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SWISSGEAR Backpack Scholarship and Giveaway!

SWISSGEAR Backpack Scholarship and Giveaway!

About The Scholarship!

For a number of years the good people at SwissGear.com have been equipping college students for success with their abundance of travel gear and backpacks. So, it seems only natural that they would establish the Ultimate Backpack Scholarship program to support students through the financial aspect of their college experience. SwissGear is providing financial support to students this year in the form of three scholarships – one is for $5,000 and the other two are for $2,500. These scholarships are available to incoming freshman in addition to currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students! To be considered for the scholarship, all you have to do is submit an application and a brief essay (500 words or less) that describes the perfect backpack. The application deadline is August 31st. The scholarship submission form along with additional information can be found here.

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About The Giveaway!

CheapScholar.org is pleased to share that SwissGear.com is providing a special giveaway for one of our readers! Up for grabs is the SWISSGEAR 6752 SCANSMART LAPTOP BACKPACK! This backpack represents a successful blend of style and functionality. Whether you are on the go at campus, work, or the airport, the SWISSGEAR 6752 is an excellent companion to protect and carry all your essential gear! Want to learn more about the backpack? Check out the specs here!

The following represent the many different ways in which you can submit an entry into the giveaway:

Each of the methods above will give you an entry into the giveaway. So, you could potentially have up to five chances to win the free SCANSMART LAPTOP BACKPACK from SwissGear.com!

This giveaway will close on Thursday March 10th at midnight (Eastern Standard Time). I will randomly select a winner (using the wonders of technology – Random.org) from the entries and announce the lucky recipient on this article. The winner has a week to contact me and arrange for delivery of the backpack. If I don’t hear from the winner, I will randomly select an alternate.

Hope you enjoy this giveaway. If you know of any deserving people that could make good use of a free backpack, please feel free to utilize the “share tab” to pass this information onto them.

 

***WINNER UPDATE***

Congratulations to S. Kaiser!! She is the winner of the SwissGear Backpack!  Enjoy!!

***WINNER UPDATE***

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CheapScholar Announces 2015 Scholarship Winner!

CheapScholar Announces 2015 Scholarship Winner!

collegedegree1It has been a very busy and exciting year for CheapScholar.org. For those that don’t know, CheapScholar.org was “born” in January of 2010 as I took my passion for educating families and students about the financial aspect of the college experience to an entirely different level – the web. Since that time, CheapScholar has reached hundreds of thousands of visitors, provided support in the form of scholarships, delivered up 830 informative articles, and traveled the countryside providing Paying For College and Professional Development presentations for high schools, foundations, corporations, and organizations. I truly enjoy volunteering my time and expertise on this endeavor!

Whether you have utilized our Scholarship Resource Page, downloaded our free Paying For College Toolkit for guidance counselors, stayed connected to industry news via our College Pulse news aggregator, stopped by to enhance your financial literacy by playing Financial Football, or are just staying social via our Facebook and Twitter feeds, we are glad that you have found CheapScholar.org and made it a part of your day.

One of the greatest accomplishments that CheapScholar.org recently achieved is awarding our fourth “How Do You Make College Cheaper?” scholarship. It has always been my goal to help students make their way to college through the information and resources provided here on CheapScholar.org but I also wanted to help by providing financial support via a scholarship!

I am pleased to announce that Jasmine Trickler is the 2015 scholarship recipient. Ms. Trickler is attending Eastern Washington University and I hope this scholarship gets her one step closer to achieving her educational goals.

If you would like to learn more about Jasmine, please take a moment to read through the bio she submitted to us to share with our readers. As you will see, this year’s scholarship found a good home with Jasmine.

Jasmine Trickler (2015 Scholarship Winner)

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I graduated from Joel E Ferris High School and I started classes at Eastern Washington University this fall. Ever since I was a little girl, I always told people that I was going to be a “woman doctor” (OB/GYN). I stuck with that idea throughout my life until I recently developed a love for the study of the human body, as a result of taking a Sports Medicine course my senior year. My plan is to major in either Athletic Training/Exercise Science or Physical Therapy and minor in Spanish Language. Although high school has been full of trials and tribulations, I wanted to be successful and prosper, and I knew college was the way to do that. The one thing that has always been a roadblock is money. That’s why I enlisted in the Navy Reserves. My ship date is December 21st, 2015. After RTC and A School, I will be serving one weekend a month as a Cryptologist Technician-Networks (computer science), while still attending college and working toward my degree. There’s no way I could have made it this far without the support of my family and best friend, Nichelle. I have 7 younger siblings that I am trying to set an example for and an older brother that I look up to. In Kindergarten, I fell in love with my current boyfriend of two years, Nick. He enlisted as an active duty Mass Communication Specialist in the Navy and ships in three months. I am so proud of myself and the decisions I have made in the past year. I know I am going to go far! I am grateful for this scholarship because it will get me that much closer to my biggest dream of all;to  get married, live in a big house with two beautiful children, and raise chickens and goats! Thank you Cheap Scholar, for helping turn my dreams into reality. “She turned her cant’s into cans and her dreams into plans.”

