Posted on 19 March 2012. Tags: Scholarships
Two common terms that appear quite often at the state and local level is “Brain Gain” and “Brain Drain”. Out of those two options, “Brain Gain” is the one that is sought after most. Basically, it refers to attracting/retaining your most talented and educated students from within your community after college graduation so that they can contribute to positive initiatives and provide momentum on forward thinking projects. “Brain Drain” on the hand , which is not ideal, reflects when your best and brightest find opportunities elsewhere and leave your community and take their talent with them.
In an effort to help maintain the “Brain Gain” momentum in the great state of Ohio, Mike Chapman’s college consulting firm Chapman College Admission Consulting LLC is sponsoring the Ohio Here To Stay Scholarship opportunity. CheapScholar.org is proud to be a partner in this great initiative.
The Ohio Here To Stay Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship that will be awarded to a current Ohio high school junior who commits to enrolling at one of Ohio’s four-year colleges beginning in Fall 2013 and pledges to work or attend graduate school in Ohio upon graduating from college. The scholarship is meant to recognize and reward a student who is truly passionate about being an Ohioan and will contribute their talents and abilities to Ohio while in college and beyond.
To be considered for the scholarship, students need to create and submit a two minute or less video showcasing why and how they are passionate about Ohio. The top five videos will be posted online on this webpage from June 1, 2012 through August 1, 2012 and the video that receives the most votes during the voting time period will be declared the winner. The top five videos will be selected according to the following criteria:
- Exhibition of a genuine passion for being an Ohioan.
- How well the video displays applicant’s potential to make a significant contribution to the state of Ohio in college and beyond.
- Creativity and ability to think “outside the box.”
- Usage of online social networks to encourage people to view the video.
- Adherence to contest rules including but not limited to video content and length.
Deadline for entry is May 1st and additional details can be found here. If you know any Ohio high school students that are planning to go to a 4 year college (in Ohio), please feel free to utilize the share tab below to pass this information onto them.
Proud Partners of Ohio Here To Stay Scholarship
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 17 February 2012. Tags: Scholarships
The Florence Allen Scholarship program has been in existence since 1924 to honor Florence Ellinwood Allen who was Ohio’s first woman Supreme Court Justice (1922). The intent of the scholarship is to provide Ohio women with the opportunity to achieve their full potential through education.
This scholarship program has been in existence for a good number of years and in 1988 it was converted to an endowment fund that will insure its presence for many years to come. One caveat to this scholarship that is very appealing is that non-traditional (adult students) are eligible to receive funds from this program.
Here are the eligibility requirements:
Traditional Student Applicants
1. Women who will graduate or have graduated from an Ohio high school or who have
received a GED from the Ohio Board of Education prior to July 1st.
2. Must be a United States citizen.
3. Undergraduates who meet the above criteria and are enrolled as full-time students at an
accredited degree-granting institution recognized by a state Board of Regents.
4. Applicant must be pursuing her first undergraduate degree or a certificate.
Non-traditional Student Applicants
1. Women who are residents of Ohio and are at least 30 years old as of April 1st.
2. Must be a United States citizen.
3. Undergraduates who meet the above criteria and are enrolled at an accredited
degree-granting institution recognized by a state Board of Regents.
a. Applicant need not be a full-time student.
4. Applicant must be pursuing her first undergraduate degree or a certificate.
Scholarship applications are available starting in January and they must be submitted (postmarked) before April 1st.
You can receive an application by sending an email to the following: allenendowment@gmail.com
If you know of anyone that could benefit from this scholarship program, please be sure to utilize the share tab below to pass this information along to them. In the meantime, feel free to visit CheapScholar’s “Find Scholarships!” page for more resources…
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 21 January 2011. Tags: Scholarships
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation has three different scholarship programs (see below) that annually provide thousands of dollars to college bound Ohio students. Whether you are from a rural, suburban or urban community, you are encouraged to apply if you are planning to pursue a degree that is related to agriculture. The Ohio Farm Bureau describes agriculture as more than just farming they refer to the following professions as being part of the agricultural community: producers, scientists, researchers, educators, technicians, processors, distributors, marketers, policy makers and advocates
Darwin Bryan Scholarship Program
This fund was put into place back in 1985 to honor the 37 years of service, leadership, and inspiration that Mr. Bryan provided to the Ohio Farm Bureau. The scholarship fund was established to assist students who have been active in the Farm Bureau youth program and/or whose parents are Farm Bureau members.
Women’s Leadership in Agriculture Scholarship Program
This scholarship program was established in 2006 by a gracious donation from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund. The role of the fund is to ennoble, uplift and strengthen the lives of young women in agriculture.
