In a recent college admission industry journal a brave admissions Vice President commented that “Sadly, in the last 20 years we have lost our way in admissions. Colleges are no longer centered on counseling students; we are focused more on recruiting and competing for them. The students are just a way of keeping score. Furthermore, we charge different prices to students whom we value more or less because of our internal institutional priorities…Private counselors who strike a balance between helping students find the right match for their abilities, interests, and personality and assisting families in locating affordable choices are valuable. “

We couldn’t agree more. So who is looking out for your student in the admissions and financial aid process? Not the colleges anymore. Independent counselors, however, have no agenda other than what is best for their students. College is big business, first and foremost. You may not need a CPA to do your basic taxes and you may not need legal help for routine matters. But if you’re facing an IRS audit or having to go to court you want a professional in your corner. The same can be said of college admission and financial aid. The stakes are high, to say the least. Given that a bachelors degree from a public institution will cost $50,000 to $75,000 and a degree from a private institution can cost upwards of $175,000 or more the dollars alone beg for a professional’s expertise. Consider also that the difference in average lifetime earnings between a high school graduate and a college graduate is $1. 2 million and climbing.

So where can you find help? And how do you know that you’ve found a professional?

In an ideal world, the first place to seek assistance would be from your high school counseling office. But in reality, too many high school counselors are not ‘college’ counselors per se; only a small amount of their time and resources are dedicated to college admission and only very rarely do counselors understand the intricacies of the financial aid process. Too many counselors are simply overworked and lack the time and resources to offer meaningful personal attention and guidance.

There are also no widely-known and recognized certifications for independent counselors such as the CFP or CPA designations, although such certifications do exist. And it is all too easy to find ‘independent counselors’ with little or no experience other than their own children’s admissions and financial aid processes. A disgruntled parent can make a bad counselor.

However, armed with the right questions, you can find true experienced professionals. When interviewing an independent college counselor be sure to have these questions answered to your satisfaction:

1. Professional Credentials/Experience

Do not ask if they have college admission and college counseling experience – ask them to tell you specifically how many years in admissions, how many years in financial aid, how many years in college counseling, how many years in private practice, and which institutions they served. The ideal is to find someone – or a team – who has direct experience in all of these areas and knows the tips, tricks, ins, outs, politics, processes, calendars, expectations, and language of college admission and financial aid.

2. Professional Associations

Ask if your independent counselor is a current member of professional associations. Professional associations, such as regional chapters of the National Association of College Admission Counseling, keep counselors up to speed with developments, issues, ethics, and news within the college admission and financial aid industries, not to mention that such associations foster collegial relationships between professionals. It would be nice to have your counselor personally know the deans and directors at the colleges your student will apply to.

3. Number of students

You want to know that your counselor is a full time professional and will work with your student appropriately. However, you also want your counselor to have a reasonable case load. You do not want your student to be that counselor’s fourth (why so few – does she know what she’s doing?) nor his 400th (will he be able to spend any time with my student?).

4. College & Campus Familiarity

You want to know that your counselor has personal experience with many different campuses and that they visit different colleges whenever possible. Matching the student to the right college is crucial. Colleges have personalities. Students have personalities. If your counselor has not visited the campus they do not have a good understanding of the college, period. It would be like finding a mate through an old-fashioned classified ad (nice college with leafy trees and okay professors seeks student with 1200 SAT score…). The better the counselor knows the colleges and knows the students the more successful the matching. 45% of students who start college do not finish; often this is because the it’s just not the right place for them and, frustrated and demoralized, they drop out.

5. Money Matters

No, we’re not talking about counselor fees here (although these vary wildly – we’ve seen everything between $500 and $30,000). You need to know to what extent your counselor understands the financial aid process. Ask if they fill out or help you with the FAFSA and CSS Profile applications for need-based financial aid. Ask them if they think you need to fill out the forms even if you don’t think you will qualify for need-based aid (the answer is yes, of course, so you can be eligible for merit awards and loan packages). Ask if they will be able to provide you with a college funding plan with a breakdown of estimated family contribution numbers, line-by-line estimated financial aid packages, and if they work with a financial planner or college funding specialist to suggest ways to improve the family’s bottom line. Most independent college counselors do little to none of this, so you may want to cut them some slack; just know that such help is out there for those who want and need it.

