Up until this point, you’ve done everything right – filled out your college applications early, applied for scholarships often, submitted your FAFSA as soon as possible – but still college is beyond your reach. Then a last dollar scholarship may be just what you need to cover those minor expenses. These "last dollars" are intended to fill the gap between students' financial aid and the real costs of college, such as computers, books and supplies, room and board and even graduation expenses. A last dollar scholarship is awarded to a student whose official Expected Family Contribution (EFC), located on your Student Aid Report, and financial aid packages totals are less than the cost of tuition and fees. Last dollar scholarships vary greatly from state to state and can be the determining factor, in some cases, as to whether a student will attend college or not.
If college is just an arm’s length away don’t panic, there are countless options available to fund your education. The College Opportunity Resources for Education (CORE) Philadelphia Last Dollar Scholarship offers up to $2,000 to Philadelphia high school seniors to help pay first-year college expenses. The Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access Grant provides an award from the State of Maryland which, when combined with the Federal Pell Grant and the EFC, will help cover the cost of full-time study at a Maryland college or university. Below are just some of the last dollar scholarship awards available to high school and college students. You can find more information on these and other awards by completing a profile and conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com.
The ACHE Police Officers and Firefighters Survivors Educational Assistance Program is a grant covering tuition, fees, books and supplies for dependents and eligible spouses of Alabama police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. There is no limit on the amount awarded to recipients. Awards are available for undergraduate study in public institutions in Alabama. Students who are [...] More
The Asparagus Club awards a maximum of ten scholarships per year (subject to availability of funds). Each scholarship is $2,000 per semester (fall and spring only) not to exceed four consecutive semesters. Recipients must retain full-time student status and earn at least a 2.5 GPA to earn a scholarship each semester/quarter. Eligible applicants must be rising juniors, seniors, or graduate [...] More
This fund was established through the generosity of the members of Associated Grocers Inc. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This scholarship is dedicated to the memory of Sam S. Politz, a former President and CEO of Associated Grocers Inc. Students must be Louisiana high school seniors or graduates enrolling full time into an accredited university or college. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.5, a [...] More
Sertoma's Scholarship for the hard of hearing or deaf, is the leading funder of scholarships for hard of hearing or deaf students since the program's inception in 1994. Students with a clinically-significant bilateral hearing loss, graduating from high school, or undergraduate students pursuing four-year college degrees in any discipline are eligible for the scholarship. [...] More
A New Jersey community college professor allegedly shouted obscenities at a politically-conservative student during a sociology lecture on sexual harassment, which has ignited complaints about the college being a "liberal atmosphere where alternative political viewpoints are not tolerated." According to other students, this incident was "one of the many disagreements" that took place over the course of the semester. [...]
A gun-toting Tennessee college senior showed her support for President Trump and guns while holding her shirt up to reveal her handgun in her graduation photos to "show who [she is] as a person." The photo, which went viral on Twitter, gained both positive and negative feedback - some of which claimed she was "brandishing a firearm for a photo shoot or showing it off to try and look cool." [...]
A professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz believed she was "unstalkable" up until a student of hers began sending messages that were at first flirtatious and ultimately turned to threats of rape and murder. Much of the #MeToo conversation in higher education revolves around educators who "harass" or "target" students; but some educators themselves actually become vulnerable to harassment by their own students and remain silent out of a sense of guilt, embarrassment, and often the fear of losing their jobs. [...]
