News Release

(National Feature Article-1102 words)

For Immediate Release

Contact Wayne Fujita (808) 270-7474

751 S. Alu Road, Wailuku, Maui, HI  96793

e-mail:  wyf@maui.net

SCHOLARSHIP BREAKTHROUGH

Maui, HI January 21, 2005 – With kids back at school, parents are looking ahead and asking, “How will I ever afford college?”  Wayne Fujita reveals how in his book, The $100,000 Scholarship: Middle School Prep.  Fujita says, “Don’t give up!  Ignite your kids’ self-motivation engine with my encouragement matrix and watch the kids win scholarships!”

The average private college costs $27,677 a year.  Over four years it’s more than $100,000.  College is one of the biggest commitments many families make together.  The money and time commitment is as important as buying a house and planning for retirement.  Fujita says, “Some parents get sticker shock and give up.  Don’t give up!  Get scholarships!” 

If only the kids could get one of those full athletic scholarships.  But full scholarships are not just for athletes.  Many private universities like Harvard, Stanford and Georgetown are blessed with affluent alumni contributors.  Private universities provide large financial aid grants to attract top students.  And at these universities, most students have scholarships.  Many parents feel, “No way, my kids are not Harvard material!”, but read on.

The BIG scholarship competition is a contest for acceptance into private universities.  Once accepted into these universities, students are likely to be offered an affordable financial aid package.  It’s not uncommon for the aid to run up to $20,000, $50,000 or even $100,000 over four years.  Although, most college financial aid is a mix of grants and loans, the top colleges provide a good amount of grants.  The grants and tuition waivers actually make many private colleges more affordable than state colleges.

Now the $100,000 question becomes, “How do students get accepted by these great colleges?”  College admissions criteria are similar to scholarship awarding criteria.  Application evaluators consider SAT scores, grades during high school, special talents, school and community service and leadership.  Good grades, community service and leadership are commendable characteristics.  If a student is winning scholarships, then private college acceptance is likely. 

“So how do students win scholarships?”  Parents, finding your kids’ passion will raise their motivation level.  Their passion is their gift!  Their gift could be music, athletics, math, journalism, science or anything.  When the adolescent is in his or her gift, the adolescent appears serious, happier, focused and engrossed.  The gift or talent is easy, yet challenges the adolescent, and others see the adolescent as a “natural” in that gifted area.  The adolescent will enjoy serving the school and community with their gift.  They will even enjoy becoming a leader through that passion. 

“So how is passion built?”  The answer is, in small easy steps of encouragement.  Middle school encouragement is the key.  In high school the race is already being run.  The answer is “an encouragement plan of small encouragement steps.”  This simple idea could be your scholarship breakthrough. 

Fujita has developed a parent-sponsored student encouragement plan called the College Prep Contract.  The incentive plan is like a corporate executive’s bonus agreement.  The contract provides a matrix of small rewards for meeting selected achievements that lead to scholarships. 

Many parents are already putting a little away for college each month.  Fujita says, “Use the college savings money in an incentive plan instead.  The incentive (mini-scholarships) could encourage scholarship achievements, like earning “B’s” and “A’s”.  Parents wouldn’t need to save $100,000 for college because winning scholarships could offset a good amount of the college costs.  The monthly College Prep Contract incentives also reward scholastic achievements, community service and leadership.  Kids are on their way to building awesome scholarship resumes.” 

The concept is to provide small and easy incentives that grow as achievements grow.  For example, paying $5 to the kid’s college fund for participation on a school project might get him or her involved (or $10 to enter a state competition, or $10 to earn a report card “B”, or $20 for “A’s”, or $50 for being a club officer, etc.)   Fujita says, “After getting $10 five times in a row, the kids would likely catch on to the program.  Although some money is involved, it’s parental praise that motivates.  And once kids get involved in school activities, their passion will draw them into leadership.  Achievements and leadership will blossom and accelerate.  And once “C’s” become “B’s” and “B’s” become “A’s,” the student has developed excellent study habits.  And these habits continue to be self-driven habits.” 

The incentive plan lets the student freely choose what, when and how targets are pursued.  Free choice stimulates self-motivation and passion.  By adding a systematic organized approach to family encouragement, the student’s passions naturally blossom.  The incentive plan formalizes a consistent structured pattern of monthly parental encouragement.  Fujita says, “Kids actually will look forward to the monthly pat on the back.  With self-driven passions, the child will want to study, serve communities and be a leader.  Imagine, no more nagging, just more praising.  The kids love it.”

Fujita believes that in middle school, adolescence in transition is the ideal time to encourage passion development.  He says, “In middle school, bodies are physically changing and personal independence is rising.  Kids want to find their calling, their gift.  It’s in middle school that peer pressure and cliques make or break the journey toward scholarships.  In middle school, passionate motivation must be primed to provide the edge in the high school scholarship competition.”

In addition, The $100,000 Scholarship explains what scholarship evaluators seek, what can be prepared now and several key decisions during middle school.

Literary Agent Roger Jellinek of Jellinek & Murray said, “The $100,000 Scholarship is a very useful, smart, and well executed concept, and I’m sure I will regret not having mastered its principles years ago.”  Altamira Press’ Jason Clymer said, “ideas and presentation are professional and sound.”  Jeanette Kinaka, past Moderator Hawaii Conference, United Church of Christ said, "The $100,000 Scholarship is inspirational!"

Fujita, a CPA and finance officer under three Maui Mayors has designed many successful incentive compensation plans.  He's also evaluated and scored foundation scholarships.

His daughter was last year's Miss Outstanding Teenager of Hawaii and his son John was the Chemistry Student of the Year at both Pacific University in Oregon and the University of Hawaii.  Both Lisa and John have sizable scholarships and tuition waivers.  Fujita says, "The amazing thing is that when my kids were in elementary school they were average or just above average students.  I had no idea how far they would go.  If parents feel their kids are not exceptional or gifted students, be prepared for a real surprise!  All the kids need is a desire to grow their passion and parental encouragement."

For more information, visit www.wayneyfujita.bravehost.com. To order The $100,000 Scholarship, visit www.publishamerica/books/5883