Evenifyou'vedoneallthereadingandthinkyouhavethematerialdown,it'salwaysagoodideatoattendasmanyclasssessionsaspossible.Thiswillhelpmaketheonlineexperiencemoresocial,enhancetheoveralllearningexperiencethroughdiversityofthought,andmakeyoustandoutmoretoyourprofessors.

TimeManagementandProcrastinationPlanonPlanningAhead:Beawareofpaper,project,presentation,andotherdeadlines.Recordassignmentsfrommultipleclassesontoasinglecalendarsoyoucanbettermanageyourtimeandcompleteallofyourassignmentsbytheirdeadlines.Thegeneralstandardforonlineuniversitydistancelearningisthatforeveryhourspentinclass(lecture),astudentshouldexpecttospendtwotothreehoursoutsideofclasstimereading,studying,researching,etc.Formostundergraduatestudents,fulltimestatusrequiresacourseloadofatleasttwelvehours.Thismeansthatyoucanexpecttospendatleasttwelvehoursaweekinclass,alongwithatleast24to36hoursaweekoutsideofclass,foratotalof36to48hoursperweekintotalschooltime.Ifyouplantoworkafulltimejobwhileattendingschool,you'llalsohavethoseconsiderationstoplanaround,nottomentionfamilyobligations.Inotherwords,yourcalendarcouldbeyourgreatestallyinonlineschoolsurvival.StayonSchedule:Trytoavoiddistractions.Thingsthatmayseemlikeaprioritytodaycouldmakeyouwishyou'dspentthatextrahourstudyingcomefinalsweek.Remember,too,thattherewilloftenbesmallgroupmembersdependingonyourinput,feedback,research,andwhateverelsetheprojectmayentail.Ifyougetareputationfordroppingtheballandnotcarryingyourweightingroupsettings,youmaybesettingyourselfupforsomenegativegroupexperiencesofyourowndowntheline.Onemorethingtokeepinmind:instructorshavemultipleassignmentsandprojectsfrommultipleclassestogradeandgivefeedbackon,andsometimestheyliketotrytoworkaheadtoo.Itneverhurtsyourprofessors'opinionsofyoutoaskifyoucanturninanassignmentearly.WidenYourFocus:Sometimesstudentscangetsocaughtupintheeverydayroutinesofworkandfamily,theyforgetthatschoolisanongoingprocess.Smallbutextremelyimportantthingslikereapplyingforfinancialaidorregisteringfornextsemester'sclassesbeforetheyfillupmayfallthroughtheproverbialcracks.Youwillprobablyreceiveemailandotherformsofnotificationfordeadlines,butitiseasytolosetrackofcutoffdatesfornextsemesterwhentryingtokeepstraightpaper,project,quiz,andexamdatesformultipleclasses.

TheInternet—AValuableStudyTool

BeDriven:Don'twaittostartlookingforpossible(andhopefullythought-provoking)anglesforpapersandgroupprojects.Remember,themoreoriginalyourthoughtprocess,themorelikelyyourprofessorwillenjoyreadingyourpapersorhearingyourpresentationsandrewardyouwithahighgrade.It'salsomaybemorelikelythattheywillrememberyouandmaybewillingtooverlooksomeofyourlessthanstellarwork,too.Anothergoodreasontostartearlyongroupprojectsandpresentations:ifyoualreadyhaveaninteresting,originalsoundingsubjectandargumentpreparedforthegroup'sfirstmeeting,youwillnotonlyimpressyourfellowgroupmembers,youwillbemorelikelytoproduceaprojectorpresentationthatactuallyinterestsyou(andhopefullyyourinstructor).

BeDiscerning:Useyourintuitionandyoursenseswhenevaluatinginformationsources.WhileWikipediaisawealthofinformation,entriesarecommonlyincompleteorinaccurate.Nevertheless,itcanbeagoodstartingpoint,andthereferencesandexternallinkswilloftengiveyouabetterideaofthedependabilityoftheinformation.

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Rememberthiswhenevaluatingotherinformationsourcesonline,aswell.Usealloftheinformationavailabletoyou—allwebpagesshouldincludethedatethattheywerelastupdated,andanyarticleorjournalthatdoesn'tincludeanycitationsorreferencesismostlikelyjustsomeone'sopinionorsalespitch.

Oneusefulclueisthepageextension(.com,.edu,.gov,.org)—iftheinformationappearsona.compage,rememberthatlikelysomeoneistryingtosellyousomething(.comstandsforcommerce),butifit'sona.edu(educational)or.gov(government)site,it'sgenerallyprettyaccurateandcurrentinformation.Nonprofitorganizationsoftenuse.orgextensionsfortheirpages.Whiletheirinformationmaysometimesbeuseful,rememberthattheseorganizationsalsohaveagendas,andthatanyfacts,figures,orstatisticsmaybeslightlyskewedinfavorofthegroup'sleanings.Don'tforgetoneofthemostobviouscluesinonlineresearch—theappearanceofthepagewheretheinformationappears.Ifthepagelooksunappealing,isoverlyflashyorcoveredinads,orlistsnoauthors,sources,orlastupdatedinformation,thenyouprobablydon'twanttolistitonyourworkscitedpage.

BeThorough:Exhaustallavenuesavailabletoyou.Mostmajoruniversitiesofferonlineaccesstotheirlibrariestodistancelearningstudents.Manyothersalsoprovideaccesstooutsideresearchlibrariesordatabasesaswell,suchasLexis-NexisAcademic,EBSCO,GaleAcademicResearch,WorldCat(OCLC),etc.Staywithintheassignmentguidelinesconcerningtypesofsourcesandrelativeageoftheinformation.Also,makesureyouonlyuserelevantfactualinformation.Justbecauseitcamebackonakeywordsearchdoesn'tnecessarilymeanthatitsupportsyourargument.Lookforanabstractorskimthepiecequicklytoensurethatitwillbeusefulbeforespendingmorevaluableresearchtimeonit

Don'tignoreoutsidefreeserviceseither.AregularwebsearchthroughaservicesuchasYahoo!orGooglemaybeagoodstartingplaceforkeywords.Afterthat,though,it'sprobablyagoodideatomoveontomorespecializedsearchengines.GoogleScholar,athttp://scholar.google.com/,hasmadelargestridesinprovidinginformationtotheonlinecommunityfreeofcharge.Don'tforgettousetheadvancedsearchoptionwhereyoucansearchkeywordswithoperatorslike“and”,“or”,and“butnot”toachievemorespecific,research-qualityresultswithouthavingtosiftthroughusuallyuselesscommercialandpromotionalmaterialsvaguelyassociatedwithyourtopic.

BerkeleyUniversityoffersanonlineresearchguide,http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html.Whileyoustillhavetobediscerninginallcases,don'tforgetthatevenanolderorlessreliablelookingsourcemayultimatelyleadtomoreauthoritative,dependablematerial,especiallyifitincludesabibliography,workscited,orreferencepage.Ifnothingelse,youmayidentifypossiblekeywordsyoucanusetofurtheryourresearch.

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5. OnlineLearningResourcesandToolsAsyoubeginyourjourneytoanonlineeducation,it’sagoodideatoidentifyresourcesthatcanhelpyousucceedineachofyourcourses.Asidefromthereferencematerialsavailableatyourlocalbookstore,youwillfindmanyresourcesonline.GoogleScholar(http://scholar.google.com)offersanadvancedsearchoptionthatcanbenarroweddownbysubjectarea,including:

• Biology,LifeSciencesandEnvironmentalScience• Business,Administration,FinanceandEconomics• ChemistryandMaterialsScience• Engineering,ComputerScienceandMathematics• Medicine,PharmacologyandVeterinaryScience• Physics,AstronomyandPlanetaryScience• SocialSciences,ArtsandHumanities.

EssayWritingandGrammarLessons

• www.aresearchguide.com:Thisisaninvaluabletoolforwritingresearchpapers.Youwilllearnthebasicsofplanning,organizing,researching,andwritingan'A'paper.

• http://dictionary.reference.com/writing:Thissiteprovidesthegrammar,style,andusagestandardsyouwillneedtoadheretowhenwritingforanycourse.Andbecauseit'sfromthedictionary.comwebsite,you'llalsohaveinstantaccesstodefinitions,synonyms,andspellingatyourfingertips.

• www.mla.org:Manyofyourprofessorswillrequireyoutowriteyouressaysandotherassignments

accordingtotheModernLanguageAssociationstyle.IfyoudonotpurchaseanMLAstyleguide,orifoneisnotprovidedbyyourprogram,youcanaccessallMLAsourcesfora$35fee.(Thisfeeissubjecttochange.PleasevisittheMLAwebsiteforcurrentinformation).

• www.encyclopedia.com:Thisonlineencyclopediaprovidesacomprehensivelistofinformationfrompublishedreferenceworks.SourcesincludeColumbiaUniversityPressandOxfordUniversity.

• www.grammarbook.com:Hereyouwillfindanswerstoyourquestionsaboutgrammar,punctuation,capitalization,andcommonlyconfusedwords,aswellasinteractiveactivitiesandtipsonresumewriting.

Mathematics

• www.google.com:Believeitornot,youcanopenyourbrowsertoGoogle.comandtypeamathematicalequationorexpressionintothesearchbar,hitenter,andGoogledisplaystheanswerasasearchresult.

