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.
This 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 only undergraduate study at public institutions in Alabama. Other special eligibility criteria apply. Application forms may be obtained from the Alabama [...] More
The Asparagus Club awards a maximum of ten scholarships per year. Each scholarship is $2,000 per semester 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 students who are earning a degree in a business, food management, [...] 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 d/Deaf, is the leading funder of scholarships for Hard of Hearing or d/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. Applicants must [...] More
When you apply to a college, it is important to consider not just what you’ll include in your application but also when you’ll submit it. About 450 colleges offer Early Decision applications, and for many schools their Early Decision deadline is November 1st. How does Early Decision work, and how has the coronavirus impacted it? [...]
ACT, Inc., the college admissions testing company, has agreed to pay out $16 million to 65,728 California students with disabilities to settle a class-action lawsuit. The class-action federal lawsuit filed in California in 2018 alleged that ACT, Inc. violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act by disclosing test-takers' disability status to colleges and scholarship organizations on score reports, and denied certain examinees with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in its Educational Opportunity Service. [...]
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and the way it has made it harder than ever to take the SAT and ACT, many colleges and universities, from large state universities to small liberal arts colleges, have announced that their admissions for next year’s Class of 2025 will be test-optional. Test-optional admissions mean that schools won’t require a submission of a standardized test score as part of the admissions process. But how will admissions officials judge applicants without a score? Will a student who doesn’t submit a standardized test score be penalized in any way? And will a student who does submit a score be chosen over one who doesn’t? [...]