Foundation Scholar Program
The Ohio Farm Bureau Board of Directors established this fund in 2008 at the urging of some of its donor members. The Foundation Scholar award recognizes students for academic effort, community service and career interests that use agriculture to enhance the partnership between producers and consumers in rural, suburban and/or urban settings
If you are interested in any of these scholarship opportunities, you can download an application online at http://ofbf.org, stop by your local county Farm Bureau office, or send a written request to: Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, P.O. Box 182383, Columbus, OH 43218-2383
Application deadlines for all scholarship programs are March 1st.
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 22 November 2010. Tags: Credit Unions, Scholarships
I am constantly amazed at how local credit unions come through time and time again for their members. When compared to the competition (traditional banks) they seem to always offer better interest rates and usually better customer service. I have witnessed firsthand how credit unions have helped to bridge the gap with education funding so I shouldn’t be surprised when I see a credit union throw some extra scholarship dollars out there to help students cover their college expenses.
The KEMBA Scholarship Opportunity
KEMBA Financial is a credit union that started many years ago (77 years ago to be exact) and it was founded originally for Kroger Employees. Fast forward to 2010 and now it helps to provide financial services for over 55,000 members throughout the Ohio region (Madison, Franklin, Delaware, & Logan counties).
KEMBA is providing a $2,000 college scholarship opportunity to one lucky student. This scholarship is not one of those fly-by-night programs since this is the 19th year that this program has been in existence. An extra bonus for all applicants is that they also get entered into a separate $1000 college scholarship contest provided by the Central Ohio Chapter of Credit Unions. So, by filling out one application you could gain an extra $3,000 to go toward your education expenses (if you win both scholarship programs). Sounds like a no-brainer to me!
The requirements for eligibility are not too stringent and easily met. You must:
• Be a KEMBA member
• Be at least a high school senior
• Be enrolled in or attending an accredited university
• Be a full-time student (taking at least two courses)
• Complete the application and submit the required essays before January 28, 2011
If you are a resident of any of the Ohio counties mentioned above (or know someone who is) and would like to garner some extra scholarship dollars, you can get the application for the KEMBA Scholarship program here. Should you have any questions about the scholarship program or the services (including private education loans) provided by KEMBA, you can reach them at the contact information provided below:
KEMBA Financial Credit Union
555 Officenter Place
P.O. Box 307370
Gahanna, OH 43230
www.KEMBA.org
800.282.6420
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 29 April 2010. Tags: Scholarships, State Aid Program
In the state of Ohio, the minimum credit requirement for those wanting to sit for the CPA exam is 150 semester credit hours. As most of you may know, most students graduate from a 4-year college program somewhere around the 130 credit hour mark. So how are they supposed to bridge this gap to achieve the required credit criteria requested by the Ohio Accountancy Board? Glad you asked!
One option that many students take advantage of is going straight from their undergraduate experience to graduate school. CPA’s tend to migrate toward MBA programs. When they graduate with their MBA degree, they will have more than enough credit hours to be able to sit for the Ohio CPA exam.
Another option for the CPA minded student is to attend their college of choice for a fifth year to help boost their completed credit hours. Financially this option can sometimes be a costly approach but as more institutions embrace their fifth year seniors you find that most of the aid received in prior years will still be available for that fifth year (9th and 10th semester).
The state of Ohio realizes that their 150 credit hour requirement may be a little onerous in comparison to other states, so they have established a scholarship fund to help students offset the additional costs associated with completing those extra credit hours. The title of this grant program is the Fifth Year College Scholarship. I find it a little humorous just because it appears to be rewarding students that don’t graduate on-time! 😉
It is a great scholarship program and it certainly encourages students in the state of Ohio to become a CPA without the added financial burdens. The only caveat that I can find with the scholarship program is that the state will make you repay the monies if you don’t sit for the CPA examination within 2 years of the final grant disbursement. So tread lightly with this program if you are not fully committed to becoming a CPA. Of course though, it only requires you to “sit” for the exam and not necessarily pass it to be absolved from repayment…
Here is the application form. It appears that they accept scholarship requests twice a year (each semester) and that it is available to upper-class students that are enrolled in an accredited accounting program at a qualified college or university. Enjoy!
Also, even though this scholarship program is specific to the state of Ohio, I can imagine that other state CPA programs may have something comparable (if you are reading this and you reside in another state).
Know anyone that qualifies for this funding? Be sure to send this link to them using the “share tab” below…
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 05 April 2010. Tags: Free College, Scholarships
Ohio students (and some Michigan students) can now benefit from a new scholarship program being offered by the University of Toledo. The Blue and Gold Scholar award is open to all students residing in Ohio and also those in Monroe County, Michigan.
The premise of the scholarship program is to attract students with a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.6. ”This is a strategic endeavor to help families afford college,” said Kevin Kucera, UT associate vice president for enrollment services.
While most universities compete for the ”best and the brightest,” UT is concentrating on students with a lower grade point average. That’s because the best students have many options from which to pick and UT can’t necessarily compete successfully, the university has said.
