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With September approaching, many people are preparing to take the new and exciting step into University life. Being a recent graduate myself, I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and give people essential advice for surviving the transition to student land.

It is most likely that if you are going to University for the first time, you will be living in student accommodation. Obviously with so many students staying in so many rooms, your place of residence is not going to be the Ritz, so don’t go away expecting luxury. Of course some rooms are better than others, however, they are usually very basic.

There are a few ways you can prepare, in order to assure you do not want to leave after your first night. Firstly, bring you own pillows. It is more likely than not, the one you will find upon your arrival will be as flat as a pancake and will not make for a comfortable night’s sleep. Secondly, if possible bring two duvets, one to put underneath you and one to cover you. Don’t worry, beds don’t usually have metal springs sticking out, however, the mattresses can be very thin, making the bed hard and lumpy. I actually found my bed was pretty comfortable, however, for added luxury create a cocoon for yourself. This can also help in the Winter, as rooms can sometimes get cold. Make sure you bring a hot water bottle with you as well.

A necessary at University is a washing basket. This sounds like a dull item to buy, however, if you have one you will be very grateful for it. It becomes quite an inconvenience having to search around for black plastic bags, which look unsightly in the corner of your room and rip when you pick them up to go to the laundry room. Furthermore, you do not want to have to take up the draw space you have, hiding away dirty clothes and stepping over clothes left on the floor just makes it more difficult to get to bed after a drunken night out. Before you leave home or as soon as possible after you arrive, why not take a quick trip to Wilkinsons, to buy one of their latest pop up baskets.

It can often be scary and unsettling moving away from home for the first time. Therefore, to make an empty shell feel homely make sure you come fully loaded with photographs, posters and personal trinkets. Covering your walls with removable decorations is not usually frowned upon and some kind of board is often provided for you to pin things too, but don’t forget to bring plenty of blue tack and pins. I would also recommend unpacking and personalising your room, as soon as possible, to lesson the chance of feeling uncomfortable in your new surroundings and lonely.

A further tip to feeling less segregated from your close friends and family is to find an internet connection quickly. If you are lucky enough to have a lap top, combined with internet access in your own room then great, however, if not just find out the nearest place you can access it from. Having MSN Messenger and Facebook at your finger tips can mean you can keep in touch easily with those you miss and for free.

The internet is indeed great, but there is just a small word of warning i can offer. Try not to rely on your family and old friends for comfort too much. It is better if you put aside a small amount of time to communicate with them or save it for if you are feeling particularly low and concentrate on making new friends. The quicker you socialise, the easier you will settle in your new environment. Although it can be tempting, make an effort not to hide away in your room. On the same note, if you have come to University with a friend, try not to spend all of your time with them. It will be better for both of you to form friendship groups and then you will both have people to introduce to one another. This could potentially form a large social network.

If in Fresher’s week you feel that everyone around you has already formed big groups of friends when you haven’t, don’t panic. More often than not they have just grouped together with fellow house or hall mates. You may do the same, however, you will find as the weeks go on, people will break away and become friends with the people they want to be with. On many occasions, your fellow house mates will become some of your closest friends, however, they may not. There are so many other opportunities, as well as so much time to settle in and get to know different people properly.

Upon your arrival at University, there will most probably be some kind of “Fresher’s Fair” promoting every kind of club available. Many societies are keen to attract new members and joining one is a great way to meet new people. However, if you simply do not want to, don’t worry. You will not be alone in your decision. Many people are just as happy staying at home or going out partying of their own free will. If you do not like being alone, however, why not invite a few people you have met over to watch a DVD, suggest going to a house party or a night out clubbing. If you make the effort you may well find you have more in common with certain individuals than first thought and it is likely that your invitations with eventually be reciprocated.

When your student loan comes through, it is very easy to get carried away and feel like the richest person on earth. If your anything like me, you will end up with a load of DVDs that you wanted at the time, but have watched about once. Furthermore, spending fifty pounds on alcohol in one night may seem good at the time, if not so great the next day. Without sounding like a kill joy, be careful about what you spend your money on. It is not pleasant when you reach the last few weeks of term and have no money to even buy food. There are only so many occasions you can eat 7 pence noodles.

