Despite midterms and other stresses abounding this month, finances may now vie to be your top concern as a college student in California.
Increasing student fee costs and state budget cuts have scholars worrying about their finances, but if you know where to look for financial aid and scholarship resources, help could be closer than you think.
Recently, Ashley Williams, a first-year sociology student, received the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship.
She said she found the scholarship at UCLA’s Scholarship Resource Center. After completing her application and being interviewed, Williams was offered $24,000, a scholarship amount to be renewed annually.
Now, her tuition is almost completely covered, and she will travel to New York soon where she can network with other foundation scholars.
“I’m very honored and grateful to get this scholarship, especially with our economy right now,” Williams said.
Access to financial aid is offered to students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at UCLA’s Financial Aid Office.
Generally, all students seeking financial aid need to be qualified by FAFSA for the 2009-2010 academic year to be considered, FAO Director Ronald Johnson said.
Those who do qualify have the opportunity to receive aid packages, which are combinations of work-study programs, grants and low-cost loans.
Scholarships are also offered, based not only on need but on academics, Johnson said.
Many scholarships are offered for students with GPAs of 3.0 and above, though the more competitive scholarships require a 3.5 GPA or above, he added.
If you’re not eligible for the scholarships offered at the Financial Aid Office, head to the other side of campus.
The Scholarship Resource Center, which is tucked away inside Covel Commons, includes a library of up-to-date scholarship books, a number of online resources and graduate student counselors who will help you find specific scholarships to apply for and be your Virgil through what could be a hellish application process.
Andrea Jones, a student affairs officer at the Scholarship Resource Center, said that the center aims to help people find scholarships whether they have need or not, with the goal of assisting Bruins to graduate without debt.
The scholarships, she said, can be merit-based, non-merit-based, financial-need-based or based on background or interest.
If you’re looking for scholarships off campus, here’s a tip: Check online search engines such as FastWeb, Collegeboard or SallieMae.
The Financial Aid Office has a considerable number of students who have obtained outside scholarships, Johnson said.
He added that he encourages students to look within their communities for organizations who want to see their students succeed and to talk to their parents and see if their companies are offering scholarships.
Scholarship seekers shouldn’t hesitate to get started early so they have time to do mandatory preparatory work like getting recommendations and writing an essay, Johnson said.
“We encourage students to investigate not necessarily at the time they need to apply but almost a year in advance so they can start putting together everything they need,” he said.
Once you’ve found the scholarship you want to apply for, you might start thinking about your essay.
Don’t make a list of attributes or accomplishments, which could come off as boring and haughty, Jones said. Consider telling a story about yourself instead.
“Use your story to make an argument for why you’re a good candidate,” she said.
Good candidates shouldn’t forget to include their extracurricular activities in their scholarship applications, said Alejandra Ramirez, Regents Scholarship coordinator at the Financial Aid Office.
“We need to see students’ leadership skills, to see that they help in the community,” she said.
Pull together your resume and get started. You’ve heard the tips, and the resources are out there.
“People are getting scholarships all the time,” Jones said.
Despite the economy’s downward slope, things may soon be looking up if you know where to go for financial help.