The University of Toledo’s tuition and fees for the upcoming year equate to approximately $8500. All recipients of the Blue and Gold Scholar Award must be eligible for the Pell Grant which can range from $1,000 to $5,350 each student. That benefit combined with the Ohio College Opportunity Grant of $1000 reduces what is left over in unmet need. The University then kicks in the Blue and Gold Scholar Award to cover this need to make the student have no out of pocket expense for tuition and fees.
If the student decides to live on campus and not be a commuter, they will still have some expenses that will not be covered by the Blue and Gold Scholarship. ”They still have some skin in the game,” Kucera said. They are responsible for room and board, which on campus costs about $8,500.
All in all, it seems to be a great program and certainly a good opportunity for someone to get their undergraduate education for free (as a commuter student). If you are interested in checking out the University of Toledo and learning more about the Blue and Gold Scholarship program you can find more information here.
Posted in Ohio, Scholarships
Posted on 01 March 2010. Tags: summer college
Taking summer classes has always been a great way for students to obtain their education at a bargain basement price. However, this coming summer the deals just got a lot better for students that live in and around the Columbus Ohio area.
Otterbein college, a small liberal arts university located in Westerville (suburb of Columbus), just announced that they will be slashing the costs for summer courses by 25%. This puts their tuition rate at $245 per credit hour. At this rock-bottom rate they are even putting competitive pressure on the local state schools.
“We know that students have busy lives and need class options, convenience, and flexibility,” Provost Goke-Pariola said. “The summer savings is one way Otterbein can respond to the need for better access to quality higher education for Ohio families.”
If you are an Otterbein student, it is a no-brainer to take advantage of the new summer course rate. But, if you are a student elsewhere in the nation and will be coming home to Columbus, Ohio for the summer (or just visiting), then I suggest you stock up on a course or two at Otterbein and bask in the savings. Congratulations to Otterbein for “helping to make college affordable”!
Posted in Ohio
Posted on 02 February 2010. Tags: College planning
As part of our Spotlight Series, we will be shining our light upon a not-for-profit group called I KNOW I CAN from Columbus,Ohio. I had the privilege of meeting with members of their staff a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to learn more about their organization and what they do to make the college experience affordable and attainable.
I Know I Can (IKIC) was founded in 1988 by civic leaders that had a vision and commitment to ensuring that no student from the Columbus City School District (regardless of financial resources) would be denied a college education. IKIC started small but twenty years later it can now successfully boast as being one of the largest college access programs in the nation. Through the generosity of private donors over the years they have been able to maintain an endowment of $23 million dollars that provides consistent funding for operational and scholarship grant support. This academic year alone, IKIC has awarded 1,240 grants (totaling $1.38 million dollars) to deserving scholars in need.
The following are some accomplishments that I KNOW I CAN can be proud to claim since it’s founding in 1988:
- They have awarded 20,830 Last Dollar Grants totaling $21,593,130 dollars
- They helped students gain access to over $289 million dollars in financial aid
- They have logged 160,564 volunteer hours for their Early Awareness & Financial Aid workshops
- Last Dollar Grant recipients have performed 64,395 hours of community service
I would like to acknowledge I Know I Can for all that they have done for students and families in the greater Columbus area for the past twenty years. I look forward to hearing about their many successes in the years to come.
Below is a list of the services provided by I Know I Can. If someone you know can benefit from any of these programs, please pass this information onto them by using the share tab at the bottom of this article.
- IKIC Children’s Book: I Know I Can is an illustrated book catered towards second grade students that starts educating them early about their opportunities for attending college.
- Blueprint:College 2.0: This program is focused on educating parents on the steps they need to take in order to help their children be college ready.
- Alumni Days: College students go back to their high schools to share wisdom and stories.
- College Fairs: Students meet with college representatives from all over the country to learn more about colleges and universities in which they are interested.
- College Planning: Call 614-233-9510 to set up a meeting with I Know I Can College Advisors to discuss achieving your college goals and plans.
- FAFSA Assistance: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application for Federal Student Aid access for new and current college students. Our staff will help you to complete the necessary paperwork to qualify for financial aid.
- I Know I Can Grants: If you meet the I Know I Can eligibility requirements, I Know I Can will contribute up to $1,200 towards your college tuition for up to 4 years.
- ACT/SAT Completion: I Know I Can will assist you in registering for the ACT and SAT. You can receive fee waivers from I Know I Can during your junior and senior years. Talk to your College Advisor for details.
- College Retention: I Know I Can has on-campus offices at 13 Ohio colleges and universities where College Advisors include all CCS graduates in activities and programs that support students in their successful pursuit of a college degree.
- Resource Room: Visit our Resource Room, located at our main office, to attend educational college planning presentations and conduct your own online college searches.
- Online Resource Center: We have compiled a list of what we think are some of the most beneficial and helpful online resources for college preparation.
Contact Information:
I Know I Can
3798 E. Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43213
Office: 614-233-9510
Website: www.iknowican.org
Posted in Ohio