Four-year colleges and universities have raised their tuitions and fees by an average of 9.6 percent for the current school year, notes the College Board in a recent survey of colleges. This is the largest price hike in the past 10 years, caused mainly by state budget cuts, dwindling endowments and a slowing economy.The tuition increases, in addition to a rise in the costs for room and board, have resulted in the average annual cost of attending a four-year public university for students who live on campus to be $9,663—or $672 more than last year.
Those attending two-year public schools are seeing an average annual increase of 7.9 percent.
Many students secure some sort of financial aid, but much of that money is in the form of loans—which eventually must be repaid—and only puts a student deeper in debt.
Seafarers and their spouses and children who plan to attend college next year have a benefit unique to them. For in addition to any other grants or stipends they may be awarded, they also are eligible to apply for one of eight scholarships from the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan.
Three of the scholarships are reserved for SIU members. One is in the amount of $20,000 for study at a four-year college or university. The other two are for $6,000 each and are intended as two-year awards for study at a post-secondary community college or vocational school. The other five scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $20,000 each to the spouses and dependent children of Seafarers.
The first step in the application process is sending away for the Seafarers Scholarship Program booklet. To receive a copy of this guide, fill out the coupon
HERE and return it to the address listed on the form.
Once the scholarship booklet has been received, applicants should then check the eligibility information and, if they are eligible, should start collecting some of the other paperwork which must be submitted along with the full application by the April 15, 2003 deadline.
These items include transcripts and certificates of graduation. Since schools are often quite slow in handling transcript requests, the sooner the requests are made, the better.
Another part of the application package includes letters of recommendation solicited from individuals who know the applicant’s character, personality and career goals. A photograph of the applicant as well as a certified copy of his or her birth certificate also need to be included.
The selection committee looks at the high school grades of all applicants and also checks the scores of either their Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) or American College Tests (ACT). Therefore, arrangements should be made to take these exams no later than February 2003 to ensure the results reach the committee in time to be evaluated.
Those Seafarers and dependents who previously have applied for a Seafarers scholarship and were not selected are encouraged to apply again this year, provided they still meet all the eligibility requirements.
Don’t let the steadily increasing costs of a college education stop you from reaching your goals. The Seafarers Scholarship Program can make a difference!
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