A talented women: professional orchestra player for three musical

It's lucky women!lucky student!
Michaela K Shaw of Westlake village:women representative to proof Get scholarship as a professional Orchestra has been named one of 52 Emerson Scholars, entitling Shaw to a full scholarship to attend Interlochen Arts Camp, a summer arts program for aspiring young musicians.

Shaw will study the harp and perform with youth ensembles. She is a senior at Viewpoint School in Calabasas, where she played with the professional orchestra for three musicals. The Emerson Scholar Program provides the opportunity for outstanding high school musicians to attend Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.

Interlochen Arts Camp attracts students, faculty and staff from 40 countries. The students train with worldclass instructors and produce more than 400 presentations each summer in dance, theater, creative writing, visual arts, music and motion picture arts.

Support a scholarship aimed at recruiting Montana high school student

It's Good news!The University of Montana has received a $125,000 gift to help for financial and support a scholarship aimed at recruiting Montana high school students.The gift is from the Charlotte Martin Foundation of Seattle.

Actually, this scholarship programme it is part of UM's $100 million "Invest in Discovery" campaign to raise money for scholarships and fellowships, faculty positions, academic programs, and new or renovated facilities.

More than 740 undergraduate scholarships and 58 graduate scholarships have been created or enhanced since the campaign began in 2003.
The Charlotte Yeoman Martin Endowed Scholarship will improve UM's ability to recruit top students from Montana high schools, and allow more Montana students to attend the university, said Teresa Branch, vice president for student affairs.

"The amount of financial assistance that an institution offers is often the key factor when a student is trying to decide where to go to college," she said. "Our academic programs are among the finest in the Northwest, and the Charlotte Yeoman Martin Endowed Scholarship will help us compete for the best students."

The scholarship honors Charlotte Yeoman Martin, who was born in Butte in 1919, and spent her early years in the Basin area and in Anaconda. Her husband was Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Martin.

Martin created the foundation in 1987, sparked by her interest in conservation and ensuring that young people have access to enriching experiences in education, culture and athletics.

NCAA annually awards for Washburn

At the time, Recent Muhlenberg College graduate and softball standout (Nicole Washburn Southern Lehigh) has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The NCAA annually awards 174 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each. From that's point, Washburn won one of 29 given to female athletes in all three divisions who participated in spring sports, which include softball, golf, track and field, rowing, tennis and lacrosse.

Washburn, who graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in biology and received numerous other academic accolades, plans to continue her studies in molecular cell biology at the University of Connecticut.

A four-year starting pitcher for the Mules, Washburn finished with 26 wins, including seven shutouts, and was named to the All-Centennial Conference first team in 2006. She ranks fifth in team history in ERA (2.50), sixth in strikeouts (198) and seventh in complete games (36).

Niall Finch:A mOst Talented Student has been Awarded

The One and Only!!Robert Smyth School a most talented student from Harborough's has been awarded a prestigious Arkwright Scholarship.
Niall Finch, he is six-teen years old, of Horseshoe Lane, Great Bowden, was chosen to receive the scholarship, for which only 22.8 per cent of applicants are successful, after passing an aptitude paper.

He demonstrated an original and creative approach to solving engineering design problems and presented GCSE work to a panel of interviewers at Imperial College in London.

Niall will carry the status of Arkwright Scholar through university and will get £225 a year from the Arkwright Trust through his A-levels for books or materials.

He said he was nervous before the interviews and added: “I’d never been to a proper interview before so I didn’t really know what to expect. It was alright in the end though, everyone was really nice”.

There were 743 applicants from 232 schools and 170 scholarships were awarded. The Arkwright Trust was formed in 1990 and is named after 18th century inventor and industrialist Sir Richard Arkwright.

Niall is studying for his GCSEs and says he would like to pursue a career in engineering in future. He intends to take A-Levels in maths, physics, product design and music technology.

Inspiring Women,Beth mason!

This story tell about Calvary Christian Academy named Beth Mason as the recipient of the Tom Wotring Memorial Basketball scholarship at its recent awards day program.

This scholarship is awarded annually in memory of Wotring to a student/athlete who will be a senior at CCA, has a GPA of at least 3.0, has been actively involved at CCA, in a Christ-like example to their fellow students, and is a member of the varsity boys, or girls basketball squad.

Mason is the daughter of Susan Mason of Ridgeley and has been on the girl's varsity basketball team for three years and has been the class secretary for three years.

