Jeannette Rankin Foundation Blog

Honor Mom with a gift to JRF

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Mother's Day is this Sunday, but it's not too late to do something special for your mom, grandmother, aunt or friend. Make a donation to JRF and you'll be supporting scholarships for adult women and honoring a special woman in your life.

For each donation (the amount is up to you), JRF will send a beautiful card to the woman you are honoring. You can even request a personalized message to be added to the card. Cards will be mailed the same day for all donations made by 4pm EST.

Honor the inspirational women in your life by making a donation that supports women's education. What a great way to celebrate Mother's Day!

Financial aid for graduate students

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:44:00 +0000

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.

Turning the page on textbook prices

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:51:00 +0000

Last week marked the start of a new term at many colleges around the country. A friend of mine who worked at a college book store during last week's book rush told me of the horror on students' faces when their purchases were totaled. No matter how long you've been in school, you never get over the shock of paying $200 for just one text book.

Fortunately, lawmakers are starting to pay attention to the continually rising cost of textbooks. Some feel publishers are to blame for producing new editions of books that haven't greatly changed. Others think professors should take more care in choosing the material they require students to purchase. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act (HR 4137) includes three provisions that would help keep textbook prices under control.

1. It requires publishers to provide textbook prices to professors so they can take the price into consideration when choosing their books. 2. It requires that the items in bundled packages must also be sold separately so students won't have to pay extra for CDs and workbooks they may not need. 3. It encourages colleges to provide book lists to students before the semester begins so they have time to look for used copies, if available.

HR 4137 has passed in the House and is now under consideration by the Senate. To learn more about the bill, read this summary from the Public Interest Research Groups website.

In the meantime, some students are proposing the use of open textbooks or textbook rentals at their colleges as alternatives to the expense of new books.

How the credit crunch is affecting student loans

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:59:00 +0000

It’s a necessity for many students to rely on loans to help with tuition and living expenses while in college. But some, especially those attending trade or for-profit schools, will soon find it difficult to get private student loans. NPR recently ran a report on how the credit crunch is affecting student loans. Listen here. Information to help students prepare for the new changes, as well as comparisons of private loan options can be found on the Simple Tuition website.

Don't be "directionally challenged"

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:27:00 +0000

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?

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:37:00 +0000

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

The One Who Knew Too Little — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:46:00 +0000

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.

Managing your money online

Jeanette Rankin Foundation — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Jeannette Rankin Foundation knows that managing your finances is a challenge for college students, especially adults who are earning a degree while running a household. We recently found a tool at www.mint.com that can help you manage your money. With the online tools at Mint, you can set up your household budget, get suggestions for lowering your monthly bills, and even find a lower interest credit card. Mint can automatically pull together your bank, credit union and credit card data and provide up-to-date and accurate views of your financial picture. Best of all, using Mint is free.