Due to economic hardships, many people are enrolling in or returning to school to improve their professional value. In an effort to make earning a degree more affordable, many organizations across the country have created scholarship programs, which can help students pay for tuition, housing, books and fees.
For instance, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and New York Shipping Association have announced the winners of the annual Teddy Gleason Scholarship, which gave eight recipients $6,000 each in financial assistance. Award winners were graduating high school seniors who enrolled in bachelors, apprentice or training programs at accredited academic institutions.
Recipients were the children of active or retired members of either association, and were selected based on academic success, leadership skills, and their roles as active members of extracurricular activities.
Since its inception 25 years ago, the financial aid program has give more than $192,000 in scholarships to high school seniors nationwide.
Last year, the average weekly earnings of bachelor degree holders was $1,121, while individuals who only had a high school diploma averaged $630 per week, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