Womens Clubs—New Hampshire Annual Meeting

The General Federation of Womens Clubs—New Hampshire recently held its 111th annual meeting. As part of the award ceremony, the Mrs. Dexter Otis Arnold Scholarship for $1,200 was presented to Kristen Amato of Portsmouth High School.

Guest speaker was Wendy Lull, president of the Seacoast Science Center and a member of the Womens Club of Somersworth. She spoke about the recent Seacoast Science Center-sponsored trip to the Galapagos Islands. The federation donated $100 worth of items to the Seacoast Science Center for its summer camps.

The Greenland Women's Club won an award for its fund-raising efforts. The Exeter Women's Club won and awards for its literacy educational program. The Greenland and Exeter clubs received recognition for their efforts at reaching out internationally.

Homestay Programs for International Student

EF Educational Homestay Programs is bringing 140 students from France, Spain, Germany and Hong Kong to the Seacoast on July 10 for a four-week program ending Aug. 7.

Volunteer host families are urgently needed.

The students will be taking part in an international education program with classes being held at Portsmouth Christian Academy. Busing to and from the course center will be available.

EF can provide the educational and tourist components, but EF cannot provide the heart and love that comes with a stay with an American family. It is this willingness to extend ourselves that gives these young people the experience of a lifetime. All that is asked is a bed, a plate at the table and welcoming heart as a member of your family.

All students come insured and with their own spending money.
For more information contact Andra Welch at "abbwelch@yahoo.com" or call 749-6849. Families can read through the applications and choose a student or students who would best fit in with their lifestyle.

$80,000 Surprise for recent 80th birthday

The Stephen C. Helbing Sr. '48 scholarship has been established at Texas A&M University's department of agricultural economics. The gift, funded through the Texas A&M Foundation, will provide one or more scholarships to fulltime students pursuing a degree from the agricultural economics department in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Stephen C. Helbing Jr., Scott C. Helbing, Ross C. Helbing and Robert L. Helbing gave the endowment.

"I believe (Texas A&M's department of) agricultural economics has played, and can continue to play, a vital role in Texas," said Stephen C. Helbing Sr. "I hope this scholarship will help attract the brightest students at A&M to consider this major and the many opportunities a degree in agricultural economics will afford them after graduation."

He said he hopes "deserving students will receive the support and opportunity to start a successful career of their choice."

"I also hope the contribution will help them understand the obligation they will have one day to lead, support and inspire the next generation," Helbing said.

"We are always emboldened by the generosity of our partners such as the Helbing family when they reach out and touch our students and help to perpetuate our pursuit of excellence and leadership training," said Dr. Fred Boadu, assistant department head for undergraduate affairs in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M. Helbing was a 1948 graduate of Texas A&M and received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics. He was a New Mexico state representative from 1965-1970 and a republican leader in the New Mexico House from 1967-1970. Helbing also served in the U.S. Navy from 1945-1946.

A successful father, entrepreneur, landman, rancher, community leader, Presbyterian elder, friend and Aggie, Helbing has many professional career highlights. Those include serving as president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (1967); President of the New Mexico Landmen's Association (1968); Salvation Army Board of Directors Roswell, NM, membership in the Roswell New Mexico Rotary Club and Midland Exchange Club Board of Directors Hospice of Midland.

Helbing and his wife, Ellen, have been married for 55 years. He is the father of four sons and has seven grandchildren.

$1.3 MILLION GIFT SUPPORTED!

Local philanthropist Jane Gilleland giving a previllage value at approximately $1.3 million.This Gift can use for future students seeking degrees from West Liberty State College will have access to more scholarship assistance.

Gilleland Born in 1917 in Bellaire,she is spent the majority of her life in Wheeling. After a successful with highly career with Bloch Brothers Tobacco Co., Gilleland built a sizeable estate and felt it was necessary to give back to the community in which she grew up. Gilleland died Aug. 8, and her estate gift creates the Hazel Jane Gilleland Scholarship Fund.

The fundation will provide four-year scholarships to West Liberty State College for students from Belmont and Ohio counties. Recipients must also be from a “middle income” family who may otherwise not be eligible for any governmental assistance.

“Ms. Gilleland firmly believed that access to a higher education was the essential backbone to being able to succeed in today’s world,” said Matthew Cottle, vice president for institutional advancement. “We are grateful to her for the foresight she showed in planning for this gift.All of that more students from the Wheeling area will receive financial help because of her concerned.

