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Use Scholarship Management Organizations To Find Grant Money For College

The search for private scholarships can be confusing and frustrating for parents and students. Many families feel they just don't know how to go about the process, so they either hire a private scholarship search company or simply give up. The success rate of many scholarship search firms is not good, and college financial aid professionals always warn parents to be skeptical of exaggerated claims.

The process also confuses many donors. A corporation may want to help its employees or the children of its employees or may want to offer a national scholarship program to its customers or the general public. Unfortunately, the corporation may not want to devote valuable administrative time managing a scholarship program. Similarly, there are many donors who want to target their funds to a particular group of students but simply do not know how.

Stepping in to help are scholarship management organizations. Although many have been around for a long time, the majority of the general public knows very little about them. The reason for this is that scholarshiip management organizations often do not administer scholarship funds directly to students. Rather, they serve as a clearinghouse for their membe donor organizations. Today, savvy parents and students can go online to find these organizations and the scholarship programs they administer.

Two of the largest scholarship management programs are the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and Scholarship America (formerly known as Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America). The National Merit Scholarship Corporation sponsors a competitive scholarship program that seeks to identify and reward the top students in the nation. High school students who meet published enty/participation requirements enter these competitions by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), usually as juniors. A particular year's test is the entry vehicle to a specific annual competition. For example, the 2007 PSAT/NMSQT was the qualifying test for entry into competitions for scholarships to be awarded in 2009. For more information visit http://www.nationalmerit.org.

Another major player is Scholarshiip America, which has distributed more than $1 billion dollars to more than one million students since its founding nearly fifty years ago, making it the nation's largest private-sector scholarship and educational support organization. By involving communities, corporations, organizations and individuals in the support of students through its three major programs, Dollars for Students, Scholarship Management Services and ScholarShop, Scholarship America distributed more than $159 million in 2005. Whether it is working with national leaders in response to the September 11th tragedy through the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, or with corporations such as Target, Kohl's Department Stores, and Tylenol (McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals), Scholarship America is an important organization that helps thousands of students every year. For more information, go to www.scholarshipamerica.org.

In addition to the National Merit Scholarship Fund and Scholarship America, there are other organizations that raise funds and administer scholarships for specific groups of students. Some of these organizations include:

  • American Indian College Fund - www.collegefund.org
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute - www.hsfi.org
  • United Negro College Fund - www.uncf.org
  • Organizations of Chinese Americans - www.ocanational.org
  • Future Farmers of America - www.ffa.org
  • Gates Millennium Scholarship Fund - www.gmsp.org

These are just a few of the many scholarship sources available on the Web. In addition to using scholarship search engines, think broadly about yourself, your background, your interests, your family connections (work, religious, frateranl organizations). and your future career plans. Then spend some time browsing the Web. Remember, the key is to start early (junior year in high school is best) and be persistent.


Pharmacy Technician Training is a Safe Bet for a Solid Future

With job opportunities expected to be "very good," a pharmacy technician career is an ideal way to join an industry that is positioned for huge growth. Allied Schools has added a Pharmacy Technician Training, http://www.pharmacytrainingonline.com to its list of vocational courses, offering relevant, high-demand training that can lead to certification – and long-term career opportunity.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The increased number of individuals, including middle-aged and elderly people, requiring prescription drugs will spur demand for qualified pharmacy technicians – and create an opportunity to play an integral role in the health and welfare of others.

“We are proud to offer the new Pharmacy Technician Program to students,” said Steve Rathje, president of Allied Schools. “It is a timely addition to our courses and will prepare students to fill the huge need for qualified pharmacy technicians. Also, with the uncertainty of the economy, this should enable people to open the door to a solid career – it’s relevant and in-demand right now.”

Allied’s Pharmacy Technician Program consists of two online courses – Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacy Calculations – that cover such relevant topics as: essentials of medical history, pharmacy settings, drug regulation and administration, terminology, formulating and calculating prescriptions, elements of patient interaction and more. Students study in an online format, which enables them to learn anytime, anywhere –textbooks are included with the tuition. The program includes assignments, practice problems, instructional Webcasts, multiple-choice online quizzes and final exam.

Pharmacy technicians work alongside licensed pharmacists as they provide medication and other health care products to patients. They work in a comfortable pharmacy setting performing duties such as verifying prescription information, counting and measuring medication, preparing insurance claim forms, managing inventories, completing pharmaceutical dosage forms and more. A career as a pharmacy technician can lead to opportunities in hospitals, community pharmacies, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and pharmaceutical organizations.

Job opportunities for pharmacy technicians are expected to be good, especially for those with certification. Allied’s Pharmacy Technician course is designed to help prepare students to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam – providing them with the credentials to advance in their career. Potential benefits of certification include: increased responsibilities, promotion to supervisory positions and mentoring or training pharmacy technicians with less experience. The highest 10 percent of pharmacy technicians earn over $17.65 per hour, with certified technicians potentially earning even more (Source: BLS).

Allied’s online Pharmacy Technician Program allows individuals to attend class from any location and study according to their own schedule. The course materials are available 24/7 – they can log onto their courses when they have time. The online education is also self-paced, allowing them to learn at an accelerated rate or keep a regular pace throughout their studies. Live student support is available if they need assistance with their course.

"It is an exciting time to work in the health care industry," said Rathje. "Health care was the only industry to add jobs last month, and the pharmacy technician occupation is an ideal way to get started. It's a non-clinical career that plays an essential role throughout the entire industry – wherever there are health care facilities, there will be pharmacies."

To learn more about Allied Schools’ career-training programs, please visit http://www.alliedschools.com or call (888) 501-7686 to speak with an Admissions Representative.

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Allied Schools, Inc., established in 1992, is the nationwide leader when it comes to distance education. It has provided quality instruction to more than 825,000 students in the last 15 years. Students can further their career with career training courses in the areas of real estate, medical and business. Over 50 educational support and student services staff members are on hand to assist students with all of their educational needs.
Did You Know?
  • In 2003, over 19,000 adults participated in the national and state-level assessments, representing the entire population of U.S. adults who are age 16 and older, most in their homes and some in prisons from the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
  • Ireland has won the most Eurovision song contests (7 times).
  • The education and training requirements of the 2000-2010 projected total job openings, due to growth and net replacement are: 69.8% of jobs will require work-related training (42.7% short-term on-the-job training, 15.1% moderate on-the-job training, 6.5% long-term on-the-job training; and 5.55% work experience in a related occupation); 20.9% will require a bachelor's degree or higher; and 9.3% will require an associate's degree or postsecondary vocational award. (Occupational Employment Projections to 2010)
  • Some very well-known colleges have failed in their efforts to create online divisions. Temple, New York University and Columbia have all had e-learning flops. Columbia, in fact, spent $15 million to start an online program that was eventually closed down.
  • In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.