Scholarship Scavenger Hunt: “Ten Unexpected Places to Find Scholarship Dollars” Is First Wisechoice Guide to Assist in College Application

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) -- Diverse Scholarship Providers Featured in Online College Guidance Solution Range from David Letterman and Vegetarian Resource Group to Moody’s and CoffeeforLess.com

With millions of students and parents currently in the midst of navigating the financial aid maze, including completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, they also now find themselves in search of as many scholarship dollars as they can find to offset the skyrocketing costs of college. WiseChoice (www.wisechoice.com) -- an online college guidance solution that uses proprietary matching technology to pair students with colleges that meet their academic, personal, financial, and lifestyle needs -- today released its list of “Ten Unexpected Places to Find Scholarship Dollars.” It is the first in a series of WiseChoice Guides developed to assist parents and students with the daunting college applications process.

“We think that many parents and applicants are unaware of the billions of dollars that may be available to them in private scholarship money, or of the fact that they should be applying for scholarships as early as junior year in high school and continuing to apply for scholarships throughout their academic careers,” says WiseChoice president Richard Taylor. “It’s important to know that there is a scholarship out there for everyone – not just the class valedictorian or star football quarterback – and our Scholarship Finder, which contains detailed information on 2.4 million scholarships worth more than $14 billion in student aid, can help you find them.” Taylor notes that among the scholarships in their database are those which offer significant cash rewards, that most people have never heard of, that are non-academic in nature, and that are available to certain minority groups.

The WiseChoice Guide to “Ten Unexpected Places to Find Scholarship Dollars”

•    Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship at Ball State University (Three scholarships worth $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000; deadline 3/26/10). Available to college juniors and seniors attending BSU and based on creativity in audio/video/written or interactive media. http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Telecommunications/ScholarshipsandFinancialAid/Scholarships.aspx

•    Proton Energy (Systems) Scholarship (One scholar will receive up to $25,000 annually, renewable for three additional years; deadline 2/1/10). Available to U.S. high school seniors who intend to major in a science or technology-related field. http://www.protonenergyscholarship.org/index.asp

•    Moody’s Mega Math (M3) Challenge ($2,500 - $20,000 range for top six teams; Judges may also award up to 20 honorable mention prizes of $1,000 each; deadline 2/26/10). Awards are divided equally among team members from certain states, are made on an annual basis and are non-renewable. http://m3challenge.siam.org/

•    CollegeWeekLive Scholarship (One $3,000 scholarship; deadline 3/25/10). Available for U.S. and international students who are currently in high school. Students must register online for CollegeWeekLive and log in during the virtual college fair in March to be considered. http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/guest/app-scholarships

•    American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship Contest (Ten $2,000 scholarships; deadline 5/3/10). U.S. high school seniors must read an essay about automatic fire sprinklers and take an online test to apply. http://www.afsascholarship.org/

•    Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship (Two $5,000 scholarships; deadline 2/20/10). Offered to U.S. high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

•    CoffeeForLess.com “Hit the Books” Scholarship (One $500 scholarship; deadlines 1/31/10 and 9/30/10). Applicants must be age 18-25, and enrolled in college. Candidates must submit an essay on the importance of education in their lives and how the scholarship money will assist the students’ goals. Bonus points will be awarded to those students who find a creative way to include their passion for coffee within their essay without losing sight of the primary topic. http://www.coffeeforless.com/scholarship.asp

•    Navy League Foundation Scholarship (Three $2,500 scholarships, renewable for 3 additional years; deadline 3/1/2010). Available to 2010 high school graduates who plan to enroll full time in an accredited college/university in the fall of 2010. Student must be the dependent child or direct descendant of an active, reserve, retired or honorably discharged member of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, U.S.-flag Merchant Marine, or U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

www.navyleague.org/scholarship

•    Oneida Nation Higher Education Scholarship (One $20,000 scholarship; deadline 4/15/10). Available to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled members of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Students must be high school seniors or older at time of application. http://www.oneidanation.org/highered/getstarted.aspx

•    LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship (Up to five $2,500 scholarships; deadline 4/30/10). Available to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender high school seniors, who will be attending an accredited two- or four-year college or university. http://www.leaguefoundation.org/scholarships/

About WiseChoice

Launched in October, 2009, WiseChoice is the most comprehensive online college guidance solution currently available and features expert advice, scholarship information, personalized financial aid scenarios, school statistics, academic outlook and reviews by more than 100,000 surveyed college students. By matching students with the “best-fit” college options across all facets, WiseChoice aims to help students have a successful college experience both in and out of the classroom.

Unlike other college search and selection sites that offer limited resources, WiseChoice helps parents and students figure out how to pay for college, identify scholarships and financial aid, and develop a payment plan. WiseChoice can even calculate the true overall cost of college – including tuition, room and board, fees, travel, personal expenses, books, etc. – before students even apply to schools to ensure that students and their families incur as little debt as possible at college graduation.

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