The stakes are high, but there is excellent help available. Just be sure you find a pro, someone you trust, respect, and whom you know will work well with your student.

Spring is the time of year when many high school seniors are either rushing to complete college applications or waiting to hear from their college or colleges of choice, living in hope that the financial aid award will be sufficient, and moving into the final phase of the serious deliberation that leads to choosing a college.

Every part of the college search process is important, and all the information gathered is useful to gain the fullest understanding about which college fits best with a prospective student’s interests and plans. Understandably, those students and their parents want to know about the rigor of academic programs, the quality and engagement of faculty, all curricular and extra-curricular options, and the campus community atmosphere. In addition, one area admissions counselors are increasingly asked about is “outcomes. ” How does a Christian college prepare a student for life after college? What are the benefits of attending and graduating from a Christian College versus the financial cost?

A recent Christianity Today article by Steve Henderson, President of Christian Consulting for Colleges and Ministries, Inc. , addresses an outcome that should be of particular interest to Christian students and parents. In the article, titled “A Question of Price versus Cost,” Henderson makes the following points: Because “the college years are one of the most significant times in a student’s search for identity…the literature and the research…suggest a strong link between a young person’s choice of a college and their short-term and long-term commitment to Christian faith…The results of nearly 25 years of research consistently reveal that those who do not attend a Christ-centered college will experience a decline in religious values, attitudes, and behaviors during college…More than 52 percent of incoming freshmen who identify themselves as born-again upon entering a public university will either no longer identify themselves as born-again four years later or, even if they do still claim that identification, will not have attended any religious service in over a year. ” And one final quote from that article, “The bottom line is this: if the past is a fair indication of the future, at least half and possibly over two-thirds of our kids will step away from their faith while attending non-Christian colleges and universities. ”

Based not only on research but also on Henderson’s personal experience with a daughter who attended a non-Christian college and lost her way spiritually for about a decade, Henderson asks parents to consider whether they can afford not to send their child to a Christ-centered college. A college education is a big-ticket item, no matter what type of school is chosen. Henderson encourages families to look closely at and give due weight to the potentially life-long effect of whichever college community is chosen – Christian or secular. College years are a time of serious examination of personal faith. Students at colleges that aren’t supportive of Christian faith can become confused, at best, or more likely, skeptical of the Christian teaching of their youth.

Henderson also emphasizes early in his article, “I neither mean to imply that Christian colleges are perfect places with perfect people, nor that Christian students can never emerge from secular schools with strong Christian faith still intact. Neither statement is true. What I do know, however, is that immersion in a Christ-centered residential, educational community is an incredible opportunity for Christian young men and women who want to learn and grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, etc. ”

Christian high school students, as well as those who know and counsel them, should give serious consideration to the benefits of living and learning in this kind of college environment. At its best, education at the collegiate level should begin an honest evaluation and infusion of both faith and scholarship. The dual influence of academic discipline that creates the ability to think critically balanced with moral and spiritual integrity help prepare Christians to positively impact a global society.

Christian college graduates attend some of the most prestigious graduate schools in the country and around the world. They go on to work in inspiring careers after graduation. At least one is in Baghdad assisting the Constitutional Drafting Committee in Iraq. Others are members of Harvard’s medical school faculty or are practicing medicine. They work for the top companies or have started successful businesses of their own. Others have chosen to work to develop sustainable agriculture in developing countries, aid in humanitarian relief and poverty reduction or serve in the top levels of our country’s government.

The academic rigor of the top Christian colleges is leavened by the incorporation of faith and spiritual discipline that will produce the next generation of Christ-lead and inspired servant leaders that our culture cries for.

