Digging for Dollars: Finding Scholarships and Financial Aid

Free Resources to Help You Find College Tuition Money

In the electronic world of the web, it is time challenging to sort through the endless pages of information returned from a general web search. Many of the web companies who charge money to find you money are reputable, but many are involved in unethical or unlawful scams. In almost every case, it is not necessary to pay someone to find you money if you know where to look. There are thousands of books and electronic publications available to assist you in your search for financial help. These publications can be very expensive and often times contain information that is not relevant to your unique needs.

The Digging for Dollars series will provide FREE Internet resources to people seeking fiancial aid for a variety of reasons. This edition will look at financial aid scholarships, tuition assistance, financial aid, grants, fellowships, internships, work study programs, apprenticeships, cooperatives, military education assistance, Veterans' education assistance, and International student exchange programs. Most of these resources allow to customize your search for your own specific needs and geographic location.

EXPLANATION OF WAYS TO FINANCE OR ADVANCE HIGHER EDUCATION GOALS

Scholarships - do not have to be paid back; can be based on academic performance or economic need

Tuition Assistance - often times is provided as a benefit by an employer, a union, or a church organization; also referred to as a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) at institutions of higher learning

Financial Aid - usually in the form of a low-interest loan; see FAFSA below for the most common aid offered by the federal government

Grants - in some cases, grants do not have to be paid back; the Pell Grant is the most common

Fellowships - programs lasting 6 weeks to several years that allow individuals to enhance their advanced subspecialty training