Outstanding Achievement of the spectrum Scholarship program

The American Library Association (ALA) Executive Board formally recognized the outstanding achievements of the Spectrum Scholarship Program on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. The Board voted to "commend all members, contributors and staff whose efforts have contributed to the program’s success, celebrate the continuing impact of Spectrum and commit to building on its past and present success.

Established in 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program is ALA's national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of under-representation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession while serving as a model for ways to bring attention to larger diversity issues in the future.

Spectrum's major drive is to recruit applicants and award scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students. Spectrum provides a one-year $5,000 scholarship and over $1,500 in professional development opportunities to eligible students planning to attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program.

To date, the American Library Association has awarded over 415 Spectrum Scholarships. Spectrum Scholars have been in attendance at over 48 library schools. They reside, study and work all across North America in a wide array of library positions in every type of library, ranging from the manager of special projects, rare books and special collections for the Princeton University Library to a librarian in a Bureau of Indian Affairs school on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

Additional information, including information on how to apply for a Spectrum Scholarship, can be found at www.ala.org/ala/diversity/spectrum/spectrum.htm .

Scholarships from Siam Cement Foundation

This scholarships are available to students who are citizens of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Siam Cement Foundation is one of Thailand's largest business conglomerate with extensive regional operationsis,under auspicious of SCG Group. The programme is part of its regional development initiative.

The grant made available is scholarships for the Master of Arts programme in International Development Studies for the upcoming 2007-2008 academic year at Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University.

Suranuch Thongsila, Manager the Siam Cement Foundation said about scholarship is an investment in the people of the regional area.

Successful Siam Cement Foundation's scholars will be able to travel, study and live in Bangkok to achieve their Master of Arts degree over a 14 month period.

Upon completion of the study , Siam Cement Foundation's scholars are expected to return to work for their home governments in their respective countries.

This will allow former scholars to apply their acquired knowledge and skills for the benefit of their communities. Applicants applying to the Siam Cement Scholarship Program should be aware that the above is an important pre-condition for their scholarship.

The programme comprises six scholarships for students from the five countries in the region at Bt518,300 each; and two scholarships for Thai nationals. The application deadline is July 13, 2007. The academic programme starts in October.

What do U thinK!Guaranteed Scholarship

What we mean those which are unlimited in number, and require no interview, essay, portfolio, audition, competition or other "secondary" requirement. Just meet the criteria listed, adhere to the application deadlines set by the individual colleges and universities, gain admission, enroll, and receive your scholarship or scholarships.

Generally, you will have to meet some minimum requirements to renew and retain any scholarships and grants awarded to you.

To avoid disappointment and/or misunderstandings,
Please contact any of the colleges and universities below in which you are interested, to be certain you are aware of initial application deadlines and the requirements for renewal.

Also, please be aware that many institutions listed below offer grants, financial aid, and awards other than those listed. We have only listed those meeting our definition of "guaranteed". And, be advised that many colleges require anyone applying for aid to complete financial aid forms, even if they have no demonstrated financial need.

Upcoming Annual Celebration in Norwest Arkansas

Cancer Challenge

The U.S.S. Cancer Challenge is slated for 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Tickets for the nautically themed casual event are $50. Features include wine and beer tasting, casino and live and silent auctions. Information: 273-3172.


Summer Salsa

Summer Salsa to benefit Children's House is slated from 7 to 10 p.m. June 29 at the Springdale Country Club. Tickets are $50. Information and tickets: 872-7479 or childrenshousenwa.org.

1920s Gala

A black tie and 1920s attire "1920s Gala" to benefit the Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Agency, formerly the Northwest Arkansas Rape Crisis Center, will be from 6 to 10 p.m. June 30 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.

The event will feature a costume contest, auction and jazz band. Tickets are $100. Information and tickets: 927-1025.

Beau Foundation Charity Events

The 2007 Prenatal Charity Casino Night and Texas Hold'em Tournament is slated for 7-11 p.m. July 6 at the Embassy Suites in Rogers. Admission is a $25 donation for table games and $250 reserves a seat in the poker tournament. Reservations recommended.

The 2007 Beau Classic Charity Golf Tournament four-person scramble will have two shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on July 9 at Pinnacle Country Club. Team entry is $1,000 and hole sponsorships are available for $2,000.

