Students at Detroit public schools now have another reason to not lose hope when looking for college funds. Two additionalscholarships programs are currently looking for applicants from Detroit public schools – the Detroit College Promise program and the Detroit Compact.

Scholarship details

The Detroit College Promise program is available to all students of Detroit public schools, whether or not they have high grades and GPAs. This is similar to a program offered in Kalamazoo. The College Promise Program is an effective marketing strategy for Detroit City. However, one possible problem is that not all students and parents are aware of this scholarship program. According to a group who talked to several Detroit public school students, none of them have ever heard of the Detroit College Promise program.

The Detroit Compact has been active for about twenty years now, and it aims to provide assistance to large neighborhood high schools. Unfortunately, not all students and parents are actually aware of this program. Ever since its inception, this program has helped thousands of students and according to program organizers, the graduation rate for students who have joined this program is higher. Requirements for this program include an ACT score that’s at least 21, a GPA of 3.0, and a 95% attendance.

Although these two programs offer a lot of promise to public school students at Detroit, more efforts are still needed to ensure the complete and continuing success of the Detroit College Promise program and the Detroit Compact.

Photo Credits: Toshiyuki IMAI

source: The Detroit News

In a world that is aiming to be increasingly politically correct, there are more avenues opened for different types of people. So whatever background, religious affiliation, ethnicity and nationality a person has, it will have an equivalent supporting scholarship. It is just fair to also have opportunities for people with special needs. After all, special needs students may need extra expenses during the course of their studies.

Types of special needs scholarships

There are several categories of special needs scholarships that they can almost compete with the number of general scholarships out there. The reason behind this is that special needs people are not one-dimensional students that can be labeled with what most perceive to be their disability. They can also be labeled by their chosen fields and their outstanding skills.

Disability scholarships

Disability scholarships refer to grants that are given based on a physical constraint, such as blindness or deafness. Blind or deaf students need special equipment.

Illness scholarships

Students with cancer, diabetes and other potentially debilitating or expensive to treat illnesses may also avail of scholarships.

Level of education

As with the rest of the other students, special needs students can apply for college, masters and professional degree scholarships.

Merit-based scholarships

Being special needs does not equate to not having any talent or degree of academic skill. Special needs students can apply for merit-based scholarships as well.

Photo Credits: Ed Yourdon

Source: Different Dream

Together with Prodigy Finance, INSEAD is set to launch a new international loan program for its MBA students. The program called The Prodigy MBA Bond for INSEAD is expected to be a sucessful project, which will help provide financial assistance to INSEAD’s MBA students while letting investors and some alumni gain profits from their investments. The partnership is expected to be a fruitful venture since INSEAD, an international business school with branches in Singapore, Dubai, and France, has already worked with the company, which offers international educational finance. INSEAD Dean J. Frank Brown has confirmed that the international business school has been working side by side with Prodigy Finance for the last four years.

The bond

Prodigy Finance founder, Ryan Steele, cited the value of a bond, which is greatly appreciated by family offices and alumni investors. The company, according to Steele, has more than 5.5 million euro in assets. It was able to give investors 5% returns per year since 2007, in spite of the economic meltdown. This project was actually started by three alumni of INSEAD to provide an alternative source of funding, other than banks, for students who want to pursue higher education. It started in 2007 and has now covered about 198 INSEAD MBAs from different countries. In December this year, the company is expected to provide loans to 160 students.

The program is made possible through the community education bond amounting to 50 million euro. The bond is actually linked to 200 students to ensure diversification. The investors can easily track online which students are given school funding, getting them more involved with the project.

Photo Credits: Allan Cleaver

The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) does not offer off-study scholarships. However, ACM students do not have to lose hope. Eligible students can take advantage of many scholarship programs offered beyond the walls of ACM. ACM encourages students to try the school’s suggested scholarships and other financial aid programs. Here are some possible off-campus study scholarships to consider:

Bridging Project for Study Abroad in Japan

This scholarship is offered by the Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project. Students who are interested in studying in Japan may take advantage of this offer. Per semester, scholarship grants can amount up to $2,500. One school year’s worth of scholarship is worth $4,000.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

This scholarship is offered to American undergraduate students with minimal financial means. These students must also be Pell Grant recipients. Through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, the undergraduate can study abroad. Any place in the world may be allowed by the scholarship but preference is given to a few countries, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Western Europe. Amount granted may reach $5,000 a year.

DiversityAbroad.com Study Abroad Scholarship

This scholarship is offered to twenty students per year. For each of the spring and fall seasons, six students are given the grant. Eight students are granted the scholarship during the summer. The DiversityAbroad.com study abroad scholarship is offered to economically disadvantaged students who want to experience studying outside of the country. $1,000 is given to each of the students.

There are many other study abroad scholarships being offered to financially disadvantaged but deserving students. The National Security Education Program (NSEP) – Boren Undergraduate Scholarship actually grants up to a maximum of $20,000 for each student in an academic year program. This program gives American students a chance to study in places that are critical to the US’ future security.

Photo Credits: Josh Berglund