Easy Scholarship For Average Students - 5 Easy Scholarships That Require Essays Only

If you are picky on the type of scholarship program you wish to be a recipient of, chances are, you might not be able to qualify for any at all. Not a lot of scholarships programs today were made for average students or those who never got straight A's in their report card. However, just because you were never an Einstein prodigy back in high school doesn't mean you are no longer eligible for college scholarships. Thankfully, you can apply for an easy scholarship-- you know, scholarships that are not dependent on the applicant's academic record in his/her previous school.

The sponsors of most scholarship programs today often judge a person's eligibility by weighing their academic standing or their income report. The sad thing about this method is that, students who neither fall under these two crucial categories are often overlooked and in most times, never qualify for scholarships at all. The purpose of an easy scholarship is to provide average students with the chance to attend college despite their low grades in high school. Simply put, you need not be a genius to win a college scholarship. Being yourself is enough to qualify for an easy scholarship.

Some scholarships today award students with a cash prize that can go as little as $500 to as high as $8, 000. Moreover, some scholarships such as these are easier to apply for than other known scholarships. You could win a scholarship program by simply writing an essay or joining the school's sports team. For other scholarships, you only need to register for the program and wait for the government or the sponsors to pick your entry among other applicants.

There are scholarship programs that accommodate students not through their academic standing but by making them pass an essay and instead of going through their high school records, the sponsors go through the content of their essays instead. If you have a knack for writing, applying for programs such as these could mean your chances of qualifying for a scholarship is higher-- that is, if you have always been an average-level student in high school or in your previous school.

The Ayn Rand Institute provides a $10, 000 award and scholarship for those who can pass the best essay about Ayn Rand's novel, The Fountainhead.
If you have great interest in music, the School Band and Orchestra Magazine Scholarship awards students with a scholarship. In order to qualify, simply write an essay about how music has made an impact in your life, among other topics.
The SPAACSE wants to know what you think about space travel. If you can write that down in an essay, you might just win a $1, 000-dollar grant.
The OP Loftbed Scholarship is sponsored by a company that sells loft-beds. If you can tell them how you hope to use loft-beds in your college dormitory, you might win a $500 scholarship prize.
Last but not the least, The Calgon Take Me Away to College Contest rewards about $8, 000 to students who can answer two-questions in essay type format. This contest is open to the ladies only.

If you find academic scholarships too tough to pass, applying for an easy scholarship would be a better alternate option to receiving free money for your college education. More importantly, the requirements for scholarships like these are easy to comply with, so you need not worry about taking entrance exams or passing other documents.

Average Student Loan Debt

The average student loan debt depends on the institution and the course which the student is studying. The National Post-Secondary Student Aid Study has calculated the following statistics for average student loans for the academic year 2003-2004.

Twenty-one percent of the students attending certificate courses at community colleges had borrowed loans at a median average of $5,307; while 78% of those attending certificate courses at private schools borrowed at a median average of $5,705. These figures show that the number of student borrowers at the private schools was marginally higher than the number at community schools. Among the associate degree students at community colleges, 28% had borrowed a median average of $5,879.

The statistic among bachelor's degree students was still higher. For the four-year bachelor's degree course at public colleges, 58% of students borrowed at a median average of $14,671; while at private colleges, 69% borrowed at $17,125.

For the four-year master's course at public colleges, 48% of the students were borrowers with a median average of $26,119; while at private colleges 73% students were borrowers with a median average of $29,000.

For specialized courses like doctorates and professional courses, the student debt was exceedingly high. 48% of the students undergoing doctorate courses at various institutions borrowed an average of $44,743 last year. 89% of the students opting for four-year professional courses at public colleges borrowed an average of $63,500 and 81% of the professional courses students at private colleges borrowed an average of $71,317.

These figures show that as the academic level goes higher, the average student loan debt also goes higher. The expense of professional courses such as medicine and law are very high and therefore, students also borrow more. Almost all students appearing for professional courses fund their education via some or the other student loan facilities. Another observable factor is that students studying in aided public schools and colleges borrow less and the number of borrowers is also less than at private schools.