New Scholarships for Laid-Off Workers

[MacBeth]

A small but growing number of government agencies and colleges are rushing to help laid-off workers afford retraining and college courses by offering them free or greatly discounted tuition.


Most of the new scholarships for the jobless are being given by community colleges. Many of them cover only a handful of specific job-related programs. And, generally, the financial aid doesn't cover extra costs of college, including fees, textbooks, or transportation. What's more, many are being offered for a limited time so interested students should call their local community colleges as soon as possible.


But the tuition grants are a godsend for people like Frank DeCristina, 52, of Bloomington, Minn., who lost a job supervising computer assembly late last year. If he weren't taking two free business courses at nearby Normandale Community College, "I'd be pretty depressed ... It's pretty bleak" to be sending out several résumés a day, get almost no response, and still having to pay big heating bills in the single-digit Minnesota winter, he says. His classes--especially the one on salesmanship--are giving him new hope and ideas about landing his next job. He's already started redesigning his résumé to focus on the industries he's targeting.


Margaret Lee, president of Oakton Community College in Illinois, says she decided to offer free career certification courses to the local jobless because "we wanted to have some good news to tell people." The good news could spread. Lee has already gotten calls from colleagues at other community colleges asking for advice on how to set up similar free programs in their communities.


FREE TUITION


Illinois:


Oakton Community College will waive tuition for up to 12 credit hours of courses in five in-demand careers.


Michigan:


The state's "No Worker Left Behind" program provides up to two years' worth of free tuition for unemployed and underemployed workers.


New Jersey:


New Jersey community colleges, including Bergen County Community College, New Jersey City University, Passaic County Community College, and Middlesex County Community College, among others, will let unemployed workers register free of charge in courses with empty seats.


Pennsylvania:


Bucks County Community College is offering up to 30 free credits.


The Community College of Allegheny County is offering free tuition for five career certification programs.


The Reading Area Community College is offering one semester's worth of free tuition.


PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS


Minnesota:


Anoka-Ramsey Community College will waive half its tuition for the recently unemployed.

DOWN THE ROAD

These schools are considering offering scholarships or waivers later this year.

Minnesota:

Normandale Community College gave free tuition to 260 new students in January and is considering offering the vouchers again in the summer and fall.

Pennsylvania:

Northampton offered free courses to about 200 laid-off workers this winter and is considering offering the scholarships again later this year.

Besides these new scholarship programs, unemployed workers can take advantage of established scholarship programs, such as those for workers laid off because of imports. Your local career or unemployment center's website might have information about other government-funded training programs.

Do you know of other scholarships for job retraining opportunities? Please E-mail us at [e-mail].




news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090204/ts_usnews/newscholarshipsforlaidoffworkers

[rnrbill]

Unless this is a new program it is an extension of what was called TAA whreby people who lost their jobs due to foreign competition could actually get new job or vocational training, up to 2 years unemployment in conjunction with one year from the state, and up to 20k in tuition. It's been around for years.

[MacBeth]

These are not part of any organized program. They are being offered by local governments and educational institutions to locals who have been laid off. That is what makes it so very interesting and encouraging.