(ThyBlackMan.com) There is no shortage of tips for African American students intending on making it through and succeeding through college as graduate and undergraduate students. Universities and colleges, professors, organizations, public officials, advocates, bloggers and websites as well as others all weigh in heavily for giving advice on how to achieve success. It’s much more than just sample essay writing. It is paramount that as a black student you master your ABCs. Moreover, observers state that it’s just essential to the students’ success in college to have a well-rounded college experience which includes social activities, organizations and campus events.
The Challenges
Almost 3 million African Americans enrolled in colleges in 2010 and that was an increase of 1.7 million over 10 years since 2000, according to the US Census Bureau.
Also, in 2010, 27 percent of African Americans experienced poverty according to University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Based on this statistics, it comes as no surprise why there were only less than 20 percent of African Americans who were 25 years old or older that earned their bachelor’s degree. To some, colleges must seem like a goal that is totally unattainable. Fortunately, it does not have to be this way.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
Thankfully, there are dozens of online resources available to minority students to help them pay for college and find scholarships. As a minority student, you will want to get some assistance from your high school guidance counselor. You will also want to look into directories like the Black Excel African American Student’s College Guide, the Directory of Financial Aid for Minorities and others in addition to researching websites. These directories can be found at the public library in the reference section.
African American students can also find various financial aid and scholarship opportunities that are exclusive to their ethnicity or race. Universities and schools as well as charitable organizations and corporations provide these opportunities regularly.
With the cost for college increasing exponentially, many African American families face higher expenses and reduced income; college can feel like it’s out of grasp during these hard economic times. But, nonprofit groups, business and professional associations, the federal government and other businesses offer help to struggling students. Pell Grants are available and are widely used to assist financially. For more information on scholarships, financial aid and Pell Grants, you can check out sites like BlackExcel.org, FinAid.org or FastWeb.com which provide scholarships based on things like university choice, ethnic/race background, communities, majors and more.
Besides, African American students have other things to worry about. Once they are in college they will have tons of essays to write. The good news is they can get free essay samples. You can grab your essay sample at http://awfulessays.com/. After all, once you make it into college, you will want to do your very best to get good grades so you can graduate and start that career.
Staff Writer; George Jones