The 2007 Prenatal Charity Luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 9 at Pinnacle Country Club. Individual tickets are $35, tables of eight are $500 and tables of four are $250.

For regsistration and sponsorship opportunities, call 254-3696.

Opening Nite Gala

Arts Center of the Ozarks will host an Opening Nite Gala for Guys and Dolls at 6:30 p.m. July 13. Festivities will include a New York City street vendor themed pre-show reception, hors d'oevres and beverages, live music, plus a champagne intermission. Tickets are $30. Information and tickets: 751-5441 or artscenteroftheozarks.org.

One Particular Harbor

The Ryan Gibson Foundation will host the sixth annual One Particular Harbort fundraiser for leukemia research at 6:30 p.m. July 14 at the Fayetteville Town Center. Tickets for the tropically themed event are $75 and may be purchased by calling 571-1313.

12 students Educational Trip two weeks to Vietnam

WHEN Sianha Gualano heard that the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council planned a summer study tour of Vietnam, the 16-year-old jumped at the opportunity to apply for the full travel scholarship.

Her interest in traveling to Vietnam for the first time stems from her mother's ties to the country. Gualano's mother, Anh Starr, left Vietnam for Maui with four siblings at 14 when her mother married a U.S. soldier before the end of the war.

Gualano's mother has not had the opportunity to return to her home country to visit.

But as one of 20 public high school students selected to participate in the educational tour, Gualano, of Kaneohe, said her mother, who was ecstatic for her daughter, will be able to live vicariously through her as she visits the country where she was born and raised.

"She's like, 'Take a lot of pictures,' " Gualano, a University Lab School student, said.

A group of students from various public high schools across the state left Honolulu Airport yesterday for the two-week educational trip to Vietnam through the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council's High School Travel Program. The students will learn about its history, culture and environment.

The students' trip will include a tour at the French Old Quarter in Hanoi; a visit to the former capital, Hue; an overnight stay on a junk boat in Halong Bay; an overnight train ride to Sapa; and spending time with host families in Sapa and the Mekong Delta.

This is the first international trip for many in the group. A majority of the students are from Oahu, with four from the Big Island, two from Molokai and one from Lanai.

It's going to be an eye-opening experience for the students, said High School Travel Program Director Natasha Chappel. The group will learn about modern Vietnam and the historical relationship between Vietnam and the United States at the height of the Vietnam War.

The students will gain a better understanding of the country as well as foster international interests, said the organization's executive director, Jill Takasaki Canfield.

Jesse Sliva, 17, who just graduated from Kailua High School, said he looks forward to developing friendships with students in Vietnam and to learning about the culture through the tour instead of solely relying on books.

As more students were dropped off by their parents at Honolulu Airport, 16-year-old Yuki Miura of Roosevelt High School read pages from the book "Vietnam Today: A Guide to a Nation at a Crossroads" by Mark A. Ashwill. Miura said he awaits sampling the local food, visiting the rice fields and meeting the people.

Since 2004, the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, a nonprofit organization that serves as the World Affairs Council for Hawaii, has arranged student educational tours to China, South Korea and Japan. Each high school student is offered a scholarship funded by the Freeman Foundation, which covers the entire trip.

RH Scholarship from University of Wisconsin

Sutter to Receive Rumler Holstein Scholarship
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/14/2007

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the recipient of the National Holstein Association's 2007 Robert H. Rumler Scholarship. Nikolaus Sutter received his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural journalism and plans to enroll in the MBA Program at the UW-Madison in the near future. Sutter is currently a marketing executive for Filament Marketing in Madison, where he has led Web site development and a public relations campaign for a bovine reproductive research and services company.

Sutter is the 2007 recipient of the Brian Howell Memorial Scholarship, awarded to the outstanding agricultural journalism and communications student at UW-Madison. In 1999, he was chosen the U.S. student representative for the Semex Royal Winter Fair 'Walk of Fame' and received the gold medal in the Wisconsin State FFA Dairy Proficiency in 1998.

Among his activities and hobbies, Sutter enjoys his role as assistant youth basketball coach, feeding heifers at the 450-cow family dairy operation, and attending real estate investment and dairy production seminars. Sutter is convinced that his childhood-instilled work ethic, positive attitude, desire to learn from his peers will light his path to success in the UW-Madison MBA Program.

The Robert H. Rumler scholarship is presented in honor of Robert H. Rumler, who led the Association as Executive Secretary for 25 years.

