Self-storage aggregator SpareFoot, based out of Austin, Texas, recently announced it will award one $5,000 college scholarship.  In addition to the scholarship money, SpareFoot will also pay for winning student’s self-storage bill for the summer.

In order to be eligible for the award, students must be a full-time undergraduate in good standing at an accredited college or university and submit an application on the company’s website by June 1^st.  The winner will be chosen based on past academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and the quality of response to questions in the application.  Once all of the applications have been reviewed, SpareFoot will select the winner by July, 1^st and award the student a check for $5,000 to be used on school related expenses such as tuition, books, and fees.  In order to receive reimbursement for rent paid on a self-storage unit, the winning student will need to submit documentation showing they did in fact pay for the unit.

Founded in 2008, SpareFoot enables people to search through more than 5,000 self-storage facilities in its nationwide directory.  While navigating the site, visitors are able to find, compare, and reserve a storage unit just about anywhere in the country.

This recent scholarship program is SpareFoot’s way of raising awareness for its product while also giving back to students across the U.S.  In an effort to help make college affordable for more students, SpareFoot decided to start this $5,000 scholarship program.  Interested students are encouraged to visit SpareFoot.com to learn more about the program and start filling out their application.

WyzAnt.com, a marketplace for private tutors and students, recently announced the three winners of its yearly scholarship contest.  This year, a total of $10,000 will be split among three deserving students.  Jesse Barnes of Spencer, Iowa, Iman Seale of Clermont, Florida, and Elena Chavez of Sugarland, Texas are this year’s scholarship winners.  Each winner will be able to use their scholarship money at an accredited college or university to help cover their tuition costs and any other college related expenses.

The scholarship recipients were selected through a two part process.  The first portion of the college scholarship contest required each applicant to submit a short essay detailing the most important lesson they had learned in their lives.  The first round of voting was done on WyzAnt’s website as site visitors were able to read the essays online and vote for their favorites.  The final round of voting was conducted by hundreds of current WyzAnt tutors who voted on their favorite essays and narrowed the field down to three finalists.

WyzAnt likes to use its college scholarship contest as a way to showcase the high quality of tutors available on its site as well as the number of outstanding students it serves.  The essays submitted by all of the students were truly inspiring and well worth a read.  Those interested in reading the essays of the scholarship winners and thousands of other touching stories are encouraged to visit WyzAnt.com.

With the success of this year’s scholarship program, WyzAnt is expecting to offer a similar scholarship opportunity next year.  Students interested in learning about future scholarship opportunities presented by WyzAnt or some of the services offered by the online tutor marketplace are also encouraged to visit the company’s website at www.wyzant.com.

The US Airways Education Foundation is now currently accepting grant applications for its 2012 Community Education Grant Program.  The US Airways Education Foundation regularly provides college scholarships to children of US Airways employees and education grants to non-profits.  The Foundation will award multiple grants this year worth $10,000 each to non-profit organizations in the airline’s hub cities of Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, and Washington D.C.

The Education Foundation is looking to award the grants to non-profits that offer educational programs for children ages 18 and under that focus on learning and academic achievement for economically disadvantaged or developmentally disabled children and also increase interest among students in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Since the Education Foundation’s inception in 1990, the Foundation has awarded nearly $3.8 million in grants and college scholarships, including more than 1,400 scholarships to dependents of US Airways employees.  The amount of money that the Foundation awards each year changes annually and is dependent on the amount of funds raised the previous year.  All of the money awarded by the Foundation comes from fundraising events and individual donations.  Some of the marquee fundraising events this year include the 3^rd Annual Philadelphia Suitcase Soiree on May 17^th, the 1^st Annual Charlotte Suitcase Soiree on Sept. 27^th, and the 19^th Annual Phoenix Golf Tournament on Nov. 2^nd.

Non-profit organizations interested in learning more about these grant opportunities are encouraged to visit www.usairways.com/corporategiving.  Organizations will also be able to download their application from that site and review all of the eligibility guidelines.  All applications must be received by Friday, July 1^st in order to be considered for one of this year’s awards.

Award-winning author and Manhattan College alumnus, James Patterson, recently made another donation to his alma matter.  This latest donation to Manhattan College will help create sixteen new James Patterson Scholarships.  The new scholarships will begin this coming fall and be awarded to sixteen junior and seniors who possess outstanding leadership, determination, and ability to work hard in the classroom.

