Homeschool Scholarships

Plan now for fall savings on textbooks!

Our greatest savings was on our psychology text. We paid $1.50 plus $3 shipping, while the campus bookstore was charging $206.16.

Sometimes it’s easy to focus only on winning scholarships while forgetting there are many other ways to make the college experience affordable. One of those great opportunities comes when purchasing textbooks. While it’s great to support your campus bookstore, if your funds are depleted, you need to shop around! Our last fall semester, we were able to cut our textbook bill from $608.93 to $115.07 by shopping online, and that included shipping! While some of the books were used, all were in excellent condition. Our savings were comparable to an instant $500 college scholarship!

Where are the best places to shop for college textbooks? For a second semester in a row, we found used book sellers, such as Alibris.com to have the lowest prices. When searching for new books, Amazon.com was our favorite, for a number of reasons. First, students can get a free “Prime” account for a year, which includes free two-day shipping. Second, you can earn free Amazon gift certificates from Swagbucks, just by searching online for things, or by participating in other activities. During the summer, you can accumulate numerous Amazon gift certificates just by conducting searches through Swagbucks! Theoretically, if you plan ahead, you can end up with your textbooks for free if they’re sold by Amazon. Third, there’s usually no tax when ordering from Amazon (unless you’re having them sent to Washington state).

If you’re savvy when buying your books, you can likely sell them for more than what you paid, giving you a head start on the next semester’s textbook purchases.

Tags: Alibris, college scholarship, college textbooks, saving money on books, swagbucks

$1,000 Homeschool Scholarship — April 13

Homeschool Nation has announced a new homeschool scholarship for $1,000. The college scholarship will be awarded May 30, 2012, to a homeschooled high school student. The winner will be selected based on the personal statement of their profile on the HSNATION.com website. All homeschooled high school students are welcome to apply for the scholarship. All you need to do is go to HSNATION.com and fill out a profile. Entries must be completed by Friday, April 13.

Tags: college scholarship, Homeschool Nation, homeschool scholarships, homeschooled high school

SC event coming up–financial aid for college!

College Goal SC will be held Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10am to 1pm on the campus of Columbia International University (CIU), located in Columbia, SC. The event, to be held in Memorial Residence Hall, will include an information session on financial aid programs and the process for applying for financial aid. Participants will receive assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2012/2013. Students will also have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free iPAD2. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

Columbia International University is a homeschool-friendly college, with approximately 1/3 of each incoming freshman class consisting of homeschoolers. High School juniors and seniors interested in attending College Goal SC are welcome to contact CIU for information about combining the event with a personal tour and possible overnight stay in CIU’s dorms.

College Goal SC is a joint volunteer effort by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the South Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in cooperation with Columbia International University.

Tags: CIU, College Goal SC, Columbia International University, financial aid for college, homeschool-friendly college, iPAD2

New–scholarship for Virginia homeschoolers

Today we’ve added a new scholarship for students in the state of Virginia. The Lee-Jackson Foundation reserves two of its scholarships–one for $2,000 and one for $1,000–for Virginia students who are either homeschooled or attend private school. This scholarship is based primarily on an essay, which can be about either General Robert E. Lee or Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The deadline for this year’s scholarship is Feb. 15, so Virginia students have about a month to write a winning essay! For more information, visit The Lee-Jackson Foundation website here.

To access our complete list of college scholarships for homeschooled students, visit our Homeschool Scholarships page here.

Tags: college scholarships for homeschoolers, homeschool scholarships, Lee-Jackson Foundation, Virginia homeschool

CIU’s full-scholarship contest coming up

High school seniors have six more days to sign up for one of the greatest scholarship opportunities available: the 7th annual R. C. McQuilken Schlolarship Weekend at Columbia International University, a homeschool-friendly Bible college in South Carolina. Tim Caiello, homeschooled, and currently a sophomore at CIU, can attest to merit of this event, having won a full-ride scholarship at the 2009 competition. In addition to the full scholarship, high school students attending compete for numerous other scholarships.

The weekend will also include faculty interviews, group discussions, interaction with current students and staff, and opportunities to hang out with future classmates. The scholarship weekend ends with a banquet on Saturday.

