College Planning Center of RI Launches New Local Scholarship Search Site

RIScholarships.org provides local scholarship matches based on student attributes.

Warwick, RI, January 24, 2012…Students can now find local scholarships more easily, thanks to a new and improved RIScholarships.org, a free local scholarship search site maintained by the College Planning Center of Rhode Island. The recently re-launched site matches students to local scholarships that are a good fit for them based on their interests, goals and other personal attributes.

“Local scholarships are a great way of getting free money for college books, tuition and living expenses,” stated Stacy Crooks, Director of the College Planning Center of Rhode Island, a free service of Rhode Island Student Loan Authority. “Scholarships can greatly reduce the amount students need to borrow for college, so it is never too early to start searching.”

Experts at the College Planning Center encourage students to follow this advice when searching for scholarships:

Start searching locally first. Local scholarships have much less competition than their nationwide counterparts, so you are more likely to receive the award. To get started with your local scholarship search, visit www.RIScholarships.org.
Fully investigate your free money options (including scholarships and grants) prior to turning to loans for college.
Be diligent. You can’t accomplish your whole scholarship search in just one day. Devote a small amount of time two or three times a week to look for scholarships. Stay focused on your goal.
Start your search today and make sure to send in your applications by scholarship deadlines.
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you qualify for federal or state grants. You must submit your application by March 1 to qualify for the Rhode Island State Grant. Free help is available if you need assistance completing this form. Visit www.collegeplanningcenter.org to make an appointment.
While it is a great place to get started, don’t limit your scholarship search to just the internet. Check local libraries, your high school guidance office, the newspaper and local businesses and organizations.
Never pay money to a scholarship search service. Most of these are scams and plenty of free search tools are available.

In addition to hosting RISchlarships.com, the College Planning Center of Rhode Island provides free assistance with completing financial aid forms, understanding the different types of financial aid, and assisting families with comparing financial aid award letters. During the 2010/11 academic year, the College Planning Center made over 10,500 contacts with students and parents looking for assistance with the college planning and financial aid process.

The best way to book an appointment is online at www.collegeplanningcenter.org. Please call 401-736-3170 with any questions.

All of the College Planning Center of Rhode Island’s (CPCRI) services, including RIScholarships.org, are provided free-of-charge by the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA), a non-profit state authority. The CPCRI has been providing expert in-person and web-based college planning guidance to students and parents since 1998. The CPCRI offers one-on-one college planning counseling, informational seminars, and online tools to promote college planning and financial aid awareness among Rhode Islanders. For more information, please visit www.collegeplanningcenter.org.