Finally, there's help for the middle class Did you know that you (or your family) can never make too much money to qualify for financial aid? It's a myth that only the needy can get funding. In fact, there are over 1,300 funding programs open to college students and students returning to college that never look at income level. The trick is to find the right programs. We've done that for you here, in this edition of the College Student's Guide to Merit and Other No-Need Funding. Who is eligible for the funding described in the directory? Currently-enrolled, continuing, and returning college students in any subject area and at any type of postsecondary institution (public or private junior college, community college, proprietary school, vocational/technical institute, 4-year college, or university) are eligible. High school seniors who are looking for money to go to college are not covered here; they should use the High School Senior's Guide to Merit and Other No-Need Funding. What makes this directory unique? There's no other directory for college students like this one. Why? First of all, because the focus here is exclusively on merit and other no-need funding programs. If a program requires financial need, it's not listed. Here's your change to find out about billions of dollars in aid awarded, instead, on the basis of: career plans academic record creative activities volunteer activities writing ability research skills religious or ethnic background military or organizational activities athletic/sports participation and even pure luck in random drawings In addition, the directory targets programs open specifically to college students. Most other directories mix together programs fora number of groups (high school students, college students, and even graduate students or postdoctorates). Now, you won't have to spend your time sifting through programs that aren't aimed at you. Next (and this is a real plus): only the biggest and best funding programs are described here. All funding opportunities identified in the directory offer at least $1,000 per year, and the majority of the listings go way beyond that--paying up to $20,000 or more annually, or covering the full cost of college attendance. And, all of this is free money. Not one dollar offered by these programs will ever need to be repaid. Finally, you can take the money awarded by these scholarships to any number of schools. Unlike other financial aid directories that often list bulk up their listings with random scholarships available only to students enrolled at a specific school, all of the entries in this book are portable. How is the directory organized? Finding merit and other no-need funding for college has never been easier. You can locate these programs by discipline, specific subject, sponsoring organization, program title, where you live, where your school of choice is located, and deadline date. Every piece of information that you need to decide if a program is right for you is here: purpose, eligibility requirements, financial data, duration, special features, limitations, number awarded, and application date. You'll even get fax numbers, toll-free numbers, and e-mail addresses, along with complete contact information. How comprehensive is the directory? The directory describes in detail more than 1,300 different funding opportunities--where income is never considered in the selection process.No other source, in print or online, can match this comprehensive coverage. Who would benefit from buying this book? Current and returning college students; college admissions officers; librarians in public, academic, and special libraries; career center staff; financial aid officers; guidance officers and advisors; and anyone else looking for college funding that is not need based. What do the reviewers say? Called a unique directory by Scholarship Watch, the College Student's Guide to Merit-and Other No-Need Funding has been highly praised by the reviewers. According
