Many students are unaware that they qualify for a scholarship offered by the Los Rios College Foundation.
Online applications are being accepted until March 1 through the Foundation website.
To qualify, students must have a Los Rios student identification number, have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the California Dream Act Application, have completed six units and be currently enrolled in six units, according to the Foundation website.
Elizabeth Starbuck, donor relations specialist for the Los Rios Foundation, said some scholarships don’t have applicants and encouraged every qualifying student to apply.
“We have over 75,000 students across the district and maybe 15,000 at CRC and we have 500 or 600 scholarships that we’re offering throughout the system,” Starbuck said.
To apply, students need to complete a general application through the Foundation website to be eligible for hundreds of scholarships. After submitting the application, students will be matched with scholarships that fit them best.
Dr. Colette Harris-Mathews, a former Cosumnes River College dean and communication studies professor, talked about the variety of scholarships that students haven’t realized they can take advantage of, including the “Do Your Best” scholarship.
Harris-Mathews is the donor of the scholarship, made in honor of her grandmother who had a sixth grade education.
“This particular scholarship was designed so that you don’t have to be a 4.0 student to get it. You know? You could be just doing your best,” Harris-Mathews said.
Students will also be automatically added as possible candidates for available scholarships, but students won’t see their status, according to the Foundation website.
Students will be notified if they’re awarded a scholarship in May and the money will be available to the student’s account in August, Starbuck said.
Professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences Dr. Anastasia Panagakos debunked some worries that stop students from applying.
“Some people will say, ‘Maybe my GPA isn’t high enough, or maybe I’m not part of this demographic that the scholarship is for, or my parents make too much money,’” Panagakos said.
Panagakos is a donor of the anthropology scholarship and said this is the third year the anthropology department is giving out the scholarship. She said she likes being able to help students with their education since she