Deadline for registering for the three-day South Carolina event, to be held Dec. 1-3, is Friday, Nov. 18. In order to qualify for the event, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and an SAT score (math and verbal) of 1000 or an ACT score of 21 or above. Click here for more information or to register.

Tags: CIU, CIU's scholarship competition, Columbia International University, homeschool scholarships, R.C. McQuilken Scholarship Weekend

New homeschool scholarship added today

It can seem like a slow process, but the list of homeschool scholarships for college is growing, from those recently created to those that are just now being discovered. We now have a list of 37 college scholarships that are exclusively for homeschoolers. But we need your help! Please take a look at our list of scholarships that are designed just for homeschoolers, and let us know if we’re missing one you know about. Email us if you have any to add. Also, let us know about scholarships you’ve successfully competed for, that are homeschool-friendly, but not limited to homeschoolers. We’ve created a separate list for those.

Our newest scholarship to join the list is for Southern Virginia University. The school offers a homeschool scholarship of up to $10,000 each year for an incoming freshman. It requires an essay, along with a list of all religious awards and positions held, community service rendered, and community rewards received. For more information about this scholarship, as well as the complete listing of all homeschool scholarships, visit our homeschool scholarships page.

Tags: homeschool scholarships, homeschool scholarships for college, scholarship essays, Southern Virginia University scholarships, Virginia homeschool scholarships

PNW Homeschool College Fair this Saturday

College fairs designed specifically for homeschool students can be of great benefit, as the seminars and other materials are prepared with the unique needs of homeschoolers in mind. One such upcoming fair, the Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair, will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, at Cascadia Community College in Bothel, WA. The fair is from noon-1:45 p.m.; seminars from 2-4 p.m. Parking and attendance is free.

Representatives from more than 30 colleges will be on hand to offer information and help guide students through the application process. Seminars include Homeschool to College: The Journey Continues; Student Perspective: Homeschool to College; Running Start: Dual High School/College Credit Programs; Writing a Winning College Essay; The Inside Scoop: Understanding Admissions from the College’s Point of View; Leveraging Your Future: The Higher Education Investment; and Making a Transcript.

For more information, visit the Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair’s Web site here.

Tags: homeschool college admissions, homeschool college fairs, homeschool to college, Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair

CIU invites homeschoolers to ‘Preview Days’

Columbia International University, one of the friendliest colleges to homeschooled students, invites you to Preview Days, where you can sit in on a class, connect with professors and students, worship in chapel, and discover where your passion can lead after graduation. You also have the option of staying overnight in the dorms. A pizza dinner, night games, breakfast and lunch are included. Toward the end of the program, you’ll learn about the different scholarship opportunities CIU offers. Dates are Sept. 29-30, March 8-9, 2012 and April 3, 2012. If those dates don’t work for you, you’re invited to schedule a personal visit. For more information, visit Columbia International University’s Web site here.

Tags: CIU, CIU preview days, Columbia International University, homeschool friendly colleges, homeschool friendly universities, homeschool scholarships

Michigan college offers homeschool scholarship

Today we’ve added a new listing under colleges that offer homeschool scholarships. The Beth Anderson Memorial Home School Scholarship is available to students attending Montcalm Community College in Sidney, Michigan. Five $500 scholarships are available to homeschool graduates who demonstrate academic achievement and community service. To see our complete list of college scholarships available exclusively for homeschoolers, click here.

Tags: college scholarships, home school scholarships, homeschool scholarships, Michigan homeschoolers

Colleges still taking applications for Fall 2011

If you still haven’t applied to college for the Fall of 2011, there’s still time, but it’s running out quickly. We were reminded of this when we noticed that Columbia International University (CIU), one of the more homeschool-friendly colleges, has a deadline of August 1 posted. If you’re still thinking about applying for the fall, be sure to keep an eye on the deadlines of the schools you’re considering. You may also still be able to obtain some grant and scholarship money, as funds are sometimes freed up when students choose a different school.

Tags: CIU, Columbia International University, Fall 2011 application deadlines, Fall 2011 college applications, homeschool friendly colleges