Journalism Scholarship

First scholarship awarded in honor of Steve Moss' legacy

Date: 06/13/2007

The Steve Moss Journalism Scholarship Foundation recently awarded its first-ever scholarship to Joe Payne in recognition of his achievements in journalism and his constant willingness to learn.

The Santa Maria Sun's calendar editor and a recent Righetti High School graduate, Payne has enrolled in classes at Allan Hancock College and plans to pursue a four-year degree with an emphasis in journalism.

In addition to working or volunteering at the Sun for the last two years, Payne also acted as his school newspaper's editor, was active in Righetti's film program, and plays piano, guitar, and mandolin in a band.

The scholarship foundation was established by New Times Media Group in honor of New Times and Sun founder Steve Moss and his commitment to integrity and the highest journalistic standards. Moss passed away in 2005 at the age of 56, but his vision lives on at both newspapers.

"Given his dedication to journalism, we wanted to make sure that [Moss'] legacy continued in the local markets where he had been publishing for the last 22 years," said Bob Rucker, publisher and co-owner of New Times Media Group.

The scholarship will be given annually to high school students who share Moss' dedication to accurate, fair, relevant, and interesting journalism.

"For me to be honored with a scholarship with his name on it, just that, symbolically, means a lot to me," Payne said.

student scholarship winners

The Athens Area Community Foundation is proud to announce its 2007 scholarship winners. The Community Foundation holds these scholarship monies and invests the funds allowing the scholarships to continue to be awarded forever. The twenty awards given this year totaled $10,800. The following are the recipients:

Tarra Amaro received an Athens Rotary Scholarship. She plans to attend Western Michigan University to study biomedical engineering.


Michelle Dulyea received the Donald Trumblee Scholarship. She will attend Kellogg Community College to study graphic design, photography, and printing.

Joshua Fracassi won both the Athens/Union City Lions Club Scholarship and the Les Swartz Memorial Scholarship. He will attend Tri-State University to study engineering.

Beth Ganther is the recipient of an Athens Rotary Scholarship. She plans to attend Kellogg Community College to study nursing.

Becca Hensley won the Dennis Oberlin Memorial Scholarship. Becca will attend KCC to study dental hygiene.

Molly Houser received the Athens AreaCommunity Foundation Scholarship to attend KCC to study hospitality and business management.

Leslie Klein received the Kenneth Clark Memorial Scholarship. She plans to attend Western Michigan University to study chemical engineering and Spanish.

Ami LeBoeuf was awarded the Jacquelyn Barrone Art Achievement Award. She will continue her studies at Kellogg Community College.

Jacob Mack won the Joseph Norrod Scholarship. He plans to attend Western Michigan University to study mechanical engineering.

Chelsea Manies received both the Thomas R. Kelley Memorial Scholarship and the Edith Leonard Scholarship. She plans to attend KCC to study criminal justice and psychology.

Lucas Moore won the Harold Reynolds Memorial Scholarship. He will attend North Central College to study photography or journalism.

Kelsi Mullens received an Athens Rotary Scholarship. She will study actuarial science at Grand Valley State University.

Laura Murphy won a Domenick & Grazia Pontoni Scholarship. She will attend Bethel College to work toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Amanda Peirce was awarded the Dennis Oberlin Memorial Scholarship. She plans to study biomedical engineering at Indiana Tech.

Adam Stemaly received the Carolyn L. Burnett Scholarship, a new endowment fund established this year. He will attend Western Michigan University to study engineering.

Courtney Stevens won a Domenick & Grazia Pontoni Scholarship. She will study psychology at Northern Michigan University.

Ashley VanderBerg was awarded the Mary Ley Cripps Scholarship. She plans to study English at Central Michigan University.

Ashley Wedel received an Athens Rotary Scholarship. She will study nursing at Kellogg Community College.

Gabe Heurera received the Ratner Scholarship awarded through the Battle Creek Community Foundation. Gabe plans to attend KCC and study video game design.

The Athens Area Community Foundation congratulates all winners and wishes them continued success in their academic careers.

Science teacher get awarded

Science teacher awarded scholarship for graduate work

one of 60 science teacher is nationwide at Lead-Deadwood High School selected for a scholarship program at Washington University in St. Louis.

