We are all familiar with the high costs associated with pursuing a college education. But remember, there are many options out there to collect scholarships and financial aid. And some are more out-of-the-box than you may expect.

Take Raise.me, for example. I recently had the opportunity to meet with folks from Raise.me, a new organization that is partnering with colleges across the country to help families rack up "micro-scholarships" against the astronomical costs of higher education. Starting in 9th grade, students can accrue these small, conditional scholarships from colleges for accomplishments such as getting an 'A' in science class, making the Varsity swim team, being involved in community service, partaking in various extracurricular activities, and much more. If you wind up attending a school you've selected through Raise.me, the micro scholarships you've built up will be applied to your tuition.

The process is very simple; go to their website, create a free account (Name, DOB, High School, and graduation year), select any or all of the schools they partner with, input your accomplishments, and watch the scholarships grow. The Raise.me platform is retroactive, meaning even juniors and seniors can enter any high school accomplishments to count toward Raise.me scholarship money (as long as the college's submission deadline has not passed).

Currently, this organization is partnered with 65 colleges, including Tulane and Temple, but will be adding an average of one new school per week. Students may choose to connect to as many colleges on Raise.me as they want, and are under no commitment to attend those schools. However, if they do choose to attend a college selected through Raise.me, the school is bound to give them the amount in their account. The scholarships range in amounts, and can be small, but receiving any scholarship money for your accomplishments is a great way to offset college costs. Parents, this is also a great motivator for high school students to become more involved in school activities, sports, or even work harder in the classroom. Of course, getting that 'A' in Calculus is a win on transcripts, as well, but it won't hurt to also get $500 from a college for receiving that grade!

Raise.me launched for student-use 6 months ago, and has grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Facebook, and UPenn. So students, check out the website, connect with colleges, begin listing your accomplishments, and watch the potential scholarships accrue in your account! If you haven't had motivation yet to get involved in the classroom, on the field, or in extracurriculars, maybe a little money towards your college education will help.

Best of luck with this experience, and as always, happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Saint Peter’s University- This is a small (little over 2,000 students) in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is New Jersey’s only Jesuit University. Their top programs are business, criminal justice, and education, where students are licensed to teach in both New Jersey and New York upon graduation. They have a newly renovated school of education and school of business, with a new stock room. They offer a great study abroad program primarily in Barcelona and Seoul for interested students. Although 50% of students commute, housing is available all four years. 97% of students receive financial aid, but the merit scholarships are what make Saint Peter’s a great catch. All accepted students are awarded at LEAST a $12,000 scholarship towards tuition and $2,000 towards room and board. Also, students with a 3.5 GPA and 1300 SAT (Math and Critical Reading) are in the running for a full scholarship, in which 40 are given out each year. All applicants are also given free applications, which save you about $65.

Providence College- PC is a small liberal arts college in Providence, Rhode Island. It is a catholic school run by the order of Dominicans, who concentrate on faith and reason. They are a test-optional school, with 50% of their incoming class applying test-optional. PC has an average class size of 18, with a 91% retention rate for students. 3 years ago they were awarded a full international business accreditation, and their business program has been booming since then. PC was the first school to offer Public Service as a major, where students learn how to serve the world and make it a better, more productive place. They also offer a fantastic Health Policy and Management major, for students who want to be in the medical field, but may not necessarily want to work directly with patients. This gives them a chance to play a major role in health care, from an administrative position. Providence College students also have an opportunity to work in conjunction with Brown University. Biology and Psychology majors can take classes at Brown and receive a certificate in neuroscience.

Ursinus College- This is small liberal arts college in PA, about 45 minutes from Philadelphia. It is located in a suburban town and has a beautiful, green campus. Majority of students major in biology and business, but they also have a striving English department, and top notch writing program. They offer a creative writing scholarship, with the extra application due by February 15^th. Students must submit 10 pages worth of creative writing work to be considered, and if chosen students will receive $30,000 per year, and will have the chance to stay in JD Salinger’s room for one year…this award is named the JD Salinger Creative Writing Scholarship. Ursinus has a unique first year experience program, where all freshmen live and study together, hopefully creating a solid network. No classes are larger than 20 students, and students do not declare a major until after freshmen year.

Joseph D. Korfmacher