Campus Car Rentals -- An Alternative To Ownership?

We've been sharing through our Campus Cars category, various vehicles we think might be of interest to college students. Mostly vehicles that have a few things in common -- small, fuel efficient, and cheap to buy.

Most certainly, owning a car while attending college isn't the sensible solution for every student, particularly those whose campus is located in the city. Mass transit and foot traffic will take you where you need to go without having to worry about alternate side of the street parking, vandalism, and maintenance expenses.

An option for students who occasionally need a car, but don't want to be bothered with buying and maintaining one is renting their wheels. Companies like Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise come to mind, but therein lies the problem -- some rental agencies will only lend their vehicles to drivers who are at least 25 years old, several years beyond the age of the typical college student.

Where there is a need, there is also opportunity and one company, Zipcar, is doing its part to fill that need.

Zipcar works by allowing registered members to borrow a car (like the pictured MINI Cooper) for a few hours or for an entire day and return that car to the place borrowed when done. Gas and insurance is included, meaning that all a driver has to do is worry about driving and leave the fill ups and paperwork to Zipcar.

As you might guess, college campuses are a popular place for Zipcars, with more than 70 schools partnering with the company to offer car rentals to students. Schools such as Rutgers, the University of North Carolina, University of Southern California, and others participate, allowing students who are 21 and above the chance to rent a car.

No, you can't get a Zipcar if you've had more than two moving violations in the past three years or a single DUI incident during the past seven years. Nor can you rent a car for more than six days at a time. Still, with these restrictions in place, Zipcar could be the only rental option for some college students.

Though this article isn't an endorsement of Zipcar, SayCampusLife does recognize that renting your campus car may be the smartest option for some young drivers.

Fun & Wacky College Scholarships You Never Knew About

If you're planning on attending college this fall or are still a year away from making the transition from high school to university, you may be wondering how you will pay for your education.

After all, the monies your parents socked away in your 529 account will cover only a few courses, your grades won't qualify you for an academic scholarship, and as far as sports goes you just don't have the skills to compete at a Division 1 school.

One way that you can get help for school is to apply for scholarships. You know, those financial grants offered by the Woman's Club, Nurses Guild, or local businesses to help defray some of your costs. Though you may not get all of your expenses covered, that $1000 scholarship from Toastmasters or the $500 "prize" from First National Bank can help.

Not every scholarship is nationally recognized and some are, er, a bit strange. We've assembled a list of seven of the more unusual scholarships with links to their sites:

Kor Memorial Scholarship -- The Klingon Language Institute is interested in helping students with an academic interest in languages. No, you don't have to major in Klingonese, but your interest in languages beyond English could net you a $500 scholarship. buy' ngop!

TCI Clubs International -- Women who measure at least 5'10'' and men who are 6'2" or taller are eligible for a college scholarship up to $1000 if they apply to a local club chapter. Formed as a social organization for tall people, TCI's tallest member is 7'3".

Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship -- Are you just an "average" student? If you have an interest in telecommunications and are already attending Ball State, then this David Letterman scholarship could be right for you. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship; $5,000 for the First Runner-Up; and $3,333 for the Second Runner-Up.

Zolp Scholarships -- These four-year scholarships are available to students accepted to Loyola University who are Roman Catholic and whose last name of Zolp appears on a birth certificate and church confirmation certificate. Scholarship amounts vary depending upon fund availability and the number of eligible recipients. Zolp? Zounds!

Love Bugs? -- Your interest in insects could net you a $500 Lafontaine Aquatic Entomology Scholarship courtesy of the Federation of Fly Fishers.

Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship -- Skateboarding isn't a crime and this scholarship named for a young enthusiast could net the top recipient a $5000 scholarship. You must be in good academic standing and a skateboarder. Patrick was killed in 2002 as a result of a skateboard accident.

Who Wants Chocolate? -- Your love for all things confectionery could net you a scholarship from the American Association of Candy Technologists for enrolled college students who will be sophomores, juniors, or seniors this academic year. You won't win a Mounds bar, but you could fetch a scholarship worth $5000 if you can demonstrate interest in confectionery technology. Yum!

Other scholarships for short folks, fat people, knitters, pie makers, and students with the surname Scarpinato, are also available. Who knew that applying for financial assistance could be so fun?

For More Information:

• search for all available scholarships

Upper Echelon Universities Discard Student Loans

The cost of higher education continues to grow and at a pace well above the inflation rate. The pressure that these costs is putting on many middle class families has forced students to explore every option to fund their education including taking out government and private student loans.

Even with scholarships, grants and other assistance options included, it isn't uncommon for some students to come up short by thousands of dollars each school year. A new trend in college financing may soon relieve thousands of families of their heavy burden by replacing student loans with scholarships.

According to a report published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the University of Pennsylvania plans on offering financial aid to all eligible students beginning in 2009. Currently, the cost to attend Penn is about $46,000 annually with half the students required to borrow loans which they must repay. Thanks to a $3.5 billion fund-raising campaign, Penn will be able to expand their assistance, thereby eliminating the need for students to come up with other financing alternatives.

Penn isn't the only Ivy League university eliminating student loans as Princeton and Yale have already announced similar initiatives as have other private schools including Williams and Amherst. Each school have very large endowments and it is from these funds that eligible students will receive their financial assistance.

For More Information:

• search for all available scholarships
• budget your college expenses

Most financial aid that is awarded to students comes from in-state colleges and state aid agencies. Check with these institutions about college financial aid options and programs: