Education USA weekly updates – No. 274 * 9 April 2012

I. Financial Aid

UG: Lock Haven University Academic and Need-Based Scholarships

UG: Missouri Baptist University Scholarships

UG/Grad: Winthrop University International Baccalaureate Scholarship

Issue #274 April 9th, 2012

UG/Grad: Thomas College International Undergraduate and MBA Scholarships

Grad: Middle Tennessee State University Graduate Assistantships

II. Campus News

• Visa Processing Fees to Change on April 13, 2012

• Foreign Grad Applications Up Again

• Mount Holyoke College Professors Earn Spots on Best Professors List

• Northwestern Michigan College Serves International Dinner

LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC AND NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS Located in central Pennsylvania in the small city of Lock Haven, LHU is the perfect

setting to focus on your studies - and have a lot of fun on the way to your degree! LHU is a great place to get an education, expand your mind, broaden your horizons, and launch a successful career.

International students wanting to persue undergraduate study at Lock Haven University are eligible for financial aid, up to $10,000 per year, based on academic achievement and financial need.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/HAlyY0

MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS

Missouri Baptist University is an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution located in St. Louis, Missouri. The University is committed to enriching its students’ lives spiritually, intellectually, and professionally,

and to preparing students to serve in a global and culturally diverse society.

Missouri Baptist University is proud to offer a brand new $12,000 scholarship to all international students who complete their entire application packets by May 1, 2012 for the Fall semester beginning August 2012 and elect to live on-campus. This cannot be combined with any other scholarship offer at the University.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/HW0Ku9

WINTHROP UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SCHOLARSHIP

Nationally recognized for its quality and value, Winthrop is a learning community that embodies the characteristics essential to being one of the

best universities of its kind: a carefully selected student body of high academic achievement and cultural diversity; a national caliber curriculum of the arts, sciences, and professions; a residential educational experience emphasizing personal identity and close relationships; and values that emphasize deep learning, quality teaching, and engaged public service.

The International Baccalaureate Scholarship at Winthrop University is awarded to freshman applicants who complete the IB Program (Diploma or Certificates) through the senior year of high school and who have a 5/7 cumulative grade point average on their three higher level courses.

The scholarship is valued at $15,000 per academic year and is renewable every semester for up to four years as long as a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is maintained. This scholarship is guaranteed as long as the requirements are met!

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/pH0urn

THOMAS COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE AND MBA SCHOLARSHIPS

Thomas College’s mission is to prepare students for success in their personal and professional lives, and for leadership and service in their communities. In addition, the Board of Trustees at Thomas College have voted to freeze tuition

and fee rates for 2012-13 academic year. This, in addition to scholarships for all accepted international students, will help to keep a U.S. education affordable!

Renewable scholarships in the amount of $5,000 to $12,000 are awarded to full time international undergraduate students who meet all the requirements for admission to the College. Recipients of this scholarship must be full-time students that live in on-campus housing, participate in at least 2 organizations per year other than athletics, and maintain a minimum of a 2.50 cumulative grade point average.

All international applicants of the accelerated MBA program will also automatically be considered for the Thomas College international scholarship. In addition to the great financial benefits of completing an MBA in just one year, scholarship recipients will receive $12,000 to help fund their postgraduate education.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/I9Op77

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Founded in 1911 as one of three state normal schools for teacher training, MTSU is now the oldest and largest public university in Middle

Tennessee.

A limited number of graduate administrative assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships and graduate research assistantships are available. Graduate Assistantships provide a monthly stipend and a waiver for tuition. Out-of-state residents also receive a waiver for out-of-state fees.

Persons interested in applying for a graduate assistantship should also contact the individual department as additional application materials and references may be required. Some departments may also have specific deadlines for assistantship applications. Eligibility for an assistantship requires a student to be fully admitted into his/her desired program and have a current GPA, whether graduate or undergraduate, of 3.0 or higher.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/HknC74

VISA PROCESSING FEES TO CHANGE ON APRIL 13, 2012

Effective April 13, 2012, the Department of State will adjust visa processing fees. The fees for most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase, while all immigrant visa processing fees will decrease.

The Department is required to recover, as far as possible, the cost of processing visas through the collection of application fees. For a number of reasons, the current fees no longer cover the actual cost of processing nonimmigrant visas. The nonimmigrant visa fee increase will support the addition and expansion of overseas facilities, as well as additional staffing required to meet increased visa demand.

For more information, please visit: http://1.usa.gov/I9IVco

FOREIGN GRAD APPLICATIONS UP AGAIN

More graduate applications from outside the United States — especially from China – are pouring into U.S. universities, according to a new study by the Council of Graduate Schools.

Nathan Bell, the Council’s director for research and policy analysis, said the 9 total percent total growth in applications indicates a continued interest in American graduate programs. This year marked the seventh year-over-year increase in applications.

“Nine percent growth is pretty amazing,” he said. “For the last three years, it’s been very, very strong.”

Those numbers, which measure the number of applications submitted and not the number of prospective or accepted students, mirrored the overall trends from a year ago. This year’s 9 percent growth rate is just off the 2011 rate of 11 percent, while the 18 percent growth in applications from Chinese students compares to 21 percent growth last year.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/Hu4Yit

MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE PROFESSORS EARN SPOTS ON BEST PROFESSORS LIST

As the first of the Seven Sisters, the female equivalent of the once predominantly male Ivy League, Mount Holyoke established higher education for women as a serious endeavor.

A good professor can shape your success in a particular class, but a truly amazing professor can change your life forever. As recently noted by Princeton Review, 14 of the 300 Best Professors teach at Mount Holyoke College.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/Hg2v6U

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE SERVES INTERNATIONAL DINNER

The tenth annual International Student Dinner, which supports scholarships for international students studying at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), will be held Thursday, April 12 in the Hagerty Center at NMC’s Great Lakes campus.

Currently 15 countries are represented on campus. International students will help serve a dinner of cuisine from their native countries. Special musical guests The Juan Siddi Flamenco Theatre will provide a selection of lively music and dance from Spain and NMC’s international students will also perform. All proceeds from the dinner will fund future international student scholarships.

Each year Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) welcomes around 35 international students to its campus in northern Michigan. Students in the International Club undertake volunteer projects throughout the community as well as on campus in addition to welcoming new international students each year.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/yQGve3

Contact an EducationUSA adviser near you for guidance on finding and applying to an accredited U.S. college or university. EducationUSA.state.gov (Note: students must apply for financial aid directly with the institution listed)

An archive of these and other past financial aid and news announcements is available at EducationUSA.info/financial-aid

EducationUSA would like to thank all the institutions, foundations, and other organizations which so generously provide the financial aid and news information contained herein.