The first ever scholarship in the history of American collegiate education was established by Lady Anne Moulson (born Anne Radcliffe,1576-1661) at the then newly formed Harvard University. In those days, the sum she offered was significant indeed a 100 pounds! Till today, her name lives on, for the much acclaimed Radcliffe College, founded as the women's annex to Harvard, is named after her. Going down the years, the very first student loan program was also instituted at Harvard University, in 1840. In 1862, the passing of the Morrill Act under which federally owned land was offered for the establishment of institutes of learning was another milestone in the history of American academia and was further supported by the Hatch Act of 1887. The Hatch Act diverted governmental funding to educational institutions for the purpose of establishing agricultural research stations. Another turning point in the history of scholarships offered in America was the passing of the GI Bill of Rights by President Roosevelt in 1944. Among other things, this Bill created an awareness of the widespread benefits to individuals and the society as a whole when a large number of people received exposure to higher education. In 1954, a collective of 95 colleges who were actively involved in evolving a system of assessment of students' needs for the dispersal of scholarship funds, refined prior need assessment models and developed the College Scholarship Services Need Analysis (CSS) which contributed significantly to the idea that a uniform system for assessment of a student's need for scholarships was essential in keeping alive the altruistic notions of offering scholarships in the first place. Post World-War II, there appeared a slight decline in the demand for government funding of education. However, the Soviet launch of the Sputnik completely altered the situation, for as is to be expected, there was an outcry about the inadequacies of the American education system. This is turn led to the passing of the National Defense Education Act in 1958, which gave a remarkable boost to the provision of subsidized education in all areas of higher education. The sixties saw the passing of the Economic Opportunities Act and the Higher Education Act, both of which further led to the widespread establishment of scholarship programs. Gradually the next few decades saw the emergence of several amendments to the Higher Education Act with the result that by the dawn of the millennium, students of diverse social, economic and demographic backgrounds, were able to benefit from quality college education. Many went on to become very highly recognized in their chosen fields.

A payment processing service is a vendor-appointed service to handle transactions from various channels like credit cards and debit cards for merchant acquiring banks. When you swipe your card to buy merchandise at the store or online, it is the payment processor that is responsible for data transmission and security. Given below is a list of the best credit card payment processing services available in the market today: Bank of America Payment services: They have the advantage of working with the second largest bank in the US. All kinds of payments like credit cards, debit cards, gift cards and electronic cheques are accepted here. They also promise mobile service and access to pay the next day. Citibank: The Citibank processes transactions in more than a hundred currencies. Citibank also offers end to end processing services, reporting, customer service and billing. Wells Fargo: This is one of the four major banks in the country, and they offer next day business funding, encryption and tokenization technology, support for both PIN and signature services. Chase Paymentech: JP Morgan Chase is the largest bank in the US and its payment processing service authorizes and processes payments in more than 130 currencies. It also offers fraud detection, analytics, and security solutions. Barclays: Barclaycard payment processing services facilitates phone, web, in-person and even mail order payments made on the desktop as well as portable card machines. Vantiv: Thanks to its nearly error-free purchases, authorizations and captures Vantiv has held its head up high as one of the top credit card payment processing services in the country. First Data: It facilitates small business payments. It is famous for its mini-reader that works without a Wi-Fi connection and a mobile reader that can be attached to other devices to process payments on the go. Global Payments: Their primary focus is on ensuring that businesses accept all major forms of payment.

A dehumidifier is much like a vacuum cleaner, the only difference being it sucks out moist, humid air from your room instead of dust. It sucks in the humid air from one end, takes the moisture out of it and then blows back dry air into the room. The moisture that is removed from the humid air is collected in a tank (condensed in the form of water) needs to be emptied from time to time. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air with the help of HVAC or Heat Ventilating Air Conditioning unit, which itself is like a refrigerator. Let us get into the technical side and figure out how dehumidifiers work. Dehumidifiers work in one of the two ways. They work either by absorption/adsorption, in which the moisture is absorbed or adsorbed on the surface of a drying material which needs to be removed upon saturation. Or by refrigeration. If dehumidifiers work on the principle of absorption or adsorption which works in the following way: Moist air is drawn into the dehumidifier from a room through a duct. The air then moves through a large rotating wheel which is made of a water-absorbing material that helps in removing the moisture content. The air is drawn by a fan, that is operated by an electric motor. Dry air is blown back into the room. The wheel that absorbs or adsorbs the moisture rotates through a heated air space and blown-dry with the help of hot air. This hot air then passes through a fan which is also powered by a separate electric motor and is blown out through an exhaust duct. This whole arrangement is usually controlled by a thermostat and humidity sensors, giving you the control to make the room as hot and dry as you want. Dehumidifiers working on the principle of refrigeration have a different approach. These dehumidifiers work in the following way: Warm and moist air is sucked through a grill arrangement which is present on one side of the machine. The electric fan draws the air inwards. This warm air then passes through freezing pipes which have coolant getting circulated in them. As the air passes over these pipes it gets cooled down and the moisture in it gets condensed and turns into liquid water that drips down off the pipes. The moisture-free air then passes over a heating element and warms up the air. The moisture which has now turned into water drips into a collecting tray at the bottom of the machine. Some dehumidifiers have a separate electrical mechanism to indicate that the tray is full, while others just have a float that indicates the level of water in the tray.

There are days when we are in a fix as to what dress code to follow for a wedding especially when the invitation does not mention as to what type of a wedding event has been planned. When we are not sure whether to go prepared for a complete “black tie” event or a “semiformal” one, the dilemma to decipher the right clothes to wear and not end up with the wrong outfit as a wedding guest is quite tricky. Here are some great tips to help you understand the different wedding guest dress code choices that can help you when in dilemma over what dress would be perfect for the celebration. White-tie wedding guest dress code One of the most common, yet most formal wedding dress code, is the white-tie event. In these events, the norms require women usually to wear only evening gowns and there are no exceptions on the length of the gown. To pair with this, women can choose jewelry, an elegant clutch on their arms, and definitely shoes with a comfortable heel length. Moreover, men usually have to wear a totally formal tuxedo with tails, a full white formal shirt paired with a white vest and a black or white bow tie, formal footwear in the likes of derby or oxford shoes, and also gray or white gloves neatly tucked under the shirt’s arm. Black-tie wedding guest dress code Generally, when the wedding is planned as an evening event, a black-tie event is picked as the formal dress code for the occasion. For black-tie events, women have a bit of option to choose from. They can either pick a formal full-length evening gown to dress up or they can wear a cocktail dress and pair it with heels or flats. Another choice for women is to wear pantsuits in formal colors. The men are, however, required to wear a tuxedo, and this has to be coupled with a black bow tie, a black vest or a cummerbund, and the shoes should preferably be black and patent leather ones. In some instances like summer weddings, even a white dinner jacket coupled with black tuxedo trousers are acceptable. In the case of a wedding where the black-tie wedding guest dress code is only optional, then wearing a tuxedo is not mandatory.

If you like having barbeques and cookouts on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, or you own a restaurant that specializes in outdoor cooking, you have a lot of choices in equipment and even more options to consider in each.

Outdoor cooking equipment

Depending on the type of cooking you want to do, you can choose from the many options given below:

Patio stoves

Setup on covered decks or patios, and you can steam, fry, or boil large quantities of food items. You can use cast iron cooking utensils and large stock pots to cook meat, fry a whole turkey, steam a large number of vegetables, make a large pot of stew, brew beer, or just simply heat a large bowl of water. Look for higher patio stoves with a higher British thermal unit (BTU), but read the specifications. A higher BTU does not always mean faster or better cooking. If you will be using heavy cooking utensils, choose a shorter, square stove for stability.

Smoker

If you specialize in smoked items, invest in a large smoker. This equipment gives you fine control over smoking, letting you adjust temperature and humidity levels and other settings. Large smokers let you hang meat or fish inside on hooks. Outdoor Fryers: These are larger versions of kitchen fryers. They can have multiple fry tanks and can come with multiple baskets for each tank. This lets you fry multiple batches of similar items in each tank.

Grills

If you are looking for an outdoor grill, consider your cooking style and how often you will be using it. If you only intend to use the grill in favorable weather, buy a portable grill that you can disassemble and store away during winter. If you want to use the grill throughout the year, consider a built-in grill that can be installed on your covered deck or patio.

Body material

Most grills are now made of stainless steel, but some use other metals like Aluminum or porcelain coated steel or cast iron. Aluminum is rustproof, making it suitable for use in coastal regions. Porcelain coated metal is only good as long as the coating lasts. Once it wears off, the steel or cast iron underneath is exposed to the atmosphere and may soon begin to rust. Look for 304-grade stainless steel construction as it is commercial quality as well as highly rust resistant and long lasting. Grade 443 is a new rating, but this is less expensive and of similar quality to that of 304-grade stainless steel. The 443-grade stainless steel body grill is more than adequate for home use.

Burners

The burner is the heart of the grill, pay attention to the BTUs, which is used to measure the heating capacity. The heating style might be standard or infrared. In infrared burners, the heat generated is much higher compared to standard burners. It may be best suited for cooking steaks, but will not work so well for slow cooking needs. The material used in burners may be the old style cast iron. It is sturdy and can retain a lot of heat, but is prone to corrosion. Stainless steel tube burners are made of good-quality stainless steel that has been cast into tubes. Cast stainless steel is also high-quality stainless steel, flatter in construction, and welded together to form a solid piece of a metal burner. Brass burners are completely rust proof and can spread heat evenly.

Flame tamers or barriers

Flame tamers form a barrier between the burners and the grid. They protect the burner from potential damage that is caused by food drippings from the cooking grid. They can also give the food a smoked effect by catching the drippings and burning them into smoke. These barriers can be ceramic or metal prices. Ceramic tamers absorb grease and create a smoked effect, but they are harder to clean. Stainless steel tamers are tough and longer-lasting and can be cleaned easily. Stainless steel flame tamers can come in two types according to size: burner width or full width. Burner width tamers are angled metal pieces that go over each burner. Full-size tamers cover the whole grill surface, and they may be perforated or solid pieces. They provide better protection for the burners and also ensure uniform heat distribution.

Cooking grid

This is where you do all the cooking, of course. Choose a high-quality material that is not prone to binding with the food items placed on them. You don't need to buy a non-stick grid, but do some research to find out if the particular grid is prone to excessive sticking. Grids can be made of materials like porcelain coated metal, iron, or stainless steel. Porcelain coated grids may not be of the best quality, but they have one advantage, they are non-stick grids. If the coating wears off, the metal underneath can start to rust. Cast iron grids are heavy-duty grids that retain heat. They also leave nice grid marks on the food. Stainless steel rod grids are high-quality low-maintenance grids. Choose thicker grids for better cooking.

Fuel type

Most modern grills use propane or natural gas as fuel, but you can also buy charcoal or wood chips to burn grills. Charcoal grills may come with fewer options than gas grills, but they can generate more heat, they are ideal for adding a smokey effect on food, and help add rich flavors that make the food tastier. The choices in grills and outdoor cooking gadgets are wide, so pick the apparatus according to your need. Look at reviews and ratings for various equipment before choosing a brand or model. Take a look at the warranties and the accessories provided as well.

With mobile computing taking over desktop, it is time for you to switch to a new laptop in order to have on-the-go computer support. New laptops come with a greater storage capacity, usually starting with 250GB. The new laptops also come with CD/DVD drive that is essential if in case you want to access media files that are older. They also have the capability to run a full-featured, high-powered software. Furthermore, many new laptops also have the USB ports that can be plugged in. How to Choose a New Laptop? When buying a new laptop, it is very important to determine the purpose and usage. For instance, if it is going to be used for casual purposes, like browsing, e-mailing, social media, bill payments, etc. If this is the reason why you want to buy a new laptop, stick to the cheapest and the lightest one. The best budget laptops are built to last, and have a fairly decent construction and usually come with sensible keyboards and/or touchpads. Entry level laptops entry-level laptops are the best buy for people who want a device that can be used to carry out standard tasks.But if your purpose is use Microsoft office like spreadsheets, Microsoft word, or movie streaming or saving videos, you would require more hard drive storage. And if you plan to multitask using several tabs and programs at one go, photo editing, and video creation, etc., then you should opt for a laptop that has a bigger screen. Your new laptop should have a fast processor and additional random access memory (RAM). Considerations to Keep in Mind Whilst Buying a New laptop When buying a new laptop, keep in mind the screen resolution. Opt for HD which is good for web surfing or choose a 4K Ultra HD as it helps in creating opulent colors and images required for gaming as well as video editing. Remember, weight of the laptop increases if you plan to buy one with a larger screen and additional capacity. Updated options generally weigh under 3 lbs., and the best personal computer laptop that gamers use generally weigh over 6 lbs. Heart of a laptop, old or new, is its operating system. The operating system is responsible for managing the software as well as hardware of the personal computer. With a plethora of options, you can pick the most common operating system, a PC laptop with Microsoft Windows. And if you are an Apple fan, you can opt for the giant’s notebooks or laptops with Apple Mac OSX. When discussing storage, HDD (mechanical hard disk drives) are quite in demand since they are under budget and have huge capacities. The modern or updated solid-state drives, although don’t offer the same capacity, are way faster than the common HDDs. Now laptop users who use cloud to store videos, photos and music, normally require lesser storage. The gamers, on the other hand, require huge HDD space for their game files. New laptop Brands to Look For Selecting a new laptop can be quite daunting. It can also be confusing with someone who doesn’t have a sound technical background and also doesn’t have a clear understanding of the different features and its usages. Also the numerous options with coinciding features from different brands can leave one completely puzzled. Therefore, unless you are a tech savvy, always choose laptop models from the brands you trust or have used before. Opt for the one with latest technology, upgraded IOS. Whether you're looking to stream movies, play games, or stay connected while on a vacation, choose the latest laptop with portability and power performance.