With those potential outcomes in mind, Christian high school students should learn as much as possible about the numerous fine Christian colleges and universities throughout this country. Preliminary information is available on the web at college search sites such as CCCU. org and Christiancollege. com. Also, sign up for college mailing lists. College mailing lists are a great resource, as you only need to sign up once to start receiving helpful information throughout the year. Also, remember to schedule time to visit each campus that seems like a good fit – including an overnight stay in a resident hall. Visiting a college campus in person and sleeping over helps students solidify if a school is a good fit by finding out what it’s like to live, as well as study, there.

The college years are a unique time in life for the formation of habits of the heart and mind and relationships that will shape life for years to come. Students (and their parents) should consider a college that offers serious academic and personal preparation for life – along with a framework of people and programs that nurtures and strengthens Christian understanding and commitment.

Location! Location! Location! Yes, this is the motto for buying real estate! However, it is a very big consideration that is often neglected when choosing where you will go to school. The weather can determine many things such as: The time spent outdoors, the difference between seasons, ability to play sports outdoors, snow, rainfall, heat, whether you will need air conditioning or heating where you live, ability to drive a car (eg. excessive snow falls or ice), what clothes you will take or need to buy, areas that are hit by natural disasters seasonally (eg. Hurricanes in Florida) will affect your time at the school.

The weather is a huge consideration for most people when it comes to choosing schools where there are extreme differences in the weather and seasons. You may have to endure months of snow and ice in some states which will reduce the amount of time that you can spend outdoors. This will be a problem if you are an athlete that plays outdoors.

The best advice here is to make a list of what you want; your preferences weather wise, and then check off each item as you look into schools. It shouldn’t be the only determining factor when deciding on schools.

When you are looking at schools it is extremely important to do some research into the schools location. The USA is a large and diverse country in that many states and regions will differ from each other quite significantly. You will need to research the following key points to see if this school is right for you based on where it is located: What state is the school in? Will you pay in-state or out of state fees? Is it in a big city? Is it in a small rural area? Does it have a good public transport system, if not you will need a car. Is it near a major airport? What is the driving distance from the school to the nearest shops? Is it near mountains, beaches or lakes?

Are you a city person or a country person? City life brings about both positive and negative attributes just as those associated with schools located in more remote towns. Often towns are called “college towns” in the sense that the life of the town depends on the business from the college population. Shops, bars, restaurants, movie theatres and so on depend purely on the college.

If you decide to attend a college away from the city then you may be able to experience more of the outdoor activities such as skiing, kayaking, camping or even hiking at a nearby mountain.

One common aspect of attending a small rural college is that you will experience a different relationship with your college professors. Often they will know your name and are more accessible to assist you with your own personal needs. When I was in college we would often attend social events, BBQ’s etc. at our professor’s homes. This would be less likely to occur at a larger city college.

Another key issue is the security factor associated with your college campus. You will tend to find that rural campuses take on a more secure feel due to their location away from the big city. Many rural college campuses are located in remote areas so their peaceful surroundings can give you that instant sense of security that is not found in the more congested city campuses.

Some of the benefits of going to a college in a big city include: Close to transport, close to a major airport, more bars and clubs, sporting events with professional teams, other schools near by, more social choices and options, close to government offices, competition from shops so there are more choices, close to major libraries thus making it easier to conduct research and find more resources for school papers, reports, thesis etc.

Some of the negative aspects of going to a college in a big city include: Potential for more violence and crime, more pollution, more traffic, more distractions, increased costs associated with city living, more noise, less likely to get to know your professors. You may be just a number to them. You may be intimidated by the size of the school

Your Checklist for Choosing Your College or University should include the following: City or country, in-state or out of state, weather, cost, number of students at the school, availability of funding, tuition fees, reputation, what is your sports coach like if you are an athlete, can you get a sport scholarship, what is the budget of your team, sports facilities, quality of residence hall or dormitory, food available in the dining hall, other fast food restaurants on campus, are there shops near by, fraternities or sororities, on-campus social events, homecoming, reputation of faculty and programs, job availability, religious affiliation, transport availability on and off campus, selection of majors to choose from, foreign exchange opportunities and student services.

Some schools have special areas of study that they specialize in and some schools try to maintain their reputation for having a great program in a particular field of study (eg. business). Some schools have graduate programs while others just focus on their undergraduate programs. Some schools are co-ed with both males and females attending while others are single-sex. Some have a stronger religious aspect than others. As you see schools can vary significantly and it is up to you to do your own research otherwise you may find that the school is not for you.