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Esports At Colleges Leads to Scholarships for Online Gamers

Esports At Colleges Leads to Scholarships for Online Gamers

gamescholarshipsAn explosion in the popularity of eSports competitions has led to video game companies helping organize collegiate competitions and prompted two American universities to offer scholarships for online gamers.

Esports has become the new frontier in collegiate games, with thousands of players competing online in sports ranging from arena battles and first-person shooters to video game versions of field sports such as soccer and baseball simulation games.

The numbers are huge. An estimated 71 million people watch video game competitions on streaming sites such as Twitch every year, a number that keeps growing. And the prize money also continues to grow.

For example, the prize pool for The International, the championship tournament for the online game “Dota 2,” has passed $14 million. The International will take place in August 2015.

Esports on College Campus

Esports has been played on college campuses for years, but really took off after online gaming competitions became popular in the first decade of the 21st Century. Teams for eSports are at many colleges – for example, more than 200 schools have teams that participate in organized “League of Legends” competitions.

It’s also grown as spectator sport. More than 90,000 people watched online in the summer of 2014 as San Jose State beat California State University-Fullerton in an online video game battle, according to the New York Times. The Times also reported that more than 10,000 students now play in the biggest college video game leagues – 4,600 more than play on NCAA Division I basketball teams.

Video game developers have quickly moved to support these teams, in some cases offering prizes, team banners and helping organize leagues.

College Gaming Scholarships

Online gaming scholarships are now being offered at two universities. Both Chicago-based Robert Morris University Illinois and the University of Pikesville in Kentucky began offering talented gamers a chance to earn scholarships to their respective schools.

Both schools have offered scholarships for those who play at a high level in League of Legends, the world’s most popular online video game with more than 27 million players every day.

Robert Morris offered 35 scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. The University of Pikesville plans to offer 20 beginning in fall of 2015. Gaming skills aren’t the only condition – students will also be judged by their grade point average and work ethic, as well.

Players will compete in the Collegiate Star League, a “League of Legends” division open to accredited North American colleges. About 230 universities participate.

Criticism and the Future

The scholarships have come under some criticism from those who think of athletics in 20th Century terms. But, as pointed out by the associate athletic director at Robert Morris, a lot of the people doing the criticism never were athletes and spend weekends in a La-Z-Boy while having “a six-pack of beer and Cheetos.”

Even ESPN has embraced eSports. The network televised a “Call of Duty” gaming competition that was part of the X-Games in the summer of 2014 and televised The International, the global finals of the video game “Dota 2, according to USA Today. And Amazon recently paid almost $1 billion to acquire Twitch, according to the Harvard Crimson.

The Crimson also reported that more people watched the 2013 League of Legends World Championship (about 32 million) than that year’s NCAA BCS Championship and Game 7 of the NBA Finals (about 26 million each).

With the growing audience for eSports – both among players and spectators – it seems likely more schools will join Robert Morris and the University of Pikesville soon.

Today’s guest article was provided by iFame Media, an internet marketing agency that focuses on higher education among other industries.

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Second U.S. School to Offer Athletic Scholarships to Gamers

Second U.S. School to Offer Athletic Scholarships to Gamers

leagueoflegendsscholarshipWhile purists are still trying to accept Robert Morris University’s decision to offer scholarships to video gamers, another school has decided to do exactly the same thing.

Expect another round of dismay and criticism from old-school sports fans as the University of Pikeville in Kentucky, a small liberal arts school in the eastern section of the state, begins to offer scholarships for talented gamers in the fall of 2015.

Like the scholarship at the Chicago-based Robert Morris, the University of Pikesville will offer athletic scholarships to those who excel at playing League of Legends, the most popular online video game in the world, with 27 million players worldwide every day.

A spokesman for the University of Pikeville told Forbes the game is “a worldwide trend…it takes skill, practice and a lot of teamwork.”

