I am in a profession that helps families look for funding for college. I also volunteer with a non-profit that reserves a portion of their donations in a college fund, waiting for applicants. I'm not surprised to hear parents tell me that the public school system tells them there's no funding. They can't help it; they are just lemmings repeating what everyone else hears in the public school system.
There's funding EVERYWHERE! It very rarely comes from the university or government. Private entities, non-profits, and small businesses are the main suppliers that gift college funds. Parents will shove out $1000'S OF DOLLARS ON VIDEO GAMES, TOYS, AND CARS, BUT NOT THINK TO INVEST IN HIRING A GRANT RESEARCHER OR GUIDE.
How many times do you hear "I've done my 4 years, got good grades, and I can't find a job, or no one is hiring?!"
Companies, small businesses, and non-profits all over America are looking for their future employees in Jr. and High school students. You have to 'romance' your career, like your mate and develop a relationship early. Companies hire the students they funded through college. They are looking for students who step up early and show commitment, value, and passion at an early age; background is the key factor. What did you do in high school to be the one who stood out? I helped this one student who showed a vast commitment to his community. He engaged Boy Scouts in an animal rescue effort. He ran track, and interned at a radio station. I found several companies that admired his engagements and he proved himself worthy. He was offered 17 different grants from 17 different companies. (Of course he had to comply with some requirements, such as a grade point average, write some companies an essay, and others wanted a letter of recommendation from a community leader.) The funding totaled over $500,000. It came from sources such as The Boy Scouts of America, The Kiwanis Club, The Jackie Robinson Foundation, The A.S.P.C.A., Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, as well as a few music production companies. He is paying the rest of his own way working at a part-time job in an industry he is passionate about, while studying oceanography. When he graduates, he has job offers from many of those same companies that funded his education. Why not? He is not only proven his value, but lives his passion while showing commitment and integrity. Businesses know who they will hire because they have an invested relationship. That is why his classmates cannot find a job, nor funding. They have not looked, asked, nor proven they DESERVE it (by the way, NOT ONE 'gifter' asked about his ethnicity, family income, nor 'disabilities'.)
Lisa
