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Tuesday, 14 August 2018

A Guide To Higher Education Fund Raising

By Larry Reed


The academic journey is an expensive one. Tuition is costly on its own. Add the cost of living and other study expenses such as books to that. While some families can afford to cover the tuition and everything else, others can only afford to contribute to a part of the living expenses. This forces the student into a part-time job situation. In some cases, this situation turns into a full-time thing and one may have to drop out of school. Regardless of the challenges, one is just not going to opt out of it. Thus, the many options available for higher education fund raising.

The most obvious option is a college loan. This is simple to get. Not too many complications. One can spread the payments over years and only pay a small portion every month or year. The interest rate is not exactly stifling. It is easy. But then, when one is starting out their career there is just too much going on. This alone might warrant a look into other options besides or in addition to the loan.

Grants are mostly given by the government or not for profit organizations. These may be based on a variation of things. It may be ethnicity or gender. It may also be because one is disabled. Or, just simply due to membership to a certain group. One of such opportunities is the well known is the Pell Grant. There are, however, about 200 more federal grants to choose from. This money is not paid back unlike the college loan.

A scholarship is another way to go. There are many ways to get one of these. One may get in touch with a specific company or organization that runs a scholarship. One may also gain a sports scholarship. Aside from that, there are two main types of scholarships. Merit scholarships are based on the GPA and academic capabilities of the scholar. Need-based are those gives to scholars from a needy/poor background.

In some cases, a scholar is asked to put in time working at the institution. In return, they get a stipend and a waiver for the tuition of the desired study. One will usually be asked to be a teaching assistant or research fellow of some kind. The stipend is not much but it will usually suffice for living expenses and any other costs of the study.

There are also bursaries. These are a lot like scholarships. In some institutions, the two terms are used interchangeably. Active members of the military, their spouses, and their dependents may also get tuition waivers. The same may apply to staff members at the institution. Although, the latter may be determined by the capacity in which the person serves.

The best place to start the search for the best option is the office of your aid adviser at the institution. Some, actually most, of these options are not aggressively advertised. However, the institutions and most specifically the aid advisers are kept in the loop. They always know of the different ways one can get through school.

There are requirements for eligibility of course. Look into own eligibility before putting in an application. Focus energies on the options that will work better and those for which one qualifies.




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