Eight students from both of the junior and senior classes will receive one of these new scholarships.  The awards will be handed out based on academic merit, financial need, and involvement in activities related to the College’s mission.  The winners will be announced some time this summer.

During the second year of the newly created scholarship program, eighteen scholarships will be awarded.  This time eight juniors will receive awards and ten seniors will also be given scholarships.  Four of the ten seniors will be award $7,500 instead of the normal $5,000 based on their personal contributions made to the College throughout their junior year.  These contributions will be determined through an essay submission.

The types of students that will be eligible for these scholarships are the ones who participate in student government, organize and lead the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience service trips, tutor at local schools, play varsity athletics, or write for the school newspaper.

In addition to this newly created James Patterson Scholarship Program, Patterson also funds and supports the James Patterson Minority Scholarship at Manhattan College.  The minority scholarship was created in 2006 and has since supported twenty five students at the college.

Students interested in learning about either of the scholarship opportunities made possible by James Patterson are encouraged to visit the financial aid department or talk to their academic advisor.

Hilton Head High School senior, Jean-Luc McMurty, was recently awarded a $1,000 college scholarship from the Sun City Community Theatre.  This recent scholarship award is the fifth consecutive year the Sun City Community Theatre (SCCT) has awarded such scholarships.

According to SCCT President, Arturo Iriarte, the club actively looks to support as many deserving local students who are interested pursuing careers in the theater arts as possible.  Even thought the SCCT’s main purpose is to serve the community by providing citizens with the opportunity to view high-quality drama, comedy, variety, and musical productions, the group does enjoy giving back to the community through these scholarship programs.

McMurty was selected from a list of applicants attending high school in Beaufort and Jasper counties.  He was chosen as this year’s scholarship recipient based on his commitment to the performing arts, academic achievement, and involvement in and passion for the theatrical productions.  McMurty will use the scholarship to help pay for his education at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts this upcoming fall.

With the continued success of this scholarship program, the Sun City Community Theatre is sure to award another scholarship to a deserving high school senior next year.  Students interested in learning more about this scholarship opportunity are encouraged to contact the Sun City Community Theater or talk to a school administrator.

The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) has recently awarded $40,000 to the Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).  The UFT awards more than 200 college scholarships to deserving students from New York City public schools annually.

The UFT works hard to ensure their students are given the proper resources to overcome personal and financial strains that otherwise would limit their potential.  Previous scholarship winners are living proof that this type of thinking and scholarship program work when trying to improve the lives of New York City public school students.

This recent donation to the Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund is just one in a long list of donations made by NCPERS.  Since its inception in 2008, NCPERS has donated more than $225,000 to support local education needs, including repairing and building classrooms in urban communities, funding scholarships around the country, and adding resources to various public school systems to help improve the quality of education students receive.

NCPERS realizes that during these rough economic times it is vital that we invest in our communities and improve the education levels of our students.  Providing the financial means required to obtain a college degree is one of the best ways to ensure our youth go on and earn the higher education they need in order to succeed in life.

To learn more about the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems, please visit www.retirementsecurityforall.org.  Students interested in learning about the scholarship opportunities available because of this donation by NCPERS can contact the Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund or speak to an administrator at their New York City public school.

The Comcast Foundation recently announced the winners of its 2012-13 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program for the state of Colorado.  Fifty five outstanding high school seniors will be given $1,000 college scholarships to help cover the costs of their higher education next fall, while two other students – Daniel Besmer of Green Mountaion High School and Nina De La Rosa of Rangeview – will receive a $10,000 scholarship each.

Through this annual scholarship program, Comcast seeks to reward outstanding high school seniors who are leaders in their communities.  Comcast is hopeful these college scholarships will allow these high school students to dream big and reach their full potential through the pursuit of a higher education.

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program offers scholarships for $1,000 or $10,000 to students who work hard to reach their potential, promote positive change within their communities, are actively involved in their schools, and who serve as role models for their fellow students.  The program is designed to help promote student involvement within their community while simultaneously preparing these students for the future.

Since the program’s inception, more than 500 college scholarships have been awarded to high school students across Colorado worth more than $590,000.  Across the entire country, Comcast has awarded more than $17 million in college scholarships to over 17,000 high school students through its Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program.