Where food is concerned, try to shop sensibly and not just waste you money on other things so that you are forced to survive on the bare necessities. Moreover, remember your parents taught you that fruit and vegetables were good for a reason and just because you live on your own does not mean you should stop eating them. Living off bread alone is likely to give you scurvy. One of my house mates tried to live off bread whilst simultaneously taking vitamins to substitute the goodness he was lacking. The results were not pleasant. Extreme vomiting and stomach cramps.

There is one final thing I will mention to help you prepare before you embark on the adventure that is University life and that is the joy of fire alarms. Weekly fire alarm tests took place at my University. Sound good? It definitely is a necessity, however, at 9am in the morning, it is not welcome. A few times I had only just gone to bed and it took me quite a while to realise where i even was, so be aware. I don’t know why they insist on doing it so early, I think it is just their joke on students. Furthermore, don’t expect these to be the only times the alarm goes off. It can sound in the middle of the day, when you are trying to write an essay in the library and everyone has to evacuate outside. The middle of the night is not a nice time to be woken up either, especially when you have to stand outside half asleep in the rain and snow.

University is a great experience and one that you will never forget. I hope with these few tips and warnings you can go away feeling just a little bit more prepared for the craziness that lies ahead.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Heathrow Parking, Hilton Heathrow and Luton Airport Hotels.

An education is an important thing for anybody. Without a college education, even a high school education, there are very few jobs out there that will offer you the financial stability needed for your future. An education for single moms is especially important because not only do you have to fend for yourself financially, but you also have one or maybe more children to take care of. Juggling a job and trying to take care of the children at the same time can be a daunting process, and it is imperative that you find a way to get an education.

It is probably true that if you are a single mom, getting an education is something that you really want, but probably do not have time nor the money. There are special educational grants, scholarships, and other financial resources that are out there, but they will not come to you, you have to go out there and find them. Go online or talk to a financial aid officer at your local school and you’ll be able to find a program that will fit into your budget, if not your time. There are also some community colleges who offer free shopping opportunities for prospective students. If you find that your local college does not offer the services, there are several government programs that will pay a partial or full amount of child care while you are attending school.

An education for single moms is very important. And only when you get the career that you want, will you have a more secure future in which to raise your child. You’ll also be a role model for your child as they become older. A child of the college graduated mother is more likely to go to college themselves than if their mother had a high school graduate education or GED.

Time management is your biggest issue after your finances are covered. How can any woman manage a child, a household, an education, and a job? It can be done with the right management. Join a network of other single moms that have alternative schedules. You can take care of their children while they are at school and you can have your child taken care of while you are in school. If there is not a single mom network within your college, create one. Put up flyers and have a meeting. You’ll find that there are a lot of people in your situation that have the same difficulties with finances and time management that you do.

Use family members if they are available. Take advantage of the opportunity without taking advantage of the people around you. Show them that you’re responsible and that you want to have an education. They should understand that you know an education for single moms is a must if you are to have a financially secure family. Sit down and talk with your family and say to them that you want to graduate from college to make your life better and your child’s life better. Tell them that once you have a job and graduate from college that you will reciprocate all the assistance, love and the understanding, and maybe the finances that they give you.

Lana Hawkins is the author of Mom Pays for College blog. If you’re a single mom that needs to finance an education for yourself or your kids, get the free audio and a detailed report covering many ideas on how single moms can earn money for college. Go to Free Report and Audio - How Single Moms Can Pay for College
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Obtaining your accredited bachelors degree online will enable you to take advantage of carrying out your business on the Internet. Many on line degree course combine information skills and commerce classes as a whole and will allow you to receive the necessary training and gain entry to the dimensions of the World Wide Web. Another term for this could be a distance learning bachelors degree.

Similar to any college, the on line universities have admission criteria which must be met and is relevant to which ever bachelor degree you choose to study for. High school qualifications or an equivalent GED certification are the basic requirements and most on line degree programs insist on a minimum of three years related work experience as well as a degree at a 2.5 GPA or higher level. Choosing the course would not be too difficult as on line bachelor degree programs take any number of students at a time.

