Student Loan Consolidation

What is Student Loan Consolidation

Student loan consolidation combines all your student loans and often lowers your monthly payment. If you spent four or more years in college, you are likely to have a number of student loans from subsidized to unsubsidized, Stafford and Perkins loans, and perhaps some privately-funded student loans as well. After graduation, you enter the repayment period and each loan requires a monthly payment. Not only can keeping track of several (or more) monthly payments be difficult, each loan’s minimum payment may become a financial burden when they are added together each month.

Consolidating your student loans is a lot like consolidating any other debt. A new loan is taken out to pay off all existing student loans so that only one monthly payment is made each month to the new lender. There are many benefits and a few disadvantages to this option so be sure to consider your options carefully as student loan consolidation is not required.

Scholarships for Minorities

Finding Scholarships for Minorities

Finding scholarships for minorities is just like finding any other scholarship, except these types of scholarships are given to individuals meeting specific conditions such as race or ethnicity. Scholarships for minorities are meant to help individuals pay for college. Since minority students are generally underrepresented in colleges today, there is a wide range of scholarships available to help offset the cost of a post-secondary education.

Take a few moments to talk with your high school guidance counselor or financial aid officer who should be able to recommend at least several minority scholarship programs. These individuals can also help you gather documentation you may need to apply for scholarships, such as letters of reference and school transcripts.

Nursing Scholarships

Scholarships for Nursing Students

Nursing is one of the fastest growing industries in the country as advanced technology and an aging population has created a huge demand for nurses, and in an effort to attract more qualified nurses to the field, scholarships for nursing students are plentiful. Scholarships for nursing students may be generalized or specific in order to attract minority students or those interested in a specialized field. No matter what, you should be able to find multiple nursing scholarships that match your needs.

Undergraduate Nursing Scholarships

Graduate Nursing Scholarships

Undergraduate nursing scholarships are available from a variety of sources, and will likely continue to increase for as long as the nursing shortage is existent. These scholarships may come from a specific school, private organization, and even the federal government. Each type of scholarship has it’s own unique qualifications and application process so it’s important to read the application instructions carefully before submitting the document. While it is not a hard and fast rule, small awards typically have less paperwork to submit while the high-dollar awards often require more work. Remember that you may be applying for thousands of dollars so it’s important to take your time and do the best you can to make sure your application stands out among the hundreds of others the scholarship committee has received.

Scholarships for Women

Finding College Scholarships for Women

Despite the fact that today more women than men are entering college, there is still a gender-gap when it comes to certain professions and high-level positions. In an effort to combat this disparity, there are a number of college scholarships for women. Finding college scholarships for women can be easy! You should discuss potential opportunities with your high school guidance counselor, college adviser, or your school’s financial aid office. An internet search may also yield numerous results.

There are many types of college scholarships for women. Some are generalized awards for all women to apply, while others are major- or interest-specific. Other scholarships for women may have additional criteria, such as non-traditional students, women from minority groups, women with children, and so on. There are so many college scholarships for women that the list is nearly endless.

Graduate Scholarships for Women

Graduate scholarships for women are just one category of scholarships available. In most cases, the first and foremost criteria for these scholarships is that the applicant is a woman and entering a post-secondary plan of study. Often graduate scholarships for women are tied to a specific field of study where women are underrepresented; however, because women are less likely than their male counterparts to enroll in a graduate program, there’s no shortage of graduate scholarships for women as benefactors attempt to lessen the gender-gap.

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