Dollarship awards inaugural $500 scholarships to 4 U.S. college students

Trade school, international students encouraged to apply

PHOENIX, AZ (PRWEB) May 13, 2004 --- Dollarship, the worlds first peer-to-peer scholarship network, awarded its first round of $500 Dollarships" today, chipping away at college costs for students from New York to California.

I stumbled across Dollarship during my search for scholarships," said Christina Kalinka, a University of Michigan senior and Dollarship winner who is headed to Columbia University for a masters degree in counseling psychology. I can personally vouch that this scholarship is for real, and I encourage everyone to apply."

Officially opened on Jan. 1, Dollarship has received more than 4,500 applications from 33 countries. Dollarship.com has received more than 800,000 page views during that time.

We were confident from the beginning, but the enormous response has really validated our aspirations," said Josh Barsch, Dollarship CEO. Students want to help each other and to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and Dollarship is fast becoming their vehicle for that."

In addition to Kalinka, other winners included Amber Green, a freshman at Central Washington University; Mike Bateman, a high school senior bound for College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., and Judit Arroyo, a psychology major at Depaul University in Chicago.

Dollarship has given me the opportunity to continue my studies and pursue my dream of becoming an animal behaviorist," said Arroyo, who hopes to one day open her own animal rescue group.

Applicants are required to write a one-page essay describing their exceptional work ethic and commitment to excellence. The scholarships, awarded every three months, are available to vocational/technical school, ministry and continuing education students, as well as those attending traditional college and universities. Students attending school in any country may apply.

Barsch said it was an easy decision to open the scholarships to international, trade-school and other students traditionally excluded from consideration for many scholarships. International students desperately need financial aid, he said, and a majority of scholarships already exclude trade-school students.

It didnt make sense to us not to include everyone," he said. Why doesnt a truck driver or cosmetologist deserve the same chance at financial aid that a sociology or English major gets? Anyone trying to better herself through education deserves the same shot."