Published December 2012. Financial aid and student loan rules change often, so some details may be out of date. Ask us about your situation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than 12 million Americans are unemployed right now, while at the same time, the National Education Foundation suggests there are roughly 3 million jobs available in high-demand sectors like healthcare, science and technology.
One of the main reasons that these positions aren't being filled while millions of Americans are desperately seeking employment is a lack of accessible training and education. To bridge this gap, a series of new scholarship programs have been enacted over the past year to help individuals finance an education in one of these fast-growing fields.
In Washington, the state government has teamed up with two of the region's largest employers, Boeing and Microsoft, to enhance a job training program that helps students seeking enrollment to or currently attending a postsecondary school that specializes in science and technology.
Called the Opportunity Scholarship, the program was originally enacted last year, offering $1,000 annually to more than 3,000 students who sought an education from a college or university in Washington state. This year, however, organizers of the Opportunity Scholarship are looking to amp up the aid, offering $5,000 grants to almost 2,000 students who are already proving themselves at one of the state's public institutions.
The program targets low- to middle-income residents who would have trouble affording college without aid.
You don't have to go all the way to Washington to take advantage of incentives to train in one of these fields. The National Education Foundation's CyberLearning Center is offering full tuition to qualified individuals looking for training in science, technology and healthcare who can't afford a campus-style education.
If you are looking for a job in one of these in-demand sectors and need help paying for college, College Financing Group has expert financial aid consultants on hand who can help you get the best financial aid package.