Applying for Scholarships

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1 Applying for Scholarships Chau Luu Assistant Director, Scholarships UCI Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships

2 Scholarship Basics Awarded primarily based on merit and achievements. Require an application process. Awards usually range from $500 - $5,000. Administered by a foundation, a community group, a corporation or by the university. Established to assist a certain type of student.

3 Scholarship Preparation Most scholarship deadlines are between January May. Conduct a thorough scholarship search early. Create a folder to store your scholarship information. Determine if you need supplemental materials. Mark scholarship deadlines on your calendar. Give yourself internal deadlines.

4 Scholarships Overview UC Irvine Scholarships The University awards scholarships to new and continuing students based on their academic achievements, leadership, career goals and other skills or talents. External Scholarships We encourage you to apply for scholarships from private organizations. There are many scholarship opportunities for a variety of students available from private scholarshipgranting organizations.

5 UC Irvine Scholarships: Campus Opportunities Regents Scholarship: Prestigious and competitive merit based scholarship offered to freshmen and transfer students. UCI Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship: merit based scholarship awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence, community service and leadership potential. Stanley Behrens Foundation Scholarship: Merit and need based scholarship for Orange County freshman and transfer student. Henry Samueli Endowed Scholarship: Outstanding freshmen and transfer Engineering students. Department scholarships: Various academic departments offer scholarships. For more information visit:

6 External Scholarships UCI Scholarships Resource Center (SRC) Online Scholarships Resource Center, including scholarship spotlight and external scholarships catalog: Scholarship Search Engines Scholarship opportunities for African American students Black College Dollars: United Negro College Fund: The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship:

7 External Scholarships SRC On-line Scholarships Catalog: Comprehensive catalog of external scholarships that are offered through private agencies and organizations outside of UCI. Various different categories based on Major, Activities, Ancestry, and Interests.

8 Scholarships Resource Center: Facebook Like us on our UCI Scholarships Resource Center Facebook page to receive updates on your News Feed about scholarship opportunities, tips and pointers, and application advice.

9 Write a Great Scholarship Essay The essay is the most important piece of your scholarship application! Scholarship opportunities tend to ask you to address similar essay questions: What are your academic and career goals? With respect to those goals, what have you accomplished both in and outside of the classroom thus far? What is your plan to reach your goals? Why are you pursuing these goals?

10 Write a Great Scholarship Essay Always edit your essay. Come back and read it with a fresh pair of eyes. Delete anything that does not support your thesis. Clarify or add detail where your writing is unclear. Be concise; every sentence should have a purpose. Spelling and grammar always count (even when they say it doesn t). Have someone read your essay.

11 Beware of Scholarship Scams Common scams can be found at: Do not pay to apply for a scholarship. Never pay a person or service to search for scholarships for you. Never give away your bank account, credit card or debit card information. Be cautious of anyone, besides your school, that claims you have won a scholarship that you never applied for. Before you apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make sure the organization or program is legitimate. Be cautious when giving out your social security number.

12 Tips & Pointers Don t dismiss scholarships with low award amounts. Cast a wide net, but apply strategically. Share your accolades. Honors, awards and scholarships (1 st place, honorable mention, nominated, Honor Roll, etc) Research experience or internships (name of research study, findings, duties, accomplishments, etc) Community service or campus involvement (Commitment level, achievements, campaigns, etc) Leadership positions (President, Founder, Representative, etc) Work experience (Job title, company, length, duties) Attention to detail; professionalism. Keep a copy for your records.

13 Questions? Please The State of California requires that you be told the following: Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.