5-27-2010- SFAA, known for their breakthrough guides on Scholarships for African Americans, has just released there financial aid guide for Minority students.

“For those who are desire to continue their education, it has become much easier due to several programs available that give scholarships for African American students,” says Jeremy Thomson, owner of SFAA. “ Some of these programs you have probably heard of before and some you may not. These programs give out millions of dollars worth of African American scholarships to those who qualify. In this guide we go over a several programs and what a student must due to qualify.”

One program discussed in the report is the UNCF. This is probably one of the most recognized organizations in the world for providing African American Scholarships. They offer their students 21st century academic programs while keeping their tuitions to less than half the average of other private colleges;
Administering 400 scholarship and internship programs, so that even students from low- and moderate-income families can afford college tuition, books and room and board.
“There are many financial aid programs available to minority students that are fairly easy to qualify for,” says Jeremy. “Some of the more well known programs include the Ron Brown Scholarship Program, the NAACP, the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program as well as many others.”
“We feel that anyone who wants to continue their education should not let their financial situation stand in the way. There is literally millions of dollars given away each year in the form of college scholarships and grants. The key is knowing where to look, what the requirements are and how to apply,” says Jeremy. “With this knowledge, anyone should be able to get the continuing education they seek.
Anyone who would like to access the free guide can do so at the SFAA website.

5-27-2010 – CSAG, known for their up-to-date guides on the latest college scholarships and grants programs, has just their latest guide on financial assistance for graduate students.

“Some graduate students have hit a brick wall when it come to finding financial assistance to assist them in their financial education,” says Jeremy Thomson, owner of CSAG. “Most people are aware of the usual grants such as the Pell Grant and the FSEOG program, but there are also other ways to pay for a students continuing education such as fellowships.”

Fellowships are awards given to both, graduate and post-graduate students. Like scholarships and grants, they are for you to keep with no need of repayment. Fellowships differ by granting source, amount, length, and purpose. They are typically awarded in form of stipend to finance education or research. Some even feature tuition waiver for a partial or full duration of studies. Fellowships may be offered by government, private foundations, international organizations, or your school. Eligibility criteria differ between different types of fellowships and thorough research is required to weight your chances of getting a fellowship.

“Scholarships for graduate students may be based on a wide range of criteria from academic excellence and outstanding achievements to ethnic background and social status” says Jeremy. “While scholarships vary in the amounts and length, they are all, equally to grants, highly competitive and require a lot of effort to obtain. Scholarships come from a variety of sources, from government to private. Many schools, especially private universities, issue scholarships to most talented students. Contacting your school for a list of available scholarships is the best starting point for any graduate student seeking free help with funding his or her graduate degree. There is an array of other sources, however, besides university you attend, that offers scholarship search and assistance. A comprehensive online search may help you to come up with a solid list of scholarships for graduate students.”

You can learn more about scholarships for graduation students and other financial aid programs such as Scholarships for African Americans at the CSAG website.

5-16-2010 – CSAG has releases their financial aid guide for college scholarships and grants. Covered in this report are many unknown financial aid programs that are available to students regardless of financial situation or background.

“Many people are unaware of the fact that there is so much money available in the form of scholarships and grants,” says Jeremy Thomson, owner of CSAG. “Anyone who has the desire to further their education can no longer use the lack of money as an excuse. There is literally millions of dollars given away each year for continuing education”

This report includes some of well known financial aid programs that are available but also includes many programs that many people have never heard of. Before applying for any type of financial aid, there are a few things to consider.

Expected Family contribution (EFC)— Expected family contribution is the amount that is often said to be the amount that your family can contribute to the college costs. This amount is often determined by the one who is going to provide the grant. Usually it is some federal government body or the individual universities or the colleges that determine the expected family contribution.

Need Formulas—Need formulas are used by the federal government offices and the financial aid offices in order to analyze the financial circumstances of your family. In financial circumstances, they consider the things like the family size, income and the assets, and they often compare these proportionally with the financial circumstances of other families.

Importance of EFC figures—One thing is for sure that most of the families just can’t pay out the EFC from their income only. However, they don’t need to worry about as the formulas often have the assumption that the families will meet the contribution that they have to make with the help of the pure combination of their savings, the borrowing and the current income of theirs.

“When applying for financial aid, it is important to keep these points in mind,” says Jeremy. “Once you understand how the scholarship programs work, you will have an advantage over 90 percent of the other applicants.”

“We also include in the report some unknown scholarship programs such as Scholarships for African Americans. You can access the full report at the CSAG.org website,” says Jeremy.

Recent High School Graduate Earns Chance to Work on Ad with DC Comics

TROY, Mich. (August 21, 2009) – The International Academy of Design & Technology (the Academy) in Troy has welcomed a new student to its school who was recently named the winner of the “2009 Design Scholarship Challenge.” Shane McCallion was among the finalists who flew to San Diego to visit Comic-Con 2009 last month.  While there, they presented their submissions to a panel of judges and McCallion was announced as the recipient of the national prize.

The contestants, who were a mix of young men and women, displayed their original designs to the judges.  Some drew by hand and others produced computer-generated graphics, all inspired by the DC Comics graphic novel, “Absolute Justice.”  DC Comics provided a library of assets for the contestants to use and they were free to develop their concepts based on their interpretation and research.  The winner, McCallion, expressed his own intrigue in the dark side of the series by coming up with the caption: “Which side will you serve?”  He combined elements of good vs. evil in his depiction of three classic heroes and their rivals.

The judging criterion was based on execution against the creative brief, creativity/originality, aesthetics, the design process and the presentation to the panel. The final round was conducted by a national panel including representatives from DC Comics.

”Shane showed ingenuity and creativity, as well as a unique approach to the challenge” said Steve Rotterdam, senior vice president of sales & marketing for DC Comics.

About the Academy

The International Academy of Design & Technology was originally founded in Chicago in 1977.  The Troy campus was established in 2003 to help Michigan students develop their skills and abilities needed for success in the fields of design and technology. The career-oriented degree programs provide hands-on training and real-world insights, taught by industry professionals who work in the fields in which they teach. The Academy is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) to award associate and bachelor’s degrees. The Academy currently offers degree programs in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Game Production, and Digital Media.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.iadtdetroit.com or call 888.838.2111.

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Media Contact: Andrea Meyer

[email protected]

847-585-3937