By Clinton Nemitz

As a recruiter for UWP Distance Education, I am the first to hear students’ stories about their desire to further their education or get a much needed promotion. But lately, the stories have been a little different -- and not for the better. I don’t have enough toes or fingers to count how many times I have heard the words, “I just lost my job.” When the conversation starts, I have no emotional stock in a student, but when the story has been told and the conversation has ended, I am very close to the student.

We may have talked about how the loss of their job has affected them emotionally, physically, and put so much wear and tear on their family that it is almost unbearable to hear. Through all the emotions, we talk about options, because they called with a purpose: to turn a horrible situation into a positive one.

The biggest topic we discuss is money. How are they going to pay for school? We talk about financial aid and how it is available to all students in our program who take at least six credits per semester. I explain the scholarships our program has to offer. Finally, I give them the link to Fastweb.com. Based on students’ criteria, this website searches the United States for scholarships they are eligible to apply for. The awards range in value from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

If you want something bad enough, you have to look for the resources to make it happen. Fastweb.com is just one of many resources that could help you finance your education.