We don’t need to remind education professionals – or your students – that college is expensive. For full-time undergraduate students in the 2019-2020 academic year, tuition hikes across all sectors were consistent. Published tuition and fees for public two-year in-district, public four-year in-state, and private nonprofit four-year colleges increased by at least 20% in the past 10 years, according to college tuition inflation data from the Manhattan Institute. So how are families affording the staggering cost of college? According to Sallie Mae’s 2021 college report, scholarships, and grants account for 25% of college costs, with 56% of families using scholarship funding. The vast majority of Americans are borrowing, with 47% of families in the 2021 academic year taking out loans to pay for college. With scholarships and grants typically covering $7,500 of annual academic costs per student, it’s one funding source that shouldn’t go ignored yet each year thousands of families miss out because they don’t think they would be eligible, or don’t know where to turn to apply.
Below, we will be providing some of the most noteworthy digital platforms to discover local scholarship opportunities throughout the Hudson Valley. While not every scholarship is applicable to every student, it is our hope that you can use this list as a launching pad to generate important, financial savings conversations with the students and families you serve.
One statewide resource that is incredibly helpful is Sholarships.com which simply requires interested applicants to create a profile on their site and access more than 2.7 million scholarships and grants, narrowed down to specific opportunities the applicant is qualified for.
The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley is another great local alternative to find more than 50 trusted scholarships and numerous grants. Governed by a Board of Trustees that includes local leaders in business, philanthropy, and community, you will find open applications for opportunities within Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. The application portal opens on January 1, and a plethora of helpful application resources can be found on their site.
Since 2001, The Chamber Foundation has proudly awarded over a half-million dollars in scholarship funds to local students. Interested applicants from Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, and Ulster Counties should visit their site to apply for specific scholarships after January 1, 2022. Applications are electronic and instructions are easy to follow on their platform.
The Rockland Community Foundation is a nonprofit with numerous local Rockland grant and scholarship opportunities available to local students. Most of this year’s scholarships are accessible through the Foundation’s new online portal. Currently, 30 scholarships are available but not all are open for application. Be sure to encourage eligible applicants to act now, the window on some applications is quickly closing, The Nyack Young Writers Scholarship closes on November 1!
There are tons of scholarships and grants out there for all types of students regardless of interests, talents, or choice of educational programs. Encouraging students to seek out financial assistance early on in their educational careers will undoubtedly help set our communities up for success. Interested in connecting with one of our dedicated RBT professionals? Contact us today, we look forward to connecting.
Source: EducationData.org