Not all colleges cost the same amount and each school will vary in the amount of financial aid that you may be able to receive. This is a big factor for many students and their parents when choosing a college.

Schools vary in the demographics of their students. You will often find a noticeable difference between the big schools found in the cities compared to the smaller schools found in the more rural areas. Obviously schools with small student population will take on a feel of being a big family where everyone seems to know everyone and what they have been up to.

You will find schools of all sizes with student populations ranging anywhere from as low as 800 students to well over 30,000 plus. This will come down to your own personal wants and needs when deciding on the size of the school. The bigger schools will obviously offer more options with classes, majors and resources.

If you desire the big football games or big basketball games then you may want to choose one of the well known big schools that have successful programs for these sports. If you are looking for an athletic scholarship for yourself, then you will likely find more competition amongst current and new students for those limited scholarships. It may be easier to obtain a scholarship at a smaller or less popular school in a more remote location.

Colleges in the United States are either funded publicly or privately. You will find that the public colleges are less expensive than private schools due to the fact that public schools are funded by each state.

You will find that private colleges are funded by higher fees, private gifts from donors, contributions from the corporate world and endowments. You will find that private schools are more expensive but you will also likely find that these private schools offer more financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships.

Private colleges are also likely to be smaller in student population size and are therefore more suited to those students looking for smaller classes and being able to develop a more personal student-professor relationship.

This is a very personal decision based on your own beliefs, values and needs. You will find colleges that are associated with a religious organization which will also require you to participate in their religious activities. There are also colleges that are associated with a specific religion but you will often find a wide range of students from varying religious back grounds who attend that college.

When searching the many “college search directory” sites you will be able to be more specific in selecting schools based on these religious needs. For some students the religious aspect of choosing their school will take on more priority than many of the other issues associated with college selection.

It is important to take some time in selecting your college. Going to college can often be a life-changing experience so you will want to try and get it right with your first choice. Good luck with your college planning and school selection!

To decide what kind of college may best meet your needs and requirements there are lots of things to think about. Listed are some factors that you will have to think in determining where you would like to go to the college.

Organization- College or University, Private or Public, or Church sponsored. Colleges are either public or private. Public colleges are one that is supported by state where they are situated. Many extremely ranked colleges in United States are the state-supported organizations. These colleges often provide excellent education at the price for in-state resident, which is lesser than similar private colleges. At early steps of your study, I would hearten you to think both private & public colleges.

Whereas private colleges often cost little more than the comparable state organizations, they often have monetary means to give generous need based or the scholarship based financial help. This help will make cost of the private college same or else less than attending the state college.

More choosy private universities & colleges have got religious association. The amount of spiritual control varies. But at beginning of the college search, we encourage you to examine all the private colleges, irrespective of the religious affiliation.

Educational- what courses & majors you are looking for?

Most important cause for going to the college is getting education. The kind of academic atmosphere & range of courses studied is significant factor to consider when choosing the college. Be cautious, however, of selecting the college based exclusively on it having particular major or else field of study. Investigation shows that about 90% of college graduates don’t major in field of study that they initially had intended. This occurs for some reasons.

First, majority of the colleges have got majors in the subjects that you have never studied before like political science and anthropology. Next, as you get experience & maturity in the college, then your interests might change. Take some time to discover your choices and be sensible about your gifts. Make sure to follow a route of study, which is a genuine attention to you, not only one you imagine might lead to good career.

If you are having strong interest in particular area, like science, then it is vital to evaluate college’s services & offerings in those particular areas to ensure they have sufficient resources. Keep in mind that lots of smaller colleges might not present majors in some professional fields, like business, engineering, and physical therapy. And if you are some of specific field of the study, make sure that colleges & universities you think offer major.

Do not exclude smaller college, but just because you think, sources might be inadequate. Keep in mind that all the resources of college are obtainable to the undergraduate students while at the large university; lots of specialized equipment may be reserved for the graduate students only. A few of biggest producers of the PhD’s in the country are some small colleges.

