Ole Miss Junior Applies for Exclusive Scholarship Through Dr. Pepper

Junior history major Chance Carden when he was a member of the Pride of the South Marching Band at the University of Mississippi. (Photo courtesy Chance Carden’s Facebook page)

Finding the funds for one’s college tuition is a financial and emotional burden for a number of college students, and it has become a shocking reality for a third year Ole Miss student and his family.

Junior history major Chance Carden entered Ole Miss during the fall of 2013. Carden said that during his three years at the university, school has been more trouble than he expected.

“The biggest struggle is trying to manage time and money,” Carden said. “My wife and I commute 80 miles to school three days a week to avoid paying high rent in Oxford. I spend the other days working to have money for bills and gas, in addition to the costs of school. Books and tuition alone are hard for us to afford, but we manage to handle it. The problem arises when I desperately need to study for school, but instead I have to constantly work to pay looming bills. Emotionally, the stress is overwhelming. It’s so frustrating and unfair having to choose between good grades or paying bills.”

After three semesters of struggling with money and mobilization to school, Carden came across a TV and social media ad for a scholarship offered through Dr. Pepper.

The scholarship is awarding over $1,000,000 in tuition to one-of-a-kind students across the United States. There are different stages offering different amounts. There are five scholarships given each month to the five people who have the highest number of votes. In addition, at the end of the year there are five more granted to the top five with the most votes. When you reach 50 votes, you’re allowed to submit a video to compete for a $100,000 scholarship.

“I came across the scholarship before on TV and Facebook,” Carden said, “but overlooked it because I felt my odds were not good enough to spend already limited time to pursue. I finally decided to apply for the sake of being able to say I tried. Dr. Pepper has undoubtedly awarded millions in scholarships in the past, and I figured it can’t hurt to try and see what happens.”

Carden hopes that the scholarship will aid in future endeavors of returning to school for law and aiding people with hearing impairments.

“I hope to enroll into law school at Ole Miss after I complete my bachelor’s degree,” Carden said. “After that I hope to practice law, as well as become a sign language translator for the deaf and hearing impaired.”

Winning the scholarship would mean relieving Carden and his family of the financial burden that school has caused for three years. Carden stated how he would use the scholarship if given the chance to be awarded.

“I’d put the bulk towards tuition and whatever is left towards books,” Carden said. I still have three semesters of undergrad and hopefully law school after that. I’m sure through all of that, paying for the basic costs of higher education will make good use of any scholarships I can acquire.To be given this scholarship would help ease the burden of constantly working and allow me more time for my studies and my degree that I’m paying a lot of money to get.”

Carden has applied for the scholarship, but he needs help from the community to win. The more votes, the more likely Carden is to receive the scholarship. You can vote for him here: http://www.drpeppertuition.com/profile/890758257646192

“To have any economic stress lifted from me would make some of the most enjoyable years of my life more enjoyable,” Carden said. “I feel selfish to ask for help, so all I can say is how much every vote means to me. In the future, I hope to be able to assist others and their goals, as I try to do now when what I have to offer is helpful. In my case, a minute of your time to vote for me is helpful!”

Mia Sims is a HottyToddy.com reporter and can be reached at masims@go.olemiss.edu