FIRST doesn't offer the scholarships, organizations offer them. These organizations need to be encouraged to open up scholarships to FIRST students, I agree... but it's not like we should expect FIRST to hand this to us on a silver platter.

If anyone wantsan organization to give a scholarship to FIRST students, they should not wait for FIRST to offer it. FIRSTers should go to these organizations and get them to do it. If an organization is convinced to do this, FIRST would probably not turn them down.

So, don't wait for FIRST to do this for you... go out and make it happen.

Andy B.

Personally I would love to see more non-engineering and non-specific scholarships, but like Andy said, it's not FIRST's fault or anything like that. Somehow I doubt that any scholarship opportunity has been turned down by FIRST, so what we have is just what people have turned up so far. Anyone at college now should go to their administration and try to get them to throw out some money for FIRST (unless of course they already do!).

As for going to college and paying for it, here's my advice: Don't worry about the money. Apply to places you want to go and don't even go to the cost page to see what it is. When you do your financial aid stuff, then start thinking about it. Haggle with them. You can get more money! You're the customer and they are trying to suck you in. Hold your acceptance letters to other places in their face. Once you get a lot of money (hopefully), if there's still a bunch left to pay, take out a private student loan. My parents aren't paying anything and I personally have $10000 in loans for this year (out of $42000, so it ain't too bad), but I'm where I want to be and I'll never regret it even though I could have gone for free to a few other places.

I aplied for the FIRST scholarshop at michigan tech and didn't get it. Like others said, i was planning on going here anyway. The scholarship would have just made it a little bit easier. I got a $1600 a year scholarship from the school anyway which helps cover the expenses. I'm not actually on the team up here this year though. I'm still not sure i'll have time for it with all my classes.

Also, in relation to the previous point about it being hard to find college FIRSTers i think i might know why. MY college has many other elctrical and programming clubs and activities that are much less restrictive. We have future truck, solar car, mini baha, ect. These projects go throughout the year and have way less restrictions than FIRST. I think people just grow out of it. FIRST was fun, in highschool. As our skills grow the challenge needs to too. FIRST did its goal. It gets us inspired and interested in technology, be it with FIRST or without. :)

In the middle of my senior year, I decided that I was going to apply to Purdue University for a computer science major. I planned on joining 461, knew someone I wanted to room with, etc. before I even got the letter back telling me that I was on a waiting list and hadn't been accepted yet. It was a big slap in the face of reality.

I had decided on Purdue pretty much all of my high school years, but computer science was just something that I wanted to try out. After not being accepted, I was crushed. Picked myself up. And rather rashly, decided that the next approved college application that came my way was the college that I was going to go to.

My Ball State University application came three days later. I had never been here, never visited, and I didn't even know where Muncie was (I hadn't even heard of it at that point). I sent back all the information, and decided that it was for me without even flipping through a brochure or looking at costs. I changed my major to English without looking back. I was so heartbroken over Purdue that I just went for the next thing in the mail.

After getting here (and incidentally falling in love with the campus) I realized that there was no team and no engineering dept. to head it up. I contacted the BSU Technology Dean, several professors... nothing seemed to work out. But we got a little money, a couple of students, and a teacher's lounge, and that's all we needed.

Moral of the story: Go wherever makes you happy. And if they don't have a team, start one.

gsensel,
I think I know what you are saying, there should be 'FIRST scholarships' at schools other than engineering schools

but keep in mind, FIRST does not give out any scholarhips themselves, the universities do

FIRST doenst have any money of its own, it all comes from donations.