When enrolling for an accredited online bachelors degree course make sure you make your application to several universities. Its a bonus that when completing your degree on line you do not have to live in or near to the town of your chosen university. As long as you have Internet access you can live anywhere in the world and successfully complete your course, this is also open for a bachelor business degree online.

You would, of course, be required to discipline yourself and dedicate sufficient time to carry out your studies to keep up with the course you are doing. If you do not possess self discipline, then it is fair to say that this type of studying is definitely not for you and you should really consider taking your degree by the conventional learning method.

Listed below are just some of the benefits of doing your bachelors degrees online.

An on line degree can be taken in less time that the normal four years for a traditional degree course. You can usually complete your degree within a period of three years, and depending on your previous college credit, it is actually possible to finish your degree in less than eight months.

The on line course gives you the flexibility to study at any time of the day or night and in the comfort of your own home.

As long as you finish the course within the given time frames you may take things at your own pace.

The fees for your tuition when doing your degree on line are easy to pay as you simply apply for a student loan. There are, in some cases, systems in place which allow you to pay as you go throughout the course.

You do not have to give up your current employment to carry out your studies for your on line degree. This has a double bonus as you can use your heard earned pay to cover the cost of your on line degree tuition fees. This may be for a bachelor of science degree or even a bachelor of nursing degree.

Another idea is to ask your employers if they would be prepared to make a contribution to the costs of your degree course, and if your new qualifications can be used to their advantage in the long run, they would probably agree to this. If however, they choose not to help you out, there are federal grants and student loans available which have low rates of interest for repayments.

In today’s modern world more and more people are studying for acredited online bachelors degrees and finding this an excellent way to improve their education and career prospects for the future.

DrS has been interested in online education for years. Accredited online bachelor degrees and doing a distance learning bachelors degree have become a very popular goal for many people, from all age groups.

The costs to go to college to get a decent education are costly. Today students are finding it hard to get a good education without first taking out a student loan. Evan more students face student loan consolidation at some point, so what are some solutions?

Could the rich become the poor, and the poor become the rich? Could those in education today, find they are more in debt than those who simply went to work out of high school? These are big concerns, and as more students have a need to get student loans and student loan consolidation, the educated are facing big debts.

Stop! It doesn’t have to be like that. You can get a good education, and still find yourself in a more prosperous situation after all of it. And no it does not mean having to search for all the half price items you want to buy, but can be done consciously without much effort.

The first point is research. And here a budget becomes important. If you have never done a budget before, don’t fret because it is easy. Once you make up a budget, you will find that it gets easier, and you won’t face the same problems that money others face, that don’t make up a budget in advance.

Making a budget is simple. First you need to find out the main concern. When going college and considering taking out a student loan or student loan consolidation, the major factor is your education, and tuition. So, you would write tuition and next to it write the necessary costs.

Then you would consider what else. Books and other educational material could be another item. Then go forward to personal expenses. Where will you be living? How much is rent. Add all these items.

Next consider what else you need to include. Remember food, leisure, partying, etc. Once you have this total figure, you can figure out your position. This will allow you to plan ahead.

Now it is time to consider how you can make savings. Consider where you will be living. Could you find a good college without having to pay expensive rent in expensive areas?

Is there just as good a college locally to your home that does not need you moving and paying expensive rent? Just this alone could save you thousands. In a student loan, a thousand today, means paying back thousands tomorrow.

A part time job is another solution. Some companies in the field you hope to work in, after your education sometimes provide apprenticeships which could pay you and pay for your college education.

Thinking smart ahead can produce you results which many others won’t see. Get creative. It does not mean missing any meals; it does not have to cost you. But often student loans, and student loan consolidation leaves many people in debt. You can break out, and have a future with more prosperity in your life.

To find out more about the various student loans available and student loan consolidation loans visit: student loan consolidation | compare student loan consolidation programs.

