Scholarship searches can be quite difficult, but why not get the same tools that other successful individuals have had access to? Do you know that millions of dollars sit on the table simply because individuals do not apply for the scholarship?

The BCC Foundation has over forty different scholarships catered for different degree studies, economic living situations, or the town of student’s residence.

BCC Student Malorie Donovan, future pre-med student, was recently awarded the Coca Cola Scholarship.

She added, “If you’re doing research for scholarships, just ask around. I found out about the Coca Cola Scholarship from former BCC Prof. Ellen Olmstead. There’s nothing wrong with free money when pursuing for a higher education.”

One major opportunity for students is that the BCC Foundation scholarship “Scholarship Application” applies to all of the scholarships available. In order to apply, students can go to AccessBCC or the Financial Aid Office in the new Enrollment Center on the Fall River campus or for New Bedford, the Business Office. A bunch of scholarships are listed that the foundation offers, and applications can be printed. When visiting the website, click “resources”, and then “Look up resources for”, click “For Alumni and Friends.” Next, click BCC Foundation and finally click, “Scholarships.”  The application is on the right titled “Scholarship Application.”

The Learning Resource Center staff can show students how to navigate through BCC Access to check out scholarship and financial aid books. Students can also take the books home.

Another organization, besides the Army, that pays for college is Americorps. They, also, offer to pay for past student loans; also, it helps with continuing education for master’s degrees, and doctoral programs.

From their website: “AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. Full-time members who complete their service earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans.” For more info, visit www.americorps.org. Also, an opportunity to plump up resumes.

Scholarships from all over the country are offered through www.fastweb.com. Students receive e-mail on a continual basis about the scholarships. In addition to the multitude of scholarship info, they have over ten different chapters on how to succeed in the scholarship writing process.

For minority students, check out www.BlackStudents.com and/or www.gmsp.com for Bill and Melinda Gates full ride scholarship. This particular scholarship offers full tuition, room and board, plus other expenses, will be paid through associates, bachelors, and graduates studies.

Prof. Raymond Puchot, professor of speech and advisor of many clubs including the Student Senate and Forensics and Debate Club, recently conducted a Scholarship Search Seminar, which he is going to be bringing to the campus during this semester. He talked about the interview process, essays, and the do’s and don’ts of the scholarship search process. In addition, he touched on how to turn a negative into a positive, talk about how you set yourself aside differently from other students, the ideal characteristics that some scholarship organizations seek out of ideal candidate’s, and lastly, that it takes work to go to school, so it will take work to search for scholarships.

Prof. Puchot had this to say: “Be proactive; hit the internet, talk to the counseling center, your professors. You’re responsible for starting the dialogue, especially for your own major. In writing essays, some scholarships and admission applications require a specific type of format, or even font. Indeed, this could seem monotonous for some; however, an extra five minutes for $2,000 or $20,000 scholarship is worth it.”

Some websites offers website for scholarships are Massachusetts scholarships: www.LocalStudentFunding.org and www.BostonScholarshipGuide.com.

Some of the resources that Prof. Puchot included in his “Winning the Game of Scholarship Acquisition” seminar. http://scholarship.fatomei.com is an extensive list of some of the best nationally based scholarships and www.brokescholar.com, scholarships coupled with monthly newsletter informing you of scholarships that match your profile. Some of the books he offered were: Free Money for College by Laurie Blum, and Money Lines Guide to College Money in New England by Robert Burke.

For the entire list scholarship resources that Prof. Puchot included in the six page handout, along with extensive information about the scholarship search process, especially do’s and don’ts, Prof. Raymond Puchot is going to conduct a one hour seminar on Successful Ways for Applying for Scholarships on all campuses. Keep your eyes opened for the announcement, which will be placed on the BCC website, through your BCC e-mail, flyers will be posted throughout campus, and on the bulletin of the Student Senate Myspace site, www.myspace.com/bccstudentsenate as well as BCC’s Myspace Forum section.

Originally published in The Observer, Bristol Community College’s student newspaper – February, 2007