The school also expects to weather the sort of criticism that was leveled at Robert Morris. Kurt Melcher, associate athletic director at Robert Morris, said the people who get upset are like a “middle-aged dude sitting in his La-Z-Boy watching NFL on weekends, going, ‘What? That’s not a sport!’ while he has a six-pack of beer and Cheetos. It challenges him in some weird way. Because it’s new.”

The Details of the Scholarship

The University of Pikesville plans to offer 20 scholarships to gamers beginning in the fall of 2015. The scholarships will cover about half of the private school’s costs. To qualify, students will be judged on GPA, work ethic and gaming ability.

Those who get the scholarship – which is open to male and female students – will play for a University of Pikesville Bears team that will send a team to compete in the Collegiate Star League, a League of Legends division which is open to accredited North American colleges. About 230 universities participate, but none of them are offering scholarships to players other than Robert Morris and University of Pikesville.

For those unfamiliar with the game, League of Legends involves two teams of five players each who compete against each other in a virtual arena.

In a news release announcing the scholarship, University of Pikesville President Dr. James L. Hurley said, “In our research and interaction with gamers at this level, we learned that they are extremely competitive, but also hard workers, valuable team members and quite often have a high level of aptitude in using technology. In addition to being good gamers, they will be good students and will bring an exciting new dynamic to our campus.”

iFame Media provided this article on behalf of Fun Crew USA, the top source for water slide rentals and obstacle course rentals in Central Florida.

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4 Scholarships for the Online Academic Achiever

4 Scholarships for the Online Academic Achiever

PrintGoing to college online is a great option for a lot of students. Unfortunately, the financial aspect of going to an online college is very similar to an in-person university. Before graduating, the student will have spent thousands of dollars on his or her education. Many people cannot afford this kind of expense, so an excellent way to help fund advanced education is through a scholarship. There are thousands of scholarships out there waiting to be found, so start by looking at scholarships in your field of study such as engineering, science or Internet Technology. If you or someone you know has decided to attend college online and major in one of these fields, here are four scholarships to apply for:

1. Siemens Math, Science and Technology Award Scholarships

Siemens Corporation and College Board have teamed up to award students who excel in math, science or technology. Regional competitions are held each year, awarding winners a $3,000 scholarship; national finalists are awarded anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 for first place.

Each applicant is required to research, prepare and support a project of their choosing. You can apply as an individual or as a two- or three-person team. Projects completed as a team are graded on collaborative research efforts as well as each individual’s personal contribution to the project.

2. Morgan-Stanley Information Technology Scholarships

The Morgan-Stanley IT scholarships include internships and possibilities of a career with Morgan-Stanley. These scholarships are primarily targeted towards female candidates and minorities.

One such scholarship awarded is the Richard B. Fisher Scholarship, which is open to minority students with a high GPA who are interested in the financial technology sector. Winners can receive up to $10,000 in addition to a summer internship with the company.

3. Robert Half Technology/AITP Scholarships

Together, Robert Half Technology and AITP award up to $2,500 in scholarships for two students who are enrolled in an IT program. If you apply, you must be a student member of the AITP (Association of Informational Technology Professionals) and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicants who are actively involved in community service also are given special consideration.

4. Foundation for Information Technology Education

The FITE is an organization that sponsors different types of scholarships for applicants who major in IT. One such scholarship is The Betty Stevens-Frecknall scholarship, which is awarded to undergraduate students enrolled in a four-year IT program. Funding for this scholarship is provided in honor of Betty Stevens-Frecknall, who was a data analyst before personal computers existed. The scholarship amount is $2,000.

The William Reaugh Scholarship is awarded to students who major in IT. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a collegiate program and must have already completed at least one semester in a college. The award amount varies.

Scholarships are a wonderful way to offset the high cost of college. You are awarded on your personal merit and achievements before entering college, and you receive money to help pay for the high cost of attending. This way, when you graduate, you’ll not only have a great education but also a list of achievements to put on your resume.

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CheapScholar Announces 2014 Scholarship Winner!

CheapScholar Announces 2014 Scholarship Winner!