There are three major reasons that someone might take an interest in learning more about golf colleges. The most obvious reason is that the individual is a college student who is interested in pursuing an education in the field of golf. The second major reason is that the individual already has a degree or experience in golfing and wants to get a job at a golf college. And the third reason is that the individual works in some aspect of the industry that would be interested in marketing to people at a golf college; for example, someone who works as a writer for golf magazines may want to know more about the interests of people attending a golf college. For any of these people, it is going to be important to pay primary attention to those golf colleges that are located in areas where the school is likely to do well over time.

Golf colleges can be opened almost anywhere. In fact, many different golf colleges have started to spring up in recent years because more and more people are starting to realize that this is a degree program which might be worth pursuing. Any location that already has existing golf courses or where there is enough land for a new golf school to build a golf course of its own is going to be a place where the golf college could theoretically gain a following and do well for itself. However, it’s not wise for those people interested in golf colleges to bank on the hopes of a new school. Instead, it’s best to look into those schools which are located in areas that have a long standing tradition of golf history.

While a school may do well in any location, the goal of a golf school is to make sure that the individual who graduates from it is going to be able to get a good job in the industry. To be able to guarantee this, a good golf school must be located in a city that already has a thriving golf industry. The places that are best for golf colleges are those places where people would be likely to go on a golf vacation. Any destination that is already known for its golf is going to be a place that is going to offer opportunities for employment in the golf industry after graduation. People seeking to attend a good golf school will want to look not only at the schools but also at the amateur and professional golf industries in the area.

The top areas for golf schools today are those areas that people will automatically recognize as being places which are great for golfers. Although there are plenty of these places throughout the nation, there are four areas that really stand out: San Diego, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach and Orlando. These four major cities are destinations where people regularly go to golf. Golf colleges that are located in these cities are going to offer what students and potential employees or business partners are seeking from a golf school. The people who are working at these colleges are going to be people who probably have an extensive amount of experience in the local golf industry. This means that these people will have the skills that are necessary to make golf colleges run well but more importantly it means that they are going to be great networking contacts for anyone on a golf school campus who wants to be integrated into the local golf scene. These are factors that should not be underestimated when choosing a niche college that is focused on a specific career path.

Andy West is a writer for SDGA. San Diego Golf Academy is one of America’s premier golf colleges with locations across the United States.

A college textbook purchase can set you back hundreds of dollars. I have 3 great places to look for textbooks to avoid buying textbooks altogether. You may not know it, but you can often get textbooks for free. Learn these techniques for saving money in college, and use them over and over again.

How I Took Classes - But I Didn’t Buy Textbooks
I recently finished an MBA, and those textbooks are not cheap! In one class, I had 3 textbooks, but I was able avoid buying 2 of them. I had to make some calls or send some emails, and in this specific case, I had to talk to the professor as well. But in the end, I avoided some expensive books. I’ll show you 3 ways below.

Strategy #1: Loaned Textbooks
I know, it sounds crass, but we are talking about real money. Besides, it isn’t that hard to do. I just called some friends that had been in other classes with me, and I asked if they still had their textbooks. One did, and he let me borrow them for the semester.

Tip: Make lots of friends like this. This guy was a semester or two ahead of me, and took similar classes. We did have one class together where I took it before him in the program. Also, he loved to keep his books for reference for later. I didn’t keep mine, and he didn’t mind loaning his. Also, I was always careful with his books, and I didn’t write in them. I just had to drive to his house to get them, and I avoided several college textbook purchases by maintaining the friendship.

One of the books was an article anthology, just a bunch of articles in one place. A new version had come out, so I had to ask the professor what articles we would be using, and compare that to my borrowed book. He said there were only a few new ones, and I found those online doing a search, or through a library database, like EBSCO Host. I had access as part of being a student, so it was free.

I took care of my friend’s books and returned them at the end of the term. And he lent me some more after that.

Nearly Free: Technically, I may have had to use some paper and toner to print a 10 or 20 page article. Not bad ;o)

Strategy #2: Ask the Professor
I had a book coming to me, and it hadn’t arrived yet, but you can use this to avoid your college textbook purchase altogether in some cases. Since mine was delayed, I asked the professor if I could borrow an old one of his for a couple of weeks. He said no problem.