All colleges are created different. Make sure you do your research because if a college is cheap, it may be cheap for a reason. Going to school is one of the most important stepping stones in your life. Make sure you do your work.

Going to the game can be costly and difficult to come by. Finding a trustworthy ticket outlet can also be difficult. One excellent option for those buyinglooking for tickets or Superbowl packages is www.sportsevents.com

Super Bowl Tickets: People in search of for tickets can find them at a variety of websites. It is very important to be confident that the company actually have tickets to sale. There have been times where individuals have purchased what they thought were legitimate tickets only to find that they were sold fakes. Not only is this maddening, but it can also be very costly. Not only does the person lose the money they paid for the fake tickets but the money they used on airfare and accommodations is essentially wasted as well. To avoid the above make sure to only buy tickets from reputable vendors. Again, www.sportsevents.com is an excellent option.

Super Bowl Packages: Some persons will prefer to purchase Superbowl packages, rather then individual tickets. These typically include just about anything a fanvisitor wants. It requires less planning for the purchaser. A package might include travel arrangements, accommodations along with game tickets. Many times, an individual or group is able to receive a better deal then an individualthey may on their own.

Where to find Super Bowl tickets and Super Bowl packages
Whether or not an individual is looking for tickets or packages for one of the most popular sporting events in The United States, the Superbowl, it is possible to find prettyquite deals over the internet. The internet has made it betterthen ever to do just that. However, it is also made it [very easy for scammers to cheat people looking to make reas transactions. In order for individuals to protect themselves, it is a good idea that they find and then buy their Super Bowl tickets or Super Bowl packages from quality vendors. Those searching for a reputable place to purchase tickets to various sporting events, such as Masters Tickets, can do so at www.sportsevents.com.

Temporary medical insurance, Travel Health Insurance, short term medical insurance and overseas insurance are all great insurance options but for different reasons. Those that may need temporary or short term insurance are those between jobs, students and persons waiting for coverage to begin at work. Overseas insurance is great for those individuals who plan to visit, work or go to high school in a country other then their own.

a. Consider Your Ability To Pay For Deductibles: When considering health insurance , be sure to consider your ability to cover for the plan’s deductibles. If it is necessary to pay a $10,000 deductable before your coverage kick in, this may not be the best plan. It will be too expensive to actually get care when you need it. Though a health insurance plan with costly deductibles has less expensive premiums, it will be much more costly in the long run.

b. Affordable Co-Pays: Co-pays are required by nearly all insurance plans. Be on the look out for health insurance which offers affordable co-pays. A $20 co-pay rather then a $50 one could mean a huge difference , especially for those whose who are on a tight budget.

c. Breadth of Coverage: It is vital that those on the look out for a Health insurance quote consider the people who will need to be insured. Age, and healthfulness will need to be taken into consideration. Health insurance for people who are young and relatively healthy may make less expensive plans with less coverage a better fit but not always.

When buying health insurance, it is crucial to shop forhealth insurance quotes. Doing so allows you to determine not only what is available but which is best for you and your family. Plans with higher premiums may be best for families who can’t afford expensive deductibles, because those particular plans tend to have lower deductibles. Conversely, an individual who is young, single and in good health, for example a college student, may be able to get by with a less expensive plan with inexpensive premiums and a higher deductible. Finding the right Health insurance for individuals will be require taking an inventory of their needs, healthfulness and financial standing.

It is getting harder to pay for a college education these days, but it is by no means impossible. Getting college scholarships is still the best way to go, and there are plenty of them still around – even though money may be getting tighter. Here are some tips about how to get money to pay for your college education with college scholarships and student loans.

GET AS MANY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AS YOU CAN

The best way to go to college is to go free. College scholarships can enable a student to go to college without cost – if there are enough of them. In order to get as many as is needed to go without cost, you will need to apply to as many scholarships as possible. Of course, you want to only apply for those college scholarships that you have a good possibility of actually winning.

