Friday, September 14, 2012

AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Program


AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Program

AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Program

AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Program offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate college students studying journalism who can develop stories using computer science elements. Six scholarships are awarded annually.

Students must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and have a grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants must be in their college sophomore year with one year of college remaining. They must be enrolled full-time at an accredited U.S. college or university.

The scholarship awards are given to those who submit the best ideas on how to tell a story using technology. Ideas can include data mining, mobile devices, 3D storytelling, digital ethics, and micro computers. Projects need to demonstrate original ideas, innovation and creativity.

Scholarships are awarded by Online News Association (ONA), a non-profit member organization for digital journalists. The organization is dedicated to helping journalists adapt to the changing environment by providing online technology training. In addition, they help journalists grow in a digital media environment and foster ways journalists can utilize technology to serve the public.

The deadline for this scholarship is usually in FEBRUARY of each year, and the award amount is usually $20,000.

For more details, visit www.journalists.org/next-gen/ap-google-scholarship/

Scholarships?


Scholarships

What Are Scholarships?

Most people would agree that attending college is considered necessary today if you want to become more competitive in the job market and also accelerate your earning potential. In the United States, people have been attending colleges and universities since the 17th century (Harvard is the oldest university in America, founded in 1636). Other Ivy League schools such as Princeton, Yale, and Cornell also have very early founding dates.  Once considered a privilege for wealthy families only, college attendance has increased more than 50 percent over the last 50 years.
What has been the driving force behind this surge? One reason is the tremendous increase over the years in the number of institutions. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, there are now over 2,600 accredited four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. Another reason is cost variance. While ivy league schools can run well over $50,000 per year for tuition, room and board, students can choose private institutions at a cost of around $30,000 or public schools that offer four year degrees at a more affordable $12,000. 
But there is a problem. Tuition is rising higher and faster than inflation. Last year, inflation rose about 3.6% while tuition at American public colleges increased over 8%. In addition, the number of colleges whose tuition rose above $50,000 in 2011-2012 increased 23%. How does that compare to the national average for wages in America? The national average is $42,000. So, Americans are facing a rising dilemma on how they can afford to attend college.

Scholarships vs. Loans and Grants
Financial aid is available in the form of student loans, grants and scholarships. Harvard was the first university to offer a student loan program in 1940. Government loans began to appear in the 1930's. Although student loans offer low interest, they must be repaid. This is becoming more difficult in the present economy. Grants are forms of free money that does not have to be repaid. Most are need based and take into consideration the cost of tuition along with how much the family can contribute. They are available at the federal and state level and are primarily designed to help disadvantaged students attend college.
Scholarships are gifts of money awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic or athletic ability. They are based on merit. Whether a student is applying for an academic, athletic or artistic scholarships, they must be exceptional in order to be considered. A student applying for an academic scholarship, for example, would need to be in the top five or ten percent of his or her class. Maintaining a high G.P.A  (Grade Point Average) in high school is crucial along with achieving high scores on pre-college testing such as ACT or SAT. But grades may not be the only factor that determines whether or not a scholarship will be awarded.
Since scholarships are based on merit, they are designed to attract a higher caliber of student. Merit refers to overall excellence. Therefore, it includes not only academic performance but also accomplishments, leadership capabilities, and contributions to society. Schools are looking for leaders,  students whom they believe will not only do well in college but also become outstanding performers in their chosen field and contributing members of society.
Colleges offer scholarships because it draws the cream of the crop to their institutions. It is a good investment in the future strength of our society and also a  positive reflection on the institution to have a legacy of famous performers, statesmen or  scientists whose careers began at their school. Barack Obama earned his law degree from Harvard and his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, Bill Clinton studied government at University College, Oxford, on a Rhodes scholarship, Brad Pitt attended University of Missouri, James Earl Jones attended the University of Michigan, and famous novelist John Grisham actually received an accounting degree from Mississippi State University. Even Madonna was an excellent student who earned a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan, and Tiger Woods received a golf scholarship to Stanford University.

Scholarship Benefits
Most families depend upon some type of financial aid to send their children to college. A typical financial aid package consists of loans, grants, work study and scholarships. Scholarships are unique. They are based on academic merit, so high school students can work towards this goal by getting good grades in school and being involved in activities related to their field of study. A student planning on a pre-med course, for example, would want to maintain a high G.P.A. in the courses required by medical schools like chemistry, biology, physics, math and English.  
There are many benefits to high school students to plan for scholarships. It is an incentive to get good grades. Good grades means they have a shot at getting into a better school. Graduating from a better school looks good on their resume and increases their chance at landing a better job. So, it definitely has long-lasting benefits. It is also free money that does not have to be repaid. The more they can get in scholarships, the less they have to depend upon a student loan.
Colleges offering scholarships benefit by drawing better students which increases their ranking among other schools. The higher their ranking, the more prestigious they are, so they can continue to enroll the  best students and command a higher tuition. It also increases their endowment funds which are donations of money that enable colleges to offer more scholarships, competitive programs and better facilities. Harvard, for example, has the largest endowment fund of any college in the world.