I used his book till mine came, but I could have asked for a longer period. Professors often have books for years, and they often get extra books from publishers. A good relationship can help here as well.

Strategy #3: The Study Lab
When I took an economics class as an undergrad, we had a lab to go to study for the class. A teaching assistant was there to answer any questions, with his own book. The lab had some great hours, but was often unoccupied.

Simply go to the lab and use the book and ask questions, just like you should as an interested student. Let the lab assistant help you, and use their book while in the lab.

Bonus: You finish your assignment, and you avoid a college textbook purchase. Be sure your class actually has a study lab, a TA, and a book before you try this one. Borrowing is even cheaper than a used textbook sale.

Want more techniques? During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.

You know what textbook buy back is - wait in line, offer the university demigod your used textbook and hope they give you something for it. But have you ever heard of guaranteed textbook buy back? With a guarantee, you avoid keeping a book you don’t need, and you don’t have to stand in line wondering if your bookstore will have filled their quota for your book. Especially if the person in front of you has the same one.

Standard Textbook Buy Back Jitters
Don’t you hate that feeling, as you stand in line to sell your books? The waiting. The watching to see if they buy your book from every person in the line. Will they still need my book? When you arrive at the register, and they only need 2 of the 7 books you have.

The Guarantee
You can avoid this now by buying through stores that guarantee your textbook buy back. Some campus stores and some online stores will guarantee to buy back certain books, and they will even tell you how much they will pay you. You still have some limitations, as you might expect. Instead of waiting in the line to find out that you can’t sell it back, you find out when you buy it that you can’t.

You also don’t have to wonder how much you’ll get at buy back. The company will tell you right away how much value you will lose - but you will still have the guaranteed textbook buy back price, and you will reduce the cost of your textbooks with a guarantee.

End of Semester Time Saver
At the end of the semester, you will just take your books to a drop off point and pick up your cash - but you may have a line still. The difference is that you will also have a guaranteed return. With online stores, you will usually get a prepaid postage sticker you have to keep until the end of the term, and then you’ll mail them back for a check.

The companies that provide this service will tell you how much they will pay. Many university bookstores also offer this service. The books included in the program will typically have a sticker or an icon, if online, to show you that they have a guaranteed textbook buy back amount.

Be careful to protect that sticker! It serves as your guarantee. Campus bookstores usually require that their sticker still be on the book. Just be aware.

Not Every Textbook is Included
Whether through a campus store or online, not all textbooks will have the guarantee. Even if some of yours don’t, you can still do it the old way during buy back week. And of course you can also sell it online.

Does This Work for Used Textbooks?
Used textbooks can also be in guarantee programs as well. It just depends on the department and the professors at your school. If they have committed to using the book for a few years, then the store will offer a guarantee on that book. Online stores use a different method, but the result is the same, if they see significant commitment to the book, they can offer a guarantee for a used book, too.

The Numbers
The breakdown I give here won’t be perfect in all cases, but you will get an idea of how these programs work. When a college or an online bookstore offers a guaranteed textbook buy back on a new book, they will often promise you 50 percent of the book price you paid at the beginning of the class. Then, they will add half of that when they resell it used, a total of about 75 percent of your price.

Used textbooks will work similarly but with slightly different numbers. Your book will drop half its value, but you do get half the amount back. If you have access to a guaranteed textbook buy back, you get a pretty good deal. You know which textbooks you can sell for something, you probably know how much, and you save time. Cool. Cheap textbooks and less work.

Differences between Online and On Campus
Textbook buy back will be slightly different online versus on campus. You will have to ship for an online bookstore, but not on campus. And you will have to wait for the online bookstore to acknowledge your books. On the other hand, an online store may have a wider variety of books with a guarantee. And you may be able to return the books earlier than at the bookstore.

Your on campus bookstore will be close by, no waiting for a check. They will give you cash, and hopefully the line will be short.

Both will look at your books before they pay. Severe damage invalidates the guarantee. Don’t drop it in a rainstorm, or highlight in black. Some wear is normal, some writing, some highlighting. And you have to have all the pieces: all the pages, and any disks or student workbooks if included when you bought the book.