• http://mathforum.org/math.topics.html:TheMathForum@Drexelisanon-profitprojectthatprovideslistsormorepopularmathresourcesgroupedbysubject.Formoredetailedsearches,youcanaccesstheInternetMathematicsLibrarypagehereaswell.CheckouttheHelppageforsomehelpfultipsonnavigatingthesite.

• www.mathpower.com:Thisisausefulsiteforanymathstudent,especiallytheadultlearner.Learnmethodstoreduce“mathanxiety”andlearnstudytipsviatutorials,videos,discussionsforums,andmore.Therearealsolinkstodifferentsubjects,likealgebra,statisticsandcalculus.Pre-algebrastudentswillalsofindagooddealofhelptogetthemthroughthoseintroductoryclassesandontocollegealgebra.

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History/SocialStudies

• www.refdesk.com/facthist.html:Thispageisthequintessentialhistorysubjectindex.Ifithappenedinhistory,thenit'shere.

• http://www.fsmitha.com/t-index.html:Thissiteisavirtualtimelineofbothnaturalandsocialhistory.Italsoincludesausefulsubjectindex.Youcanclickonsuccinctentriesofoneorafewsentencesandtheywillexpandtolonger,moredetailedarticlesonthespecifictimeperiod,person,orevent.

• http://www.socsciresearch.com/:Whilethetext-onlyversionofthepageisabiteasiertonavigate,don'tletthispage’sbrightcolorwheeldesigndeceiveyou.Allschoolsofthesocialsciencesarerepresentedhere,withacomprehensivelistofavailableresourcesforeach.

Science

• http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm:TheFederalResourcesforEducationalExcellenceprovides“teachingandlearningresourcesfromfederalagencies”inavarietyofsubjects,includingAppliedSciences,EarthSciences,LifeSciences,PhysicalSciences,SpaceSciences,andothersciences.

• http://scholar.google.com/advanced_scholar_search:Asmentionedintheintroductiontothissection,the

advancedsearchfeatureofthenewGoogleScholarserviceallowsyoutofiltersearchesbysubjectarea,includingthemajorbranchesofthebiologicalandphysicalsciences,aswellasmostofthesocialandbehavioralsciences.

Healthcare

• http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/discipline/opt/JAMA.html:This“HelpandInstruction”pageprovidesinformationontheAmericanMedicalAssociation'sJAMACitationStylefromtheUniversityofWaterlooinOntario,Canada.

• http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm:Thissiteincludesawealthofdiversehealth-relatedinformationfromthe

FederalResourcesforEducationalExcellence.

• http://www.rnstudents.com/:RNStudents.comoffersalistofnursingresources,includingadictionary,encyclopedia,linkstoRNforums,professionalassociations,jobboards,andevenahandylistofcommonlyusedabbreviations.

• http://www.adea.org/:Forthosestudyingtobecomedentists,thissitefromtheAmericanDental

EducationAssociationisanexcellentresource,providinglinksformanytopics,includingconsideringacareerindentistryorsettinguparesidencyaftergraduatingfromdentalschool.

• http://www.adha.org/:TheAmericanDentalHygienists'Associationis“thelargestprofessionalorganizationrepresentingtheinterestsofdentalhygienists,”andofferslinkstoinformationoneducation,continuingeducation,andcareerplacementforthoseintheindustry.Besuretocheckoutthisprofessionalassociationwhilestillinschool,astheyalsoofferscholarships,examtips,andastudentmembershiprate.

• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd.htm:TheCDC'sNationalCenterForHealthStatisticsisresponsibleformaintainingthemedicalcodingstandardsforthecurrentICD-9-CM.InformationonorderingprintedpublicationsfromtheNCHSisavailabledirectlyathttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products.htm

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Law

• www.lexis-nexis.com:Thiscomprehensivedatabaseoflegal(andmorerecently,othertypesof)informationisavailableonasubscriptionbasis.Manyonlinelawschoolsprovidestudentswithaccountstothisservice.

• https://lawschool.westlaw.com/shared/signon02.asp?path=%2fDesktopDefault.aspx:Lawschoolsfrequentlyprovidethisresourcetotheirstudents,andmanypracticinglawyerssubscribe,aswell.

• http://www.paralegals.org:TheNationalFederationofParalegalAssociationsofferslinkstovariouslaws,codes,statutes,andothervitalparalegalinformation,aswellastheprosandconsofdifferenttypesofavailablecompetencyexams,andevenacareercenter.

• http://www.nlrb.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/basic-page/node-1727/stylemanual.pdf:ThisfreeresourcefromtheNationalLaborRelationsBoardontheartandscienceoflegalwritingisaself-described“GuideforLegalWritinginPlainEnglish.”

ThisSuccessKitisforinformationalpurposesonlyandisnotaffiliatedwithorendorsedbytheU.S.governmentoranyoftheotherorganizationsmentionedherein.