Finding the right college scholarships to apply to will require some work – and possibly some imagination, too. There are college scholarships for just about everything you can think of these days – and possibly some that are almost out of reach of the imagination, too. You can find them for academics, sports, hobbies, uniqueness – like a special last name or for left-handers, etc. , your locale, and some that are just plain weird – like the duct tape prom college scholarship.

In order for you to learn about what college scholarships are available, you will need to do some homework. This includes researching them online, in the library, letting scholarship groups help you (be careful of these – some are scams), talking to your school counselors, and more. You can also look at the Web sites of the colleges that you are interested in, and they will show you what college scholarships are available there.

LOOK FOR COMPANY SCHOLARSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

Many companies also offer college scholarships, too. They do this because they want to have a qualified and trained pool of potential employees available when they need them. They usually look for exceptionally bright prospects that can bring much to the table if they should hire them.

Getting a college scholarship or an internship with a great company can lead to a great job right out of college. Sometimes, you may even be able to find your needed college scholarship simply by looking at the various companies you would dream of working for after you get your college degree. Look at their Web sites for more information.

APPLY FOR COLLEGE STUDENT LOANS

Because college scholarships may not cover your entire school bill, you may also need some college financing. Direct loans are available from the government, which will also give you the lowest interest rate possible on education loans.

Direct student loans, which includes the Stafford loans and the PLUS loans, accumulate no interest while you are in school (because the government pays for it while you are in college), or drop to less than half-time. You will not need to make any payments on the loan until you have been out of school for 6 months.

Graduate students and families of college students have access to PLUS loans for education and they also have the same terms as the Stafford loans – but a little higher interest rate. All government loans can be consolidated after graduation for easy payments.

GET STARTED EARLY

If you want to get the most out of college scholarships and student loans, then you will need to get started early. In fact, you should get started earlier than was necessary in previous years. With less money going around and with some college scholarships going on a first-come, first-served basis – you have no time to lose.

Finding the right college scholarships takes a considerable amount of time, and so does filling out scholarship applications and writing scholarship essays. In addition, in order to get a Direct loan, you will need to have filled out the FAFSA form, which is required for all government student loans.

FILL OUT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS CAREFULLY

College scholarship applications require that they be filled out accurately and carefully. A little carelessness (or haste) in answering a question or two could needlessly cost you a college scholarship. This could mean that you may need to take much longer to pay off a college loan – when you didn’t have to.

Writing a quality college scholarship essay that will win a scholarship requires that you understand what the group offering it is looking for. Make yourself look like the person that they would like to represent and promote their company, college, etc. , and you could walk away with the free college education you want. Be honest, though, in what you write – and you’ll be glad you did.

Online University programs have been providing flexible and affordable education to working adults who wish to break into a new career or add value to their existing career, leveraging the benefits of online universities degree. With online University programs, working adults are now able to pursue desired online universities degree without putting themselves in a bind. The greatest thing about online universities degree is that you do not have to compromise with your current job and other family obligations. With online universities degree, you can have access to the lessons, lectures, video and your professors and fellow students at a time that suits you the most. The specific set of skills acquired through online universities degree can be used in your current job, adding value to your profile or you can utilize these to catapult you to the next level. Therefore online universities degree not only enhances your job skills tremendously but they zoom your salary figures as well.
Online University programs offer associates, bachelors, masters and PhD programs in a wide spectrum of areas of study including science, accounting, psychology, fire science, business, criminal justice, psychology, computer science, graphic design, criminal justice, social science, web design, health and medicine and engineering. Online universities degree are accepted by the employers and they can sometimes be the difference between appointment and rejection.
The cost advantages of online universities degree are obvious as it does away with the costs of travel, classrooms, boards, books and other such expenses.
Earning an online universities degree gives a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that stems from the dedication and hard work that you have applied for a recognized and reputable online universities degree.
So choose your online universities degree carefully so that you are able to fulfill your career goals with newfound confidence and enhanced job skills.

Manipal University, the leading higher education provider in India, announced that it has introduced new courses and allocate more scholarships for the year 2010 along with additional infrastructures and facilities to its students. The university has also tied up with many new foreign universities for better teaching and learning atmosphere on the campus.

