Lesser-Known College Aid

This past month, T. Rowe Price released their annual Parents, Kids & Money Survey. The survey found that, while most parents discuss college with their children, much fewer discuss how college expenses will be paid. Most parents are not sure they will be able to cover such costs. Therefore, students must be proactive and find other ways to fund their education. The ideal option is to pursue scholarships, but many students may feel that scholarships and grants are out of their reach. For example, some students may not qualify for enough federal aid to make attending college affordable. Others may not have the grades necessary to earn academic scholarships or grants. However, teens should not be discouraged. There are many scholarships and other forms of college aid that award funds based upon unique circumstances and characteristics. Not widely known, these options are easily overlooked, but can provide those who qualify the opportunity to pursue their goals.

The First Scholar Program, University of Kentucky: Are you the first person in your family to attend college?  If so, the First Scholar program may provide you additional funds for your first year at UK. This scholarship program seeks graduating high school seniors who will be first-generation college students (meaning neither parent has attended college). The award is $5,000 for the first year of college as long as you meet the requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.uky.edu/UGE/FirstScholars/.

Berea College’s Tuition Scholarship: Kentucky is fortunate to be home to a unique higher education institution that offers free tuition to ALL students they admit. Berea College provides all of its students full-tuition scholarships for all four years of attendance. While other costs and fees, such as housing, must be paid for by the student, this scholarship offers a savings of about $100,000. What’s more, Berea is one of the best private colleges in the country. For more information, please visit: http://www.berea.edu/admissions/financial-aid-scholarships/bereas-tuition-scholarship/.

Waiver of tuition and fees for fostered/adopted children: In the state of Kentucky, fostered or adopted children have their college tuition and mandatory fees waived by law. Any state-recognized fostered or adopted child can attend any Kentucky public two-year or four-year higher education institution without these significant expenses, as long as they meet all requirements and are academically eligible for admission. For more information, please visit: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/164-00/2847.PDF.

For a list of other Kentucky scholarships that you may qualify for, please visit: http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/schools/high/Iroquois/KYScholarships.pdf.

READERS, what do you think?

Are there any other great scholarships, grants, or other such opportunities worth mentioning?

References:

T. Rowe Price. (2013, March). 5th Annual Parents, Kids & Money Survey: Detailed Results. Retrieved from http://media.moneyconfidentkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/PKM-Survey-Results-Report-FINAL-0326.pdf.

Count Your KEES Money. You May Be Earning It Already!

The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) is a program managed by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). How does KEES work? Kentucky high school students earn KEES scholarships if they make at least a 2.5 GPA each year. The higher the GPA, the more money the student earns for higher education. Additional scholarship money is given for scores of 15 and above on the ACT and scores of 710 (math/verbal) and above on the SAT. For free/reduced lunch students, AP exams and IB tests earn you KEES money as well.

As you can see, there are many ways to earn KEES money, and this money can accumulate into a significant scholarship. For example, if you have a GPA of 3.6 each year of high school, you will earn $400 per year. Then, if you get a 21 on the ACT, that is an extra $250 for each year. Don’t forget that AP exam! If you qualify for free or reduced lunches, your score of 3 will earn you another $200 per year. Already that is $2050 for each year of college. So, if you attend a four-year degree program, you will have a total KEES scholarship of $8200!

The best part about the KEES scholarship (aside from the free money) is that no application is necessary. Kentucky students who meet the requirements automatically begin earning KEES money their freshman year in high school. To find out more about the requirements, visit the KHEAA Web site at https://www.kheaa.com/website/kheaa/home. To check how much money you have earned so far, go to https://www.kheaa.com/apps/registration/register-new. Register as a student and sign in to your KEES account. Soon you will realize how much money you can earn for higher education just by getting good grades in high school!

READERS, what do you think?

How much KEES money could you earn for higher education? And are there other sources of scholarship money you could add to your KEES scholarship to help pay for education?

Reference:

Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. (2013). Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). Retrieved from https://www.kheaa.com/website/kheaa/kees?main=1.

Could Your Private Information Be Available on the Internet?

News stories on personal privacy and identity theft are common these days, and you’ve probably heard some of the horror stories. There are all kinds of cautions about sharing personal information. Even if you aren’t doing anything to put your private information at risk, that doesn’t mean your identity couldn’t be stolen.

The news has been abuzz recently with stories about a Web site that has posted sensitive personal information on a variety of politicians and celebrities. If these people can’t keep their personal information private and out of the hands of potential identity thieves, no one can. The fact that you are not famous might make it less likely that anyone will try to steal your identity, but you might be surprised how easy it can be for identity thieves to get information about you that they shouldn’t have.

Investigators say the offending Web site could very likely be Russian, but that doesn’t mean overseas threats are the only ones we need to be concerned about. Even legitimate companies and organizations right here in the U.S. may put our personal information at risk.

Google, for instance, recently settled with Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, along with 37 other states and the District of Columbia, over privacy concerns about its Street View program. Not only did specially equipped vehicles take pictures of residences nationwide between 2008 and 2010, they also collected information from unsecured WiFi networks at homes and businesses along the way. Your own family’s personal information could have been put at risk. Google’s practices may have improved, but plenty of other businesses want your information. Personal information about you may even be publically available on the Internet without your knowledge.

Individuals and families can only do so much to protect their personal information. Ultimately, the public must let politicians know they need help defending themselves from identity thieves and others who want too much information.

READERS, what do you think?

What can you do to better protect your personal information? And what should the government and businesses do to help?

References:

Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Kentucky. (2013, March 12). Attorney General Conway Announces $7 Million Multistate Settlement with Google over Street View WiFi Data Capture. Retrieved from http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsroom/ag/googlewifi.htm.

Schmidt, M. S., & Perlroth, N. (2013, March 12). Web Site Investigated for Posting Private Data. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/us/personal-data-on-well-known-people-is-posted.html.