Types of Scholarships
Scholarships are not just offered by colleges and universities. Scholarships are also available from federal and state governments and private corporations. Most federal and state scholarships are need based. Corporate sponsored scholarships can be offered at the national or local level. The broader they are, the more competition there will be in applying for these scholarships. Its a good investment for corporations. It helps ensure their industry remains vibrant and competitive by attracting the best minds, and it is excellent for public relations. The big benefit for students is the wide variety of corporate scholarships available to help them pay for college. Fortune 500 companies in particular have plenty of money to offer scholarships. The top ten Fortune 500 companies offering scholarships include Wal-Mart, AT&T, Ford, General Motors, United Health, State Farm, Microsoft, Dell, Lowe's and Best Buy. 
Some corporate scholarships focus on a particular career field, such as accounting, engineering, health and medicine, nursing, teaching or social work. This is helpful to students in searching for scholarship money and also increases their chances of getting a scholarship by narrowing the field. In addition, there are scholarships for minorities such as African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and women which are funded by private organizations and corporations. There are specific scholarships for disabled students, those in the military, older students, and students with severe medical conditions. There are even scholarships available for people who are left handed, twins, and tall—5'10” for women and 6'2” for men.

Future of Scholarships
Scholarships represent an important factor for many in determining whether or not they can attend college. This will continue to be the situation as Americans struggle in the present economy. Most families do not have the financial means to pay for college themselves and must rely on assistance from other sources. Students and parents are reluctant to be stuck with large student loans to pay off after college.

Defaults on student loans are rising sharply, from 7 percent in 2009 to 8.8 percent in 2010 according to the U.S. Department of Education. As college attendance continues to increase, so will the need for scholarships. Whether they are need based or academic, scholarships are key sources of money needed to help thousands of students receive a college education.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Student Bursary Guide

Student bursaries are available to a wide range of students which is claimed from your Higher Education Institute. You'll need to check with your own institution to see what is available to you and the main scheme in the UK is the NHS student bursary scheme but universities offer bursaries also.

What Are Bursaries ?

A bursary is a non repayable financial support cash amount you receive as a student generally provided to new students on lower incomes. The smaller the income the more the bursary award. It is paid if you are paying the full tuition fees.
The amount is paid directly to the student and you should not have to complete additional forms to get it. Some universities are based on academic qualifications whilst others are not. Bursaries are normally used like top up fees and are meant to be used towards tuition fees or cover living expenses.
The bursary application process is fairly automated in that if you provide consent in your student finance application form PN1 (under "bursary consent") then the bursary will be calculated and paid to you. Bursaries are normally paid in the Spring of each year but check your institution for more information.

Types of Bursaries

Most universities and colleagues bursary policies are based on household income (in that if you are from a lower income family you are effectively means tested (generally under £25,000 but many will offer something under £50,000)) but there are other non means tested schemes like Derby University that offer awards if you are a local resident.
Some colleagues offer a bursary if you are studying for a specific discipline such as Lincoln University that offers sports bursaries if you are an amateur sports person and are continuing that training (even if you are not studying sport).
The best advice is to check your local college or university to see what they offer. All applications forms can be downloaded online and one website has pulled all this information together and you can see what's on offer here
Others offer bursaries for international students but the most popular is the NHS bursary scheme detailed below.

NHS Bursary Scheme

The NHS runs a bursary scheme for nursing careers including midwifery which is administered by the NHS business services authority. The scheme pays an award to students on eligible health professional training courses.
If you are studying for a DIP HE qualification in nursing or midwifery then the award is non means tested (ie: is non income assessed
Other qualifications are means tested such as BSC, BA and BSc and are reconciled against any childcare allowances you may receive. This bursary can be up to £3,306 for new scheme students or £3,050 for existing scheme students. There are other grants available to you if you are following an approved course such as parents learning allowance or single parents allowance. You can get full information here

Placement Bursaries

A university may offer a placement bursary which is used to pay the student a salary whilst on their placement year or year overseas.

Other Bursaries

Many universities offer additional funding to help student finances and you need to enquire on their website to see what's on offer. Such bursary funding may include:
  • Childcare grant - to assist with child care
  • Bridging loans - small amounts of money to help you through short term borrowing issues
  • Learning funds - to help cases of hardship for students and are non-repayable loans
  • Emergency loan funds - like the bridging loan for emergency cash
  • Named person bursaries - there are various schemes for specific research projects
  • Alumni awards - awarded on the attainment of academic excellence
  • Scholarships - many scholarship programmes are available for those who have attained excellent results in A levels - they are awarded and paid in instalment so long as your pass mark generally continues to be over 70%
Whatever field you are going to study in please check your university or college to see what student bursaries are available and if you qualify.