By Jasmine Hsieh
The Scene staff
October to December is scholarship-application season, so students who need extra cash for fall semester may want to get going.
Applications for some big scholarships – such as All-USA, Coca-Cola and Jack Kent Cooke scholarships – are due in early December.
“Finding and applying for scholarships is like a part-time job,” said Ryan Martin, financial aid counselor at Forest Park. “It all depends on how much time and work you put in.”
Students can apply for scholarships offered by the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees and STLCC Foundation.
Also available are scholarships from individual departments or foundations and organizations affiliated with the college, as well as private and public organizations in the community.
STLCC BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees Scholarship Program is the umbrella name for nine scholarships for STLCC students: The Athletic Scholarship, Book Scholarship, Continuing Student Academic Scholarship, Emerging Scholars Scholarship, Honors College Scholarship, Last Chance Grant, Returning Adult Scholarship, Student Leadership Scholarship and Summer Boot Camp Scholarship.
At Forest Park, the Honors College Scholarship provides 12-credit scholarships to students who have GPAs of 3.5 or higher and are participating in the honors program.
Students can participate in the honors program by enrolling in honors courses or signing honors contracts with instructors. Marita Jason, Forest Park honors program coordinator, said it not only gives students the opportunity to explore more academically, but also helps them build transcripts or resumes, which can be helpful when applying for scholarships.
“Also, the (program committee) tries to provide activities and field trips for honors students,” Jason said, noting they recently went on a field trip to Washington University to learn more about that school.
STLCC FOUNDATION
STLCC Foundation Scholarships are funded by donations from groups such as faculty, alumni and board members. They include:
- Annual Fund Scholarship, which provides students enrolled for at least 6 credit hours with one-time grants of $250 for tuition and supplies.
- Book Fund, which provides $150 to students for books and other supplies each semester.
- Endowed Nursing Scholarship, which provides nursing students with up to $500 each semester.
- Carroll J. Donohue Endowed Scholarship, which provides students with GPAs of 2.5 or higher with one-time grants of up to $500.
- Hites Foundation Scholarship, which provides one student transferring to a four-year university with $1,000 per semester for up to four semesters.
Students can get more information and apply for the Board and Trustee or STLCC Foundation scholarships through the Forest Park Student Financial Aid office. The office doesn’t deal with scholarships outside of these two categories, Martin said.
Students can also get information about other scholarships provided by individual departments or foundations and organizations affiliated with the college through the STLCC scholarship database at stlcc.edu/scholarships/. It covers 10 pages.
ALL-USA AND COCA-COLA
Finding outside scholarships can be a daunting task for students, but they can get help from counselor Sandra Knight, Forest Park’s “designated nominator.” She nominates students for several scholarship programs, including the All-USA and Coca-Cola.
All-USA Community College Academic Team Scholarships gives $2,500 each to 20 students in the United States who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and significant campus or community engagement. Applications are due Dec. 1.
The Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Scholarship gives out $1,500, $1,250 and $1,000 each to 50 high-achieving students in the United States. Applications for these two scholarships are open now and are due Dec. 1.
Every year, Knight nominates two students from Forest Park for the All-USA and Coca-Cola scholarships. If more than two students apply, she meets with faculty and staff members who don’t know the candidates to help her choose the nominees.
“We’re looking for students who not only have excellent academic performances but also are highly involved in extracurricular activities, such as community services, leadership experiences or even athletic activities,” Knight said.
The two nominees also receive full-tuition scholarships from University of Missouri-St. Louis to finish their bachelor’s degree. Michael Mason and El Hadji Malick Ndiaye were the last two nominees.
Mason received the Gold Scholar Award from Coca-Cola Scholars and is studying psychology in the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL. Ndiaye, a West Africa native and former president of Forest Park’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, is studying computer science at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.
“It felt really good to be rewarded for the hard work I had done,” Ndiaye said. “And I’m really grateful that Miss Knight and also Mr. Munden (math department chair James Munden) offered me much help during the applying process.”
PHI THETA KAPPA
Students who have GPAs of 3.5 or higher can join Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges. Its website states more than $37 million in scholarships available for members nationwide.
Applications for fall scholarships, which will be distributed next year, are due Dec. 1. They include:
- Hites Transfer Scholarship, which provides 10 scholarships of $7,500 each.
- GEICO Pathway to Completion Bachelor’s Degree Scholarship, which provides 15 scholarships of $5,000 each.
- All-State Community College Academic Team, which provides more than $41 million in scholarships in 38 states.
- Guistwhite Scholarship, which provides 10 scholarships of $5,000 each.
“If you’re a motivated and well-driven student, we highly encourage you to join us in Phi Theta Kappa,” said Elizabeth Womack, Forest Park chapter president. “(It’s) a learning society which will help you achieve success through leadership, fellowship, service and scholarship.”
OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS
Students can find additional scholarship opportunities by searching on the Internet. Cappex.com, Scholarships.com and CollegeFish.org are some well-known scholarship information websites.
“I highly suggest that students research and apply for scholarships that are applicable to them for their own maximum benefits,” Martin said.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship program for students transferring from community colleges to four-year universities. It provides 85 transfer students up to $40,000 each per year until they earn their degrees.
Students must have cumulative undergraduate GPAs of 3.5 or higher and significant financial need and not previously attended four-year institutions. Scholarship applications are due Dec 2, and students can apply online.
“Students who meet the criteria and have questions about the applying process can come talk with me in the counseling center,” said Knight, who also is the designated Forest Park representative for that program.