February is scholarship month at Minnesota State, and students are finding opportunities to help cushion the ever-growing cost of a college education.
However, it’s not only costs that are rising; the scholarship pot is growing as well.
Last year, MSU awarded $2.7 million to approximately 1,300 students. This year, students have until Feb. 28 to get their piece of nearly $3 million allotted to students.
Vice President of Student Affairs David Jones said in a previous interview there are two reasons scholarships are so important.
“One, clearly the financial assistance helps students, they can continue to work toward their degree by helping complement the dollars they put in so it helps fit that gap, whatever it might be, toward tuition, housing, whatever it might be,” Jones said. “The other side is that there are clearly people who believe in young adults and what we’re doing here at the university, so they’ve put forth money to assist and do that.”
Carolyn Nelson, Director of Scholarships at MSU, said, “Minnesota State University, Mankato believes scholarship applications should be accessible and easy to complete.”
This is proven through the general application students complete, which applies to most scholarships. Using the students’ responses, they are paired to scholarships they qualify for. These matches are based on information like major, interests, demographics, academics, and more. Average scholarships range from $2,000 to $4,000, and students can apply for as many as they would like.
Nelson also said to look for unique scholarship requirements, such as an essay or recommendation from the faculty. Due to this, she recommends researching scholarship requirements early in February so you can have adequate time to fulfill such requirements.
These scholarships are made available by donors, both firms and individuals. Many of the individuals are alumni of MNSU.
Some of these scholarships include the Abdo Accounting Scholarship, which is for accounting majors entering their sophomore or junior year at the time scholarships are disbursed.
Another is the Dr. Eric Johnson Scholarship. The description states that “applicants must be students who desire to address a complex social issue.” The individual must also demonstrate financial need and be pursuing a master’s degree in the areas of Social and Behavioral Sciences. There also is a supplemental question applicants must answer.
The earnings students get from this year’s Scholarship Month will be applied to next year’s student bill. Sometimes, students can apply those funds to other expenses such as housing and other cost of attendance items.
When asked what tips she would give to scholarship searchers, Nelson said “Start early!” Other things students need to complete applications, according to Nelson, are “time and motivation.”
For help navigating the scholarship portal, visit Campus Hub in the CSU, who handles financial aid. Or you can reach out to scholarships@mnsu.edu.
Write to ben.livingston@mnsu.edu
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