Since establishing Kasturba Medical College in 1953, nineteen other institutions have been set up, and the excellence in higher education that began in Manipal 56 years ago, continues even today with a fresh look each year.  

NEW COURSES:

The university has added ten new courses taking the total number of courses in the University to 264. Registrar, Dr G. K. Prabhu, giving details of the new courses, admission details, scholarships and other activities of the university told reporters that by starting Manipal Centre for European Studies the University took the first big step in the direction of humanities. The university catered to higher education in medicine, engineering and management. So a Masters course in European Studies and Management adds more variety for students to choose from. “Diploma in Gandhian and Peace Studies, and also Certificate courses in Public Health and Global Health have already started,” he said.   “The other new courses introduced for 2010 include MS Wireless Embedded Systems, MS IT Management, MTech Chemical Engineering, MTech Environmental Engineering, MSc Pharmacoeconomics, and MSc Clinical Research management”.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Manipal University has always encouraged students to perform to their full potential by providing them with scholarships. Meritorious and deserving candidates are given one of the several freeships and scholarships that exist in the university. “The allocation for the year 2010 is Rs 12. 23 crores. It was Rs 7. 93 crores in 2009 and Rs 6. 83 crores prior to that,” Dr Prabhu said.

Freeship – Candidates admitted to MBBS course within the first 500 ranks and BDS, BE, BPharm courses within the first 1000 ranks of the respective merit list are offered 100% freeship.

AICTE Scholarship– AICTE has introduced the scheme on tuition fee waiver for women, economically backward and physically handicapped meritorious students joining BE, BPharm and BHM courses.

AGE students scholarships – There is a 10 per cent tuition fee waiver for students of schools and colleges of Academy of General Education (AGE) joining any course at Manipal University. However, the waiver will be 25 per cent for those students joining Allied Health Sciences or Nursing courses.

Scholarships for Konkani Students – A similar waiver of tuition fees, 10 per cent and 25 per cent respectively, is applicable for Konkani students also.

Other Scholarships are: GE Scholarship, Harish B Fund Scholarship, ISLE Scholarship, ITC Scholarship, Maulana Azad National Scholarship and Philips Scholarships.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION:

Manipal University has robust relationships with several US, European and Australian Universities regarding student and faculty exchange and collaborative research. 14 best students of KMC Manipal and Mangalore get to do their one month elective clinical training in Utrecht University and Groningen University in the Netherlands. Similar scholarships are available to students of Media & Communication in
University of Queensland, Australia and Hochschule Bremen, Germany. Students of MIT get opportunities to do their internships in various Universities and industries across the world by being members of IAESTE.

ADMISSIONS:

Admissions for all these courses and for the existing under graduate and post graduate courses have already begun. Prospectus and forms are available across the country at selected post offices and State Bank of India branches. Candidates can also visit www. manipal. edu and download the digital prospectus and application or apply online by paying the application fees through Credit Card or Net Banking or Demand Draft.

ONLINE ENTRANCE TEST:

Talking about the online entrance test Dr Prahbu said; “Manipal University is known for its online entrance tests. Considering it to be quite popular and student friendly, the university has decided to start more centers where students can take their test online”. The final score are displayed on the test screen soon after the completion of the test. The admissions are therefore, merit based and transparent. Candidates can choose the date, time and location depending on their own convenience.

Presently there are 21 centres and six more are being included this year. They are
Allahabad, Kanpur, Patna, Ranchi, Varanasi and Vijayawada

Last date for receipt of applications:
MBBS, BDS, BE, BPharm, PharmD – 13. 03. 10
MD, MS, PG Medical Diploma, MDS, PG Diploma in Dental Materials – 31. 01. 10

About Manipal University

Manipal University is the leading higher education provider in India.   Spread over 600 acres of green expanse, Manipal University is home to 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate and post graduate programs in diverse subjects. The University has a strong alumni network of over 72,000 members.

The University has created an ecosystem of teaching and research excellence making it a universally accepted destination by students.    The breadth of disciplines and collaboration among constituent institutions gives unparalleled opportunity to students to cross departmental boundaries and explore different horizons