Financial aid for graduate students

Students often contact Jeannette Rankin Foundation in search of funding for graduate school. Because of our limited resources, JRF doesn't award scholarships for graduate study, but we know of some scholarship providers that do. Here are a few organizations that offer financial assistance to women in graduate school. We also encourage you to use Scholarships.com and Fastweb.com to search for additional sources of aid.

American Association of University Women - awards to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Association for Women in Science - open to female graduate students who are pursuing a Ph.D. in a science or engineering field.

American Statistical Association - awards to women in a graduate statistical program.

Women's Sports Foundation - for female graduate students in certain Physical Education or sports-related fields.

Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation - open to women graduate students with physical disabilities.

Google Anita Borg Scholarship - for women graduate students in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a related field.

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation - open to mothers with minor children who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate study.

Don't be "directionally challenged"

March 1st was Jeannette Rankin Foundation's postmark deadline for scholarship applications, which means our office is covered with hundreds of applications right now. For the next week and a half, we'll be opening envelopes, sorting application materials, and checking them for eligibility. Unfortunately, history shows that at least 20% of these applications will be disqualified.

Although this is my 8th year at JRF, I'm still surprised by how many applications are disqualified each year. Remember in elementary school when your teacher stressed the importance of reading the directions before starting your work? That piece of advice definitely applies to scholarship applications.

We know that students put a lot of time and energy into filling out a scholarship application. That's why it's heartbreaking to disqualify an application because one little detail is missing, or because the student isn't actually eligible to apply. JRF's program, like most scholarships, is very competitive, so we aren't able to be flexible with our rules. If an application arrives without a required document, or if a student doesn't meet the age requirement, her application won't make it to the first round of review. Many of these situations could be avoided if students would read the directions before filling out the application.

So, don't be directionally challenged the next time you fill out a scholarship application. If the directions ask for a transcript, don't send a class schedule instead. If you have to be at least age 35 (as in the case of the JRF award), don't apply if you're only 20. If the directions aren't clear or if you have questions about how to fill out the application, call us. As scholarship providers, we're here to help, and we want to see you succeed.

Is your scholarship taxable?

This time of year, many students are wondering if their Jeannette Rankin Foundation scholarships should be reported on their tax returns. It depends. A scholarship is tax free if it was used to cover essentials like tuition, fees, supplies and books. But, if your scholarship paid for incidental or living expenses, you’re required to report it.

According to IRS Publication 520:
“An amount you receive for incidental expenses is not a tax-free qualified scholarship. Incidental expenses are expenses for items that are not required for either enrollment or attendance at the educational institution. Incidental expenses include room and board, travel, research, clerical help, and equipment. If all or part of your scholarship is taxable and you are required to file a tax return, you must report the taxable amount.”

That’s the answer in a nutshell, but you should talk to a tax professional if you have a detailed question. Check out this site if you want to do more research on your own.

Paying for college

If you're a prospective collegiate student, you've got a load of things on your mind. Once you've finished filling out and submitting college applications (and receiving acceptance letters!), the next thing to work on is a daunting task for the typical student. The high cost of college tuition and fees amount to a huge problem for many families, and paying for education expenses can become a disheartening experience. But, take heart - solutions can range from scholarships to state and federal grants and student loans.

In today's technologically advanced world, the process of searching for financial aid has become easier. The web's resources are unending: simply searching Google's search engine with the words "Paying for College" turns up 1,800,000 results!

Some of the more prominent websites to try are:

1. www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/index.html
2. www.fastweb.com
3. www.scholarships.com
4. www.wiredscholar.com

Most importantly, don't give up looking! The stakes are worth thousands of dollars.