Skip to main content

Study Long and Prosper: Science Fiction Can Help Pay for College

By U.S. News & World Report

“Star Trek,” in its many variants, represents much of what’s good about hopes for the future: racial and gender equality; peace, for the most part; unwillingness to tamper with indigenous cultures; and resistance to assimilating them. Plus there’s all that snazzy tech.

“Star Trek” can also spell financial hope for students’ college and graduate school dreams. Students with a passion for the TV series or for science fiction can earn scholarships to help pay for school.

[Earn scholarships to pay for college.]

STARFLEET, the international Star Trek Fan Association Inc., has been around since 1974, five years after the original TV series was canceled. It has more than 4,600 members in 240-plus chapters who enjoy discussing all things “Star Trek” — including the various follow-up TV series and movie franchises.

But since 1990, members have also enjoyed raising and donating money for various STARFLEET scholarships. The scholarships — in amounts up to $1,000 — have changed over time, but the organization currently offers these awardss, named after fan-favorite characters, actors and others associated with the series:

— James Doohan/Montgomery Scott Engineering & Technology Scholarship: Actor Doohan portrayed the always-put-upon chief engineer Scotty, who episode after episode found ways to increase power for the ship’s engines and weapons. The scholarship is for students in any engineering-related field as well as well as those pursuing technology and computer science degrees.

— DeForest Kelley/Dr. Leonard McCoy Memorial Medical and Veterinarian Scholarship: This scholarship is named for actor Kelley and character McCoy, the cantankerous doctor in the original series. The award covers a number of medical fields for humans and animals, including medical school and nursing school, physical therapy, paramedics, surgical and biomedical technicians and veterinary medicine.

— Gene Roddenberry Memorial/Sir Patrick Stewart Scholarship for Aspiring Writers and Artists: This award is named after Star Trek creator Roddenberry and actor Stewart, who played the captain of the Enterprise in “The Next Generation” television series and movies. The scholarship is geared for students studying the arts, including literature, writing, acting, music and dance, graphic arts, filmmaking and more.

— Armin Shimerman/George Takei/LeVar Burton Scholarship for Business, Language Studies and Education: Shimerman played a bartender in the “Deep Space Nine” version of the TV franchise, and Takei and Burton were navigators in the original series and “The Next Generation,” respectively. This scholarship goes to students pursuing business and management, foreign languages or international studies abroad, or education.

[Target these 10 unique college scholarships.]

STARFLEET also offers a non-Trek award — the Space Explorers’ Memorial Scholarship — designed to commemorate Russian and American astronauts who died in the course of space exploration. This award is open to students pursuing fields that the other scholarships do not cover.

Students can apply for any of the five scholarships via the STARFLEET website, but they must be STARFLEET members for at least a year before the annual June 15 application deadline. Applicants must be currently enrolled or enrolling in a community college or four-year institution, graduate school, junior college, technical school or other accredited institution.

Application requirements include official transcripts, three letters of recommendation and a two-page essay that includes detailing STARFLEET-related activities the students are involved in. The 2018 application cycle open Jan. 1.

Other science-fiction-centered organizations also offer scholarships. One of the most lucrative is The Scholarship Program, administered by The Heinlein Society and named after renowned science fiction author Robert Heinlein. Among his works is the science fiction classic “Stranger in a Strange Land.”

The society awards three $1,250 scholarships, two of which are open to undergraduate students at accredited four-year institutions who are majoring in science fiction as literature, biological and physical sciences, engineering or math. Applicants are required to submit an essay on one of seven topics in addition to the application. This year’s application cycle is closed; check the website for updates on the 2018 deadlines.

[Learn about scholarships for science majors.]

Amateur science fiction writers can enter original writing for the Writers of the Future Contest, which is held quarterly, to earn money to use for college. Prizes in the amounts of $1,000, $750 and $500 are awarded each quarter, and at the end of the year, all winners are rejudged for a chance to win an additional $5,000 grand prize.

The contest is only open to amateur writers who have not been professionally published. Entrants also retain the rights to their submissions. The next submission deadline is June 30.

A love of “Star Trek” and other science fiction can help fund your college endeavors. To let such an opportunity go untapped would seem, as Spock would say, “highly illogical.”

More from U.S. News

Use Your Hobbies to Pay for College

Transferring Colleges Could Open Up Scholarship Possibilities

Scholarships Support Students Breaking Barriers

Study Long and Prosper: Science Fiction Can Help Pay for College originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote