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Scholarship re-awarding increases students’ chances
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The Arbiter
Tom Petty said the waiting was the hardest part. While financial aid may not have been what he had in mind, waiting for scholarship money may indeed be the hardest part.
The Financial Aid office has been rolling through lists of names since last spring, doling out scholarship money to students who qualify.
Financial Aid Counselor Diane Morton said scholarships from BSU Foundation money and general fund allocations are awarded by department and are based on GPA and financial need.
Students who have declared a major and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher have their names automatically forwarded to their department.
?In the spring, we send out names of students, sometimes the departments also want to know test scores, hometowns, and GPA?s,? said Morton.
Some departments have additional requirements.
Morton said the music department has an audition stipulation and the Honors College requires a personal interview.
BSU Foundation scholarships and endowment disbursements often carry more restrictions.
If initial awards are declined or not accepted in three weeks, the money is re-awarded to another student, she said.
?Dr. (Charles) Ruch asked for the re-awarding process so that all the available money is awarded,? said Morton.
After the 10th day of the semester, the awards are re-evaluated based on credit loads. A minimum of eight credit hours is required for BSU scholarships.
?This process has been repeated three or four times since the fall semester started,? said Morton.
Of course, each time the re-awarding process happens, the available funds and number of possible applicants gets smaller, she said.
Students seeking more aid can fill out a supplemental application, available after Nov. 1.
This form covers scholarships with very specific criteria such as membership in a service organization like Future Farmers of America, 4-H, or employment in a specific company.
?Donors can place restrictions on who can get money from their endowment,? said Morton.
In order to maximize the chance of receiving scholarship money, Morton suggests filing the FAFSA Federal Aid Form early in the year.
She said the Financial Aid Office keeps a book containing scholarship applications for money not distributed by BSU. These materials are available to students in addition to several recommended web sites that offer guidelines and applications.
The Financial Aid Office refers students to www.fastweb.com and www.collegeboard.org for information and databases.
?The most important thing for need based scholarships is filling out the FAFSA form by Feb. 15,? said Morton.
Matt Neznanski