Two weeks remain for current and prospective graduate students to apply for Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students, the new scholarship program from the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Sallie Mae will award four $20,000 scholarships to students who creatively describe their unique journey to graduate school, who or what influenced them to pursue an advanced degree, and what advice they would give themselves as college freshmen. The deadline is Feb. 14, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Students can apply at SallieMae.com/BridgingTheDreamGrad.

According to “How America Pays for Graduate School,” the latest national research from Sallie Mae and Ipsos, two-thirds of grad students (64 percent) believe an advanced degree is the new minimum standard level of education for any professional occupation, and nearly all (95 percent) say an advanced degree is necessary to enter, advance, accelerate, or remain competitive in their chosen career. Scholarships and grants, however, are far less available for graduate students than for undergrads, covering just 15 percent of grad school costs. In addition, only 40 percent of grad students reported using scholarships and grants, compared to 71 percent of undergraduate students and their families.

“Our market research indicates students want more information to help them prepare for graduate school and, in particular, they want more access to scholarships,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “In response, we’ve added free graduate school-specific tips, tools, and resources on our website, and now we’re expanding our Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program, which has awarded $225,000 in scholarships over the past two years to college-bound high school students, to assist graduate students.”

For more information about the Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students, see the official rules. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Sallie Mae expects to announce the winners this spring.

To find scholarships for college, explore Sallie Mae’s free online scholarship search tool, which offers access to more than 5 million scholarships worth more than $24 billion. Additional information about saving, planning, and paying for graduate school is available at SallieMae.com.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.