CheapScholar.org was founded in January of 2010 and a number of amazing things have happened since that first informative article (Now Introducing The Sleeker, Newer, Updated FAFSA!). The following represents a few notable moments for me and CheapScholar.org:

  • Over the course of the past four years, I have had the opportunity to share nearly eight hundred articles with our readers.
  • CheapScholar’s College Resource Center has helped thousands upon thousands of students find the answers that they need on topics related to the financial aspect of their college experience.
  • CheapScholar had a very meager beginning with just a couple hundred visitors in the first month – now the site is welcoming tens of thousands of visitors each month!
  • Our Find Scholarships page has become a “go to” resource for students/families looking for outside scholarship dollars.
  • Recognizing a need among high school guidance counselors, CheapScholar.org rolled out a free resource for Guidance Counselors that provides tools and information to help the students and families in which they serve.
  • CheapScholar.org has embraced social media to its fullest and we have a sizable following on Facebook and Twitter (Be sure to connect with us if you have not already!)
  • CheapScholar.org is spreading the good word about Paying For College options by providing free Paying For College seminars for high schools, foundations, & organizations throughout the midwest region of Ohio and in various parts of the nation.
  • We are continually making the CheapScholar.org website a solid resource for families, students, guidance counselors, college administrators, etc… This year we introduced “The College Pulse” – a daily news resource that compiles paying for college information from across the nation in one convenient location. In addition, we also proudly support financial literacy efforts by hosting Financial Football on our site!

One of the greatest accomplishments that CheapScholar.org recently achieved is awarding our third “How Do You Make College Cheaper?” scholarship. It has always been my goal to help students make their way to college through the information and resources provided here on CheapScholar.org but I also wanted to help by providing financial support via a scholarship. This is the third year that I was able to make that happen. And, based upon the number of entries, the positive feedback received, and the goodwill generated, I plan on continuing the scholarship giveaway in subsequent years. So Enter Today! 😉

I am pleased to announce that Jacqueline Vazquez is the 2014 scholarship recipient. Ms. Vazquez is looking forward to attending University of Central Florida and I hope this scholarship gets her one step closer to achieving her educational goals.

If you would like to learn more about Jacqueline, please take a moment to read through the bio she submitted to us to share with our readers. As you will see, this year’s scholarship found a good home with Jacqueline.

Jacqueline Vazquez (2014 Scholarship Winner)

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Hi! My name is Jacqueline Vazquez. I am an incoming freshman at the University of Central Florida and I recently graduated from Somerset Academy Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Throughout the last four years of my life, I have been heavily involved in my high school’s National Honor Society; I was Liaison of the club in my junior year and was elected as President of the club during my senior year. I helped the club to grow and help our school and the community by participating in fund raising events, food drives for the less fortunate, and volunteering at the Homeless Voice’s 5K Walk/Run. I am also a member of the Spanish, Science and Math Honor Societies at my high school (Somerset Academy). Some of my hobbies include writing, reading, playing soccer, and watching sports with my dad. In fact, I love sports so much that I am planning to study Communications and pursue my dream of becoming a sports broadcaster! Furthermore, this scholarship will help me to continue my education and have the funds to pay for tuition, books, meals and school supplies that are essential to my college life. Without the burden of worrying about how to pay for college, I can fully apply myself to my studies and my participation in extracurricular organizations at the college I will be attending. I want to be able to look back at my college experience and see it as a time of productivity, scholastic success and personal growth, and I know that this scholarship will help me to do just that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart… This award will be put to good use!

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Small Business Scholarships and Financing an Entrepreneurial Education

Small Business Scholarships and Financing an Entrepreneurial Education

small-business-scholarshipsAmerica runs on small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit, in fact according to the Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 64 percent of the private sector jobs.  Small businesses also represent one of the fastest growing employment opportunities for future graduates.  However, large portions of future and present college students have visions of massive corporations, suits and skyscrapers as being their post graduation home.  Let’s forego the old way of thinking and help those students looking to finance an entrepreneurial education keeping the small business dream alive.

Paying For an Entrepreneurial Education

Yes, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg may not have followed the traditional college education track and still wound up being highly successful.  It’s possible, though slim, that you would be able to have similar success, though for the sake of this article, let’s assume your small business hopes require the foundation of a strong college education.  That foundation requires a good college savings plan that may include grants, scholarships, 529s, financial aid among other numerous options.

“College was critical to my success as a small business owner,” explains Terpos Ageladelis, the owner of Air Fun Games, a company providing water slide rentals in Tampa, FL.  “Keeping my business operating efficiently requires top notch customer service skills coupled with the ability to manage anything that may come up.”  “I was lucky enough to have strong support to help me pay for school, but I worry about my family being able to afford school with today’s rising costs.”

