Higher education in the United States has long been a major focus but also an area of great debate.  In this country, having a college education provides people with the best opportunity to get ahead by securing a stable and good paying career.  With a college degree, more doors open than without a degree.  Unfortunately, while some people have the means to pay for college or a level of credit to secure student loans, low income people are not as fortunate.

To even the playing field when it comes to a college education, a variety of government programs have been developed over the years, one in particular of importance being the Pell grant.  With financial aid, more than 9 million people in this country have the chance to enter or finish college.  Without this kind of assistance, most of these individuals would never be accepted to college or have the chance to finish the education started.  Although the Pell grant program has faced obstacles before, a recent press conference has stirred up a hornet’s nest. [Read more...]

South Dakota is the Mount Rushmore State as well as the Coyote State. It is also a state that is very supportive of post-secondary education for its residents. Please note that in South Dakota all grant and scholarship programs are referred to as scholarships. Let us take a closer look at public education grants and in South Dakota .

It is the South Dakota Board of Regents that is responsible for supplying funding to all of the state’s colleges and universities, as well as technical institutions and other specialized schools. There is a great concern in the Coyote State of losing talented and educated residents to other states. South Dakota is a rural state and knows this loss well. As a direct result of this the Governor of South Dakota recently established the Dakota Corps Scholarship Program. This program offers attractive incentives to students in the state who may be contemplating leaving the state to obtain their higher education. Those who choose to remain in the state to go to school who are pursuing a “critical need occupation” may be eligible for scholarships that pay all or part of their tuition costs.

Applicants must have a GPA of 2.8 as well as competitive ACT scores. The scholarship will not be awarded until the individual agrees to stay in South Dakota following graduation to work in the “critical need occupation” that he or she was trained in. These occupations include health care professionals and educators, to name only two. Please note that a one year tuition scholarship is equal to one year of employment in the state.

South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship

The South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to eligible students through the Department of Education. The maximum amount awarded to students annually is $5,000. Eligible individuals are those that have participated in a Regents Scholars curriculum at the high schools they attended. Students must have high ACT scores, as well as a competitive GPA and have plans to earn a degree from an in-state college or university.

Ardell Bjugstad Memorial Scholarship

If you are a Native American student living in South Dakota and you plan to study agriculture then you may wish to apply for the Ardell Bjugstad Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is administered through the Board of Regents and the money is awarded to students who are studying in an agricultural or natural resources management program at a state college or university.

This scholarship was established by the family of a man named Ardell Bjugstad of Rapid City who passed away in 1990. Ardell Bjugstad was a range scientist who was employed with the United States Forest Service for a span of 20 years.  He was also an adjunct professor at the South Dakota State University as well as at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Oglala Lakota College. Bjugstad was a strong advocate for young American Indians who were doing what they could to gain an education. He mentored Native American students who wished to find employment in the United States Forest Service.

This scholarship is worth $500 and is distributed to the post-secondary institutions in the state. The educational institutions then provide the funds to students who qualify for them. The money is given out in two separate installments. The first installment of $250 is given out for the fall semester and the other $250 is made available in the spring semester. As previously mentioned, Native American students who apply must be pursuing a degree program in agricultural studies, agribusiness, agricultural production or natural resources.

Scott Mecham BBB Student of Integrity Awards

The Scott Mecham BBB Student of Integrity Awards program is sponsored by the Better Business Bureau. This program serves not just the state of South Dakota but also Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Three students in each geographic area that are served by the Better Business Bureau are awarded scholarships worth $2,000 on an annual basis. These BBB scholarships were created to honor the memory of Scott Mecham who was the president of the Better Business Bureau from the year 1991 until January of 2006. All those who are currently juniors or seniors in high school are eligible to apply for this award.

The BBB awards are given to those students who personify the integrity, leadership and values that were shown by Mr. Mecham. The application guide, application form and nomination form for can be found at the BBB website for your state. Once there click on the section marked “Integrity Awards/ Student Scholarship Programs- Learn More.”

Getting a college education is something you will never regret. A degree never goes out of style and it never becomes outdated nor does it expire. Rhode Island may be the smallest of the 50 states but it is not short on financial aid programs for its students, as well as public education grants in Rhode Island .

Often called Little Rhody or the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority administers all of the grants and scholarships in the state. Not only does it consider the financial needs of its students but it also takes into account academic achievement. The University of Rhode Island is the largest public university in the state. The university is composed of four campuses that offer students attending any one of them the potential to qualify for grants that are based on merit and will cover a sizeable amount of tuition costs. For instance, Roger Williams University offers as many as one dozen merit-based scholarships and grants to those students that have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to 3.5 and above.

If you excel in a particular subject in school then you may qualify for a grant or scholarship that comes directly from a variety of college and university departments. Let us take a look at some of the options you have for public education grants in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island State Grant

The Rhode Island State Grant is considered to be the most accessible of all of the grants for college. This is a grant that is based on financial need. To apply for it you first must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant awards in the range of $250 to $1,400.

What is really unique about this grant is that it does not have to be used at a post-secondary institution in the Ocean State. You can use it at any eligible school found across the United States, as well as in Canada or Mexico.
To qualify for this grant you must be a resident of Rhode Island and a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must be attending school on a full-time basis or at least half-time in an institution of higher learning that will lead to an undergraduate degree or a certificate. You must also meet the eligibility requirements of the federal student aid program. This takes into consideration selective service, loan defaults and drug convictions. You also must apply before the deadline is up and you must be able to show that your financial need for college money is great.

To apply you first must fill out and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application must arrive at the processing center by the 1st of March prior to the academic year that the student wishes to start school.

Rhode Island Higher Education Grant Program

The Rhode Island Higher Education Program is a need-based grant program that is available to college bound students in the state. Applicants who are approved are awarded $300 to $1,400 on an annual basis. This grant program is available to undergraduate students and not graduate students. Every year an estimated 10,000 to 12,900 students are awarded money from this grant program. You must be a permanent resident of Rhode Island to apply for this grant as well as a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. To apply you first must fill out a FAFSA.

Rhode Island Health Professional Loan Repayment Program

The Rhode Island Health Professional Loan Repayment Program offers grants to students in the state who are willing to make the commitment to serve in facilities that are experiencing a lack of personnel in various areas throughout the state following their post-secondary graduation. What this serves to do is it greatly reduces the cost of repaying college and university loans.

New England Regional Student Program

The New England Regional Student Program offers students of New England (which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) a decent sized out-of-state tuition break when they choose to enroll in approved majors at public universities and colleges that are in other New England states besides Rhode Island. The majors that are approved by this grant program must be ones that students cannot find in colleges in Rhode Island. These majors are listed in the annual program catalog known as “The Apple Book.”