University of Virginia Student Wins Close to $40,000 Through Scholarship Election on CollegeNET

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sarah Dugan, a student at the University of Virginia, has won a $25,000 scholarship from CollegeNET.com, the social network through which people create topics, write or video-cam about them, and then vote to determine who will win scholarship money every week. The winnings were the culmination of a 15-week grand prize tournament, which also awarded second- and third-prize scholarships.

“I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people I’ve been able to meet on CollegeNET.com”

Grand Prize winner Sarah Dugan, who attends the University of Virginia, has won a total of $39,574.21 in scholarship money since she began competing in CollegeNET.com’s weekly competitions in June 2011. She is currently seeking to major in Neuroscience and Foreign Affairs.

“I can’t express how thankful I am to CollegeNET.com,” Sarah said. “CollegeNET.com is far more effective in helping me pay for school than any job I could ever have. In fact, if I compare how much I make per hour on CollegeNET.com to what I would make at another job, I’m making almost three or four times as much money with CollegeNET.com.”

Second-prize winner Sandesh Simkhada, who attends Eastern Nazarene College, won $7,000 for presenting forums on topics including “You become ‘Gay’ when you walk with a gay friend?” and “Resume: What to include and what to exclude?” Third prize winner Michelle Dulmes, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, won $3,000 for initiating forums including “Does victory necessitate tenacity?” and “Memories of Happy Meals.”

All three winners can elect to apply their scholarship money to their tuition and certain education costs, or direct the funds to their lending institution to help repay their student loans.

In addition to her scholarship winnings, Sarah benefits from the friendships offered through the CollegeNET.com community: “I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people I’ve been able to meet on CollegeNET.com,” she said. “CollegeNET.com is an incredible community and it’s done so much for me beyond scholarships.”

CollegeNET.com candidates earn points towards scholarship money by posting forums, commenting on other participants’ forums, and voting for participants whose forums they like. Candidates are eligible to win scholarships totaling up to $10,000 every week. Ten or more scholarships are awarded each week, in addition to a Rookie Prize for the top-point earner among new participants. Scholarship opportunities are available to anyone who is currently attending an accredited college or university or paying off student loan debt.

With over $1,240,000 in scholarships awarded to date, CollegeNET.com marks its sixth year helping hundreds of students and graduates pay for tuition costs and student loan repayment.

To participate in CollegeNET.com forums and compete for the weekly scholarship and grand prize, sign up for a free account here.

Tweet this: Need #cash for #college or #studentloandebt? Check out @CollegeNET where weekly & quarterly scholarships are awarded! http://bit.ly/7ggfXO

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About CollegeNET, Inc.

CollegeNET, Inc. builds web-based, on-demand technologies that help institutions improve operational efficiency, enhance communication with constituents and save money. The company’s systems are used by more than 1,300 organizations worldwide for event and academic scheduling, prospect and admissions management, web-based tuition processing and alumni development. CollegeNET’s www.collegenet.com is a social network through which students create topics, write or video-cam about them, and vote to determine who will win scholarships. This site has become one of the Internet’s most popular destinations for college-bound students. The company is headquartered in Portland, Ore.