Robin Dirksen will pursue a master's degree in biology through the Washington University Life Sciences for a Global Community program. Her full-tuition scholarship is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The Life Sciences for a Global Community program is designed to improve secondary biology education by preparing highly qualified master teachers who are also local and national leaders.

The program is a cooperative project of Washington University, St. Louis Public Schools and several corporate partners. The National Science Foundation has awarded the five-year project a grant for $3.88 million. The program is limited to between 90 and 100 teachers, with 30 scholarships reserved for teachers from the St. Louis area.

Dirksen is a member of the first group of 30 teachers who will start the program this summer. She will spend two summers at Washington University and continue working on her degree through the school year with online courses.

Upon successful completion of the master's program, Dirksen receives an $8,000 cash award.

Dirksen has taught at Lead-Deadwood High School since 2000. She teaches advanced biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology and physical science. She taught at Rapid City Central High School from 1994 to 2000.

Want! Scholarships

This programm about undergraduate graduate fellowship,are forms of aid that help students pay for their education, and many role-play about scholarship. As a unlike student loans, actually scholarships and fellowships do not have to be repaid. Hundreds of thousands of scholarships and fellowships from several thousand sponsors are awarded each year, it's possible.

fellowships and scholarships are reserved for students with specific-qualifications,such as academic, athletic or artistic talent. Generally, That Awards are also available for students who are interested in particular fields of study, who are members of underrepresented groups, who live in certain areas of the country or who demonstrate financial need.

FastWeb The best way to search for scholarships and fellowships is to use a personalized search, like the FastWeb scholarship search, that compares your background with a database of awards. Only those awards that fit your profile are identified as matches.

There are several free scholarship databases available online. With more than $3 billion in scholarships, the FastWeb scholarship search is the largest, most accurate and most frequently updated scholarship database. If you supply an email address, they will notify you when new awards that match your profile are added to the database. You can even submit an electronic application to some of the scholarships listed in the FastWeb scholarship database, saving you time and money. FastWeb also includes a college search and numerous other student resources.


In addition to the FastWeb scholarship search, you may want to search one of the other free scholarship search sites. It doesn't take much time to search and it's free. To find small local awards that aren't listed in any book or database, look for notices posted on bulletin boards at your school's guidance office, the public library and outside the financial aid office at nearby colleges and universities.

You can also search for scholarships using your favorite web search engine by including the word "scholarships" with your search keywords.

College alumni and other private scholarship sponsors occasionally establish scholarships with esoteric eligibility requirements, such as a scholarship for left-handed students. Although there aren't many of these unusual scholarships, they often attract a lot of attention because of their slightly offbeat nature.

The most prestigious scholarships and fellowships also attract a lot of attention because they are among the most lucrative and competitive awards. Many colleges also offer full tuition academic scholarships.

Average students often ask whether there are any scholarships available to students who don't have a 4.0 GPA. There are many scholarships for average students that focus on qualities besides academic merit. There are also many community service scholarships.

Most scholarship search sites do not allow children under age 13 to register because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Unfortunately, this prevents parents from finding out about scholarships for students under age 13. FinAid has compiled a comprehensive list of college scholarships for students under age 13 and in grades K-8.

Don't waste your money on fee-based scholarship matching services. You won't get any better information than you can get from the free services available on the Web.

Once you've identified the scholarships for which you are eligible, FinAid has many good suggestions on how to maximize your chances of winning a scholarship.

Scholarships that sound too good to be true usually are. Learn how to recognize and protect yourself from the most common scholarship scams. The number one tip: If you have to pay money to get money, it's probably a scam.

It is important to ask the school's financial aid office about its outside scholarship policy, since this can affect how much you benefit from winning a scholarship if you are receiving need-based student aid.

A portion of your scholarship might be taxable. Usually amounts used for tuition and required fees are tax-free, but you should review the rules to ensure that you report the scholarship correctly.

The most reliable information about the number and amount of scholarships can be found in the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), a statistically representative survey of undergraduate and graduate students conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the US Department of Education. FinAid also presents an analysis of the number of scholarships in the major scholarship databases, reporting the precision and recall of each database.

Students who are awarded scholarships often need additional financial assistance. See the Loans section for information on student and parent loans. To find out about contest, grants and other aid options, visit the section discussing Other Types of Aid. The Other Types of Aid section also provides information about scholarships for students with specific interests or abilities.

Businesses and philanthropists who are thinking about sponsoring a new scholarship may find the Scholarship Design & Management section helpful.