Paying for college can be one of the largest financial investments a family will make, and many college-bound students and their parents will have to dig a lot deeper to find the money to pay tuition as well as room and board. Tuition increases have risen well past the rate of inflation and are expected to be the largest in 30 years—many in double digits.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.
But this fall, six students who were awarded scholarship monies from the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan in 2003 walked through the doors of colleges and universities to start or, in some cases, continue their quest for education at a higher level. These students took advantage of the unique benefit available to them as members of the Seafarers International Union or as spouses and dependent children of SIU members and pensioners.
Eight scholarships are being offered in 2004 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.
Now is a great time to begin the application process. The first step is sending away for the Seafarers Scholarship Program booklet. To receive a copy of this guide, fill out the coupon in the printed version of the Log and return it to the address listed on the form. Or, like Niky Las, in the photo above, pick up a copy of the booklet at your nearest SIU hall.
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, 2004 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 applicants character, personality and career goals. A photograph of the applicant as well as a certified copy of his or her birth certificate also needs 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 2004 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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