Massachusetts makes move to offer more money for students

When it comes to picking the perfect school for your intended major, money can sometimes present a huge stumbling block. College scholarships may play an integral part in determining the school you choose to attend, since student loans or other lending options may make it difficult to afford the high tuition, room, board and other expenses that certain establishments require.

Some states are doing more to relieve the financial strain that higher education places on students by offering more overall financial aid assistance. Recipients of need-based programs and scholarship opportunities in Massachusetts may soon be seeing an influx of{in} funding, thanks to an announcement from Governor Deval Patrick.

Mass Live reported that MASSGrant, a financial aid program for those with Massachusetts residency, will be receiving $112 million. These grants are available to legal residents of the state of Massachusetts with an expected family contribution of $5,000 or less, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. Interested undergraduate students can apply online through the agency's website and use scholarship rewards to attend any college in the New England area with reciprocity programs set up between Massachusetts and the intended institution.

Part of the push for more scholarship money in Massachusetts, the source wrote, is the declining number of skilled workers in certain manufacturing sectors. This might be tied to the cost of school and living expenses in the state, which among low-income students could make attending college impossible without additional support from public and private scholarship outlets.

Alternative money and interests
Private scholarship funding options are also available on a per-state basis, as Oregon Live noted. The source stated that a week-long bicycle charity event will be held to raise money for the Mark Bosworth Fund, which is seeking to grant $30,000 to a student per year. The requirements of this scholarship, OregonLive reported, are that the individual be a cyclist and from Oregon. The individual would also have to take part in the week-long biking event for the first time upon receipt of the funds.

As part of Cycle Oregon, this scholarship program has gained considerable community interest and traction. In terms of publicly-funded college funding options, such programs are ideal for students interested in attending an institution that they might otherwise not be able to afford, so long as they meet qualification requirements.

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