Expectations
You can’t really expect to get all your textbooks for nothing. I managed to do it in several classes, and even made money on one book. But over a full term of classes or a year, you have to expect to spend something. In those cases, the guaranteed textbook buy back fills the bill, and helps reduce your expenses.

Maybe you’ll even have money for a First Run movie ticket - with popcorn!

Want more techniques?
During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.

You stand in line at your textbook sell back, you hand over your textbook, apparently the equivalent of solid silver just a few months ago. And then the clerk hands you a couple of twenties and says next. Read here why I stopped going to the textbook sell back on campus and made my own arrangements to sell my textbooks, and how you can get reference books for less.

I wrote this article to convince you that any textbook sell back will benefit you more than keeping those books. And I offer a strategy to build a great reference library for less.

My $100 Wake Up Call: A Business Law Textbook
As an undergrad engineering student, I kept nearly every textbook, sell back wasn’t on my schedule. I wanted a reference library, I said. Then, I went back to school for an MBA. I had to take business law, and the book was more than $125. I was stunned.

I found the book at about $100 online and bought it, took my class and seethed. This was my 6th MBA class - I as in an evening program - and I had kept all the books from my previous classes. I was going to build a textbook reference library again, I thought.

Then, I was walking through a thrift store. Not a used bookstore mind you, just a secondhand store. You know, donate, and a church or other charity runs it to help the less fortunate.

And there on the shelf was my book, one edition old - I bought the 8th edition, they had the 7th - for $3.

Yeah, $3. And thrift stores are tax exempt in my area.

I immediately sold every textbook I had used for my MBA classes, and several of my other books that had any value. I consider it one of my best business decisions

Why clean off your shelf?
Textbook sell back shows the situation perfectly. You pay hard earned money for a new or used textbook, take the class, then try to sell it back. The school only has funds to buy back the number of used textbooks they need, frequently leaving you holding yours to keep. You end up with a valuable doorstop, or a nice book end about physics. An expensive book you don’t need.

My library was the same in a way. I had valuable textbooks wasting away on my shelves. Or, I could do my own textbook sell back and then buy older versions at a fraction of the price to fill my library. Which is what I do now.

For instance, the $3 seventh edition textbook I mentioned earlier? It’s on my shelf as I write this. I also bought a strategic management textbook, same authors, 1 edition back, maybe one or two missing chapters from the one I used in class (I can’t remember now if I read those chapters or not) also for a whopping $3. It makes me smile to tell you this :o) and I hope you get the message.

Textbook Sell Back and Your College Frig
Books you buy for school have a limited shelf life, like cottage cheese, Lettuce and sour cream. Their value holds until the next edition comes out. But just like a potato you have to skin, any current edition textbook, almost no matter the condition, has value. Whether it has a missing cover, excessive highlighting, notes written in the margin, or even dog ears (the worst), you can have your own textbook sell back if the new edition has not hit the shelves yet.

High prices on textbooks are for a good cause: trying to bring you the best information for your money and give you a great education. Professors use textbooks because then they don’t have to come up with the material to teach themselves, and the books also help meet accreditation requirements to cover all the important stuff in a certain topic.

But it can cost you hundreds of dollars. So get the books you need, and then have your own little textbook sell back every term. Sell some online or to your friends about to take that class.

And if you need a reference book on a subject you have in school, you might want to go check out a secondhand store. You’ll be surprised how far $5 will go.

Want more techniques?
During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.

Easy ones first: it goes without saying that to receive the Michigan Promise Award you must be a resident of Michigan and be a high school graduate or hold a GED.

Now the details. Make sure you take the Michigan Merit Exam starting in grade 11 in high school. Why your junior year? If you score below a Level 2 in any of the required areas, you can retake the exam during grade 12 and make up the difference. This gives you better odds (by taking the exam on two different occasions) to meet the least test score needed to be eligible for the award. Also, check to make sure that you have not received a merit award under the Merit Award Act. If you have, you are not eligible for consideration for the Michigan Promise Award.

Upon receipt of the scholarship, students have two years to enroll in a postsecondary establishment that is approved by the State of Michigan. Please note, all military academies (USMA, USAFA, USNA, USCGA) are approved organizations even if they are not specifically called out. If you decide to enroll in the Armed Forces or the Peace Corps, you can request an additional two years to enroll in your choice of postsecondary institutions.

Once enrolled, you have four years to finish the requirements for your postsecondary institution. If you’re enrolled in a bachelor’s degree track, you need only finish 50% of the requirements. All other certificate, degree, or vocational programs must be finished within 4 years.

While attending your program of choice you must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. In the event that your program does not grade on a normal scale, evidence of completion is still required and can be worked out with the school and the State of Michigan on a situational basis.

Payment of the award is broken down by timeline as seen below:
Students may receive as much as half of the Michigan Promise Award in two installments of $1000 each in the first two years of postsecondary education. To receive the final payment of $2000, students must fill out the “Michigan Promise Scholarship Application for Final Payment” form and submit it to the MSA Office. This can be done via the internet. All requirements for the scholarship must be completed prior to receiving the final payout (i.e. complete your program, or 50% completion in the event that you are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program).

Finally, note that the real name of the program is the Michigan Promise Scholarship, not the Michigan Promise Award. The terms are used somewhat interchangeably even though the ‘award’ portion is a carry-over from the Michigan Merit Award. They are in fact one in the same, and there is not a separate scholarship for each.

Allen Wright is a freelance writer who covers any topic that interests him. Find more information about the Michigan Promise Scholarship, also known as the Michigan Promise Award by clicking on the link.

No doubt about it, applying to college can be quite tedious and boring. You have to get an application, fill it out, send letters of recommendation, write an essay, pay a fee, and finish all this on a deadline. A daunting proposition, when taken all at once.

However, you shouldn’t let these little barriers stop you from filling out that application to the school of your dreams. Let me tell you a story.

The college I wound up attending had a very straightforward and quick application process. When I started at school, I found many students who were attending simply because the application was easy. Their good grades has gotten them excepted quickly, but they had no particular interest in the courses at my school (an engineering school). Some, when asked what they wanted to do, would give such decidedly non-engineering careers such as fashion design!

Most of these people dropped out soon. I can’t help but think that if they had spent a little more time finding the right school for them instead of applying because the application was easy, they might have done a lot better. Rather than allowing the challenges of applying to a school to cause you to look for an easier path, plow ahead through the process.

To help with this plowing process, I’ve created this quick list of tips on eliminating the barriers that stop most people from making the leap and applying for the schools they really want to attend. Read them and learn.

1. Application Fees

To many it may seem odd that a $60 fee would be a hurdle for someone applying to a school that costs thousands, but if you are applying to many colleges, the fees will stack up quickly. The solution to this one is simple, though. Just call up the the admissions office and tell them about your financial situation, and many times they will waive the fee for you. Even if they don’t, it never hurts to try.

3. Letters of Recommendation

There are a few quick fixes here. When you’re out begging for letters, ask if they could make the letter generic enough to change a few words (preferably just the school name) out for different schools, and give them a list of schools you’re applying to so they can make multiple copies. Then, give them pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to send the letters out in. This “batching” technique is much more time efficient that individual letters.

3. The Essay’s

For many, this is the most daunting aspect of the entire application. Let me tell you how to make it easier. Go through each of your applications, and find out what they’re looking for with the essay. You will notice that many of these essays are on similar topics. Once you’ve identified these similarities, you can “modularize” your essays in order to save time. Once you have these topic modules written, you can just copy, paste, and change the sections into the appropriate essay. Just be sure to alter any references to the school name, or else Harvard admissions might be puzzled as to why your only goal in like is to attend Duke!

Hopefully, these tips have help you out a bit with the applications process. Be sure to never give up on your dreams, particularly due to what are actually very small (though largely annoying) obstacles such as college applications. Good luck with the process, and I hope you get into the school of your dreams!

David Wilson is the man behind College Hunter Blog. Visit to learn about finding, applying, and getting into your perfect school. Whether you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or something else entirely, we’ll help you get there.