To learn more about the Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program and find out how you can apply for next year’s scholarship, please visit www.comcast.com/community.

Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, a leading of online degree programs, has recently announced it will be awarding more than $225,000 in college scholarships to deserving educators making a difference in their communities as a part of Teacher Appreciation Week.  The $225,000 will be awarded through three new scholarship opportunities.  Walden University is encouraging the public to nominate educators for these scholarships, including those educators who have made a difference for them personally, for their child, or in their community.

The following is a list of the new scholarship opportunities being offered by Walden University:

• NEA Excellence in Public School Education Full-Tuition Scholarship:  As a proud NEA Academy Alliance Partner, Walden University will award five full-tuition scholarships to National Education Association (NEA) members who made a positive impact on public education.  This scholarship is available to new Walden students who enroll in the M.S. in Early Childhood Studies, M.S. in Education, or M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology program.
• The Positive Social Change Doctoral Scholarship: Walden will award five $20,000 scholarships to post-master’s educators who have had a positive impact on their local community’s educational challenges which in turn have promoted social change.  These scholarships will be available to new students who enroll in the Ph.D. in Education, the Doctor of Education, or any Education Specialist program.
• Ann “Tunky” Riley Excellence in Education Scholarship: Walden University will award two $25,000 college scholarships in memory of dedicated teacher Ann “Tunky” Riley to educators who go above and beyond to help their students, colleagues, schools and communities.  This scholarship is available to new students who enroll in any Riley College of Education and Leadership bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral program.

Student interested in learning more about these unique college scholarship opportunities are encouraged to visit www.WaldenU.edu/teacherappreciation.

Spectra Energy recently announced the winners of its 2011 college scholarship program.  This year’s program will award ten college scholarships to children whose parents are employed by Spectra Energy.  Each student will receive up to $5,000 per year in scholarship money to be used to help cover their college education costs as long as they attend an accredited college or university in the United States of Canada.

According to Spectra Energy president and CEO, Greg Ebel, the company is committed to helping educate the workforce of tomorrow.  Through the Spectra Energy Scholars Program, Spectra Energy is able to give back to their community and employees by ensuring the outstanding youth of the area are able to afford a college education.

The scholarship winners, all graduating high school seniors, were selected by an independent committee of judges who based their decisions on the academic performance of the students, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors and awards, work experience, and financial need.  Below is the list of this year’s scholarship winners:

• Jared Boland of London, ON
• Jessieca Brock of Houston, TX
• Trevor Fry of Port Royal, PA
• David Gossom II of Houston, TX
• Simon Grottker of Iroquois Falls, ON
• Alexandra Kempa of Brantford, ON
• Kylie Keyes of Sudbury, ON
• Jolene Lloyd of North Vancouver, B.C.
• Jasmine Luo of Sugar Land, TX
• Kate Turner of Oil Springs, ON
• Lindsey Fahrenthold of Houston, TX
• Alyssa Wilson of Cypress, TX

Students interested in learning more about the Spectra Energy Scholars Program can visit the company’s website at www.spectraenergy.com.  Also, students can have their parents inquire about the scholarship with their appropriate human resources department contact.

Through its Bright Futures program, Kimberly Clark will award $1.3 million in college scholarships to sixty five students across the United States and Canada.  Each of the Bright Futures scholarship grants are worth up to $20,000, which will be paid out at a rate of $5,000 per school year.  The scholarships are intended for students who will be attending an accredited college or university on a full-time basis.

Since the program’s inception twenty years ago, the Kimberly Clark Bright Futures Scholarship program has awarded more than 1700 scholarships worth over $34 million.  Every year recipients are selected based on academic achievement, leadership qualities, work experience, and involvement in extracurricular activities.  Kimberly Clark uses its Bright Futures Scholarship program as a way to groom the next generation of leaders.  All of the scholarship recipients are children of current employees looking to further their education by pursuing a higher degree.

This year’s crop of scholarship winners was an exceptionally strong class.  The average GPA of the sixty five scholarship winners is 3.96.  Some recipients will attend top colleges across the country such as Stanford, Vanderbilt and the University of Notre Dame.  Students interested in learning more about the Bright Futures Scholarship program can visit www.kimberly-clark.com.  Students can also learn more about the Kimberly Clark Foundation, the charitable arm of the Kimberly Clark Corporation, by visiting here.