We know that college isn't for everybody, but many students don't realize that Bootstraps scholarships can be used for higher education other than four-year degrees. Students can apply for scholarships to be used for two-year community colleges and for programs at trade and technical schools. Bootstraps has scholarships especially for specific careers such as precision machining, carpentry, drafting, and many other specialties.

Let's say you're considering a construction-related trade, such as plumbing. When you go to a trade school, they're going to teach you how to be a plumber. But they will also teach you how to do bids for jobs, how you should dress when meeting with a client for the first time, how to read a blue print for when you're installing in new construction, and many other skills essential for being a top-notch plumber. You will also earn a lot more money that if you didn't get professional training. As a first-year plumber with trade school training, you can make around $33,000 a year compared to someone with no trade school of about $20,000.

The cost of these programs vary, but a two-year plumbing program at Red Rocks Community College will cost less than $10,000. Since you'll earn $13,000 more in your first year than with just a high school diploma, it's well worth the investment.

If you're lucky enough to receive a Bootstraps scholarship and/or interest-free loan, you'll be well on your way to funding your career.

Did you know that proceeds from the Rocky Mountain Literary Festival will provide scholarships for local students? This is a great event being held at Mt Vernon Country Club on October 17th featuring five diverse Colorado authors, drawing 180 avid readers, and promising stimulating conversation in a beautiful mountain setting. Your support of the event and of the scholarships it will provide through Bootstraps is deeply appreciated.

Tickets are $75 and include a continental breakfast and elegant lunch, as well as a chance to meet Francine Mathews, Thomas Hornbein, Mark Stevens, Jeff Miller, and Maura Weiler, featuring Greg Dobbs as the moderator.


Purchase tickets today at http://www.rockymountainliteraryfestival.org/

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation seeks high-achieving high school seniors with financial need for its College Scholarship Program, the largest undergraduate scholarship in the nation. Selected students receive college planning support, ongoing advising, and up to $40,000 per year to attend a four-year accredited undergraduate institution. If you know students who stand out for their exceptional academic abilities and achievements, persistence, leadership, and desire to help others, please encourage them to visit the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s website to learn more. The application closes on November 3. http://bit.ly/1KqbogY

Bootstraps is able to award scholarships and loans solely through the generosity of our donors. One of our donors, a small foundation from Denver, made it possible for us to award a $3,000 continuing scholarship to an Evergreen High School graduate from 2012. I called her today to tell her she was the recipient of the award. Her response: "Oh my gosh! You made my day!" And best of all, because she was fortunate to receive assistance from Bootstraps throughout college, she will be graduating a semester early!

I love my job because I get to give great news to young people and let them know that a complete stranger cares enough about them to give them a hand up!

You had to scroll all the way down to find it, didn't you? These per capita figures equate to $3,417 per student compared to a national average of $9,082. The American Council on Education predicts that Colorado funding of higher ed will reach $0 by 2019.

State funding of higher ed differs from Federal in that the state dollars go to the colleges and universities to be used for operating expenses, among other things. When Colorado decreases the dollars going to the schools, the schools have no choice but to pass on the cost to the consumer, in this case the student.

At Bootstraps, we hope to alleviate this ever-increasing burden on young adults who desire to get ahead in life. To learn more about what we do, click here.

For those of you who have completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in the past for either yourself or a potential college attendee, you know how daunting filling it out can seem. Beginning in October 2016, students and their parents will be able to use prior prior years' (two years ago) tax information when completing the FAFSA. For the 2017 school year, the 2015 tax information will be used and automatically retrieved from the IRS. Not only does the process become simpler, but students will know three months sooner how much aid they might receive, making college choice easier. To read more in the Washington Post, click here.