According to a recent report by The College Board, the average cost of college (tuition, fees, room, and board) is $20,090 for a four-year in-state school and $45,370 for a four-year private school. On average, about 60 percent of students graduating from a public four-year institution have student loans, and in 2015, the average debt for public four-year college graduates was $26,800.
Fortunately for college students, there are a variety of resources available to help pay for college including loans, grants, and scholarships. Grants and scholarships are classified as “gift aid” because the student is not required to pay anything back.
“Scholarship season” is well underway in the Quad Cities, as a large number of scholarship application periods fall into January, February, and March. To assist with the local scholarship search process, Career Cruising Quad Cities has established a local scholarship hub to shine a light on local, regional, and state scholarship opportunities. Resources within Career Cruising also help students locate scholarships offered on the national level.
A link to the local scholarship hub is located on the main page of CareerCruisingQuadCities.org (no log-in required), along with a link to Financial Aid and national scholarship resources within Career Cruising (student CCQC log-in required).
The hub connects students to scholarships available through The Moline Foundation and scholarship opportunities from area credit unions, professional associations including the National Women in Construction Quad Cities Chapter, farm bureaus, employers such as Hy-vee, and others. The hub also has links to 17 area high schools’ scholarship pages.
Scholarships offer students a great way to off-set their college expenses. Don’t wait to start your search for local and national scholarships – visit www.CareerCruisingQuadCities.
Career Cruising Quad Cities is a web-based career exploration program administered by Junior Achievement of the Heartland in partnership with The Moline Foundation. To learn more or volunteer, visit www.CareerCruisingQuadCities.
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