Being resourceful and doing your homework in advance can save thousands on tuition costs.  Programs such as the SuretyBonds.com scholarship offer $1,500 to those with ties to small business.  Three lucky winners receive this scholarship each year.

Jesse Buchman of Prestige Entertainment was one of the lucky winners of the Suretybonds.com scholarship. “I began to understand that an entrepreneurial spirit is not binary and does not involve a simple on/off switch.  Instead, entrepreneurship is a defining characteristic that guides and defines you,” Jesse explained, proving the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.  He went on and stated, “I now have very specific career goals that I hope will lead to a fulfilling life through which I can make a positive impact on the lives of others. My business allowed me to find my passion.”

Check For Scholarships & Grants in Specific Sectors

Numerous small businesses cater to a niche or focused customer base. The medical sector for example, which is made up of doctor’s offices, dentists, pharmacies and nursing homes are often run by small business owners, each with their own story of success.

“Set your sights high and don’t settle for second place,” Dr. Greenberg, a Saginaw family dentist, advises.  “Look for grants and similar programs that can help you reach your dream of owning you own business.  I am personally thankful that I have been able to go to work happy each day and do something I truly enjoy.”

Dr. Greenberg’s advice is sound, as many grants and scholarships go unfilled because potential students weren’t savvy enough to find them.  For example, the American Dental Association (ADA) foundation offers grants and scholarships for higher education to those in the dental industry.  They offer around 54 scholarships with up to $135,000 total funding; something future dentists should really look into.

For a more generalized approach there is the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).  They have awarded more than $55,000 in Succeed Scholarships since 2011. The NASE Foundation Future Entrepreneur Scholarship is designed to help promote youth entrepreneurship.  They award up to a $10,000 scholarship for future entrepreneurs.

Keep your spirit alive and chase your dreams by creating your own small business, just do so with the right tools.  A robust higher education will pay you back in dividends, helping you succeed where others may have once failed.  However, you can go to school in the most economical way possible by focusing on grants, scholarships and similar for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

About the Author:

Today’s guest article comes from Matthew Speer.  He is the owner of iFame Media, a marketing firm offering expert SEO services to those looking for sustainable marketing practices.

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Art Scholarships For Creative Students

Art Scholarships For Creative Students

scholarshipmoneyIf you are about to join a university but you are yet to make up your mind about the career path to follow, consider enrolling in an arts program. According to a study published in the Wall Street Journal, the unemployment rate for recent arts graduates is slightly under five percent while the annual salary is $50,000. In addition, research carried out by Bruno S. Frey at the University of Zurich found that creative people such as writers, composers, and fine artists tend to be the happiest professionals. The good news is there are numerous scholarships available to creative students, including the following:

Beinecke Scholarship Program
Website: http://www.beineckescholarship.org/

This scholarship program established in honor of Edwin, Frederick, and Walter Beinecke gives successful applicants $4,000 prior to reporting to graduate school. Subsequently, scholars receive $30,000 before they graduate. Unlike other scholarships, this program does not have geographical restrictions meaning students can join a graduate school of their choice. However, recipients must attend graduate school and utilize all the given funds five years after completing undergraduate studies.

John F. And Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund for Art Education
Website: http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/education/staceyfund/

This fund was set up in accordance with the will of Anna Lee Stacey to provide education funding to people who would like to pursue art careers. Applicants must be American citizens aged 18 to 35 years. Scholars receive a distribution of $5,000 for one year. Take note that one can receive this distribution in a single installment or quarterly installments. It is up to recipients to use the funds they receive to further their art education in areas such as drawing, design, and painting.

University Art Education Scholarships

Different universities offer scholarships to various students at different levels of their education. Scholarships are available out of high school, as well as during each year of study. Scholarships can be based off of high GPA, along with achievement in the classroom, or can be offered to students who demonstrate artistic achievement out of the classroom.

Some of these scholarships are titled, Fine Arts Scholarship, Outstanding Freshman Scholarship, and Academic Recognition Award Scholarship. These scholarships can pay a lump sum to a student, or can be rewarded yearly based off of continued academic and artistic success.

In summary, scholarships for arts students abound provided one has exceptional talent. The monetary of such scholarships typically range anywhere from less than $1,000 to more than $40,000. Most run for a year and are renewable provided recipients maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. The beauty of getting into a scholarship program is you do not have to worry about finance for tuition.

Author Bio

Today’s guest article comes from Ryan Ayers. He is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he describes scholarships available to art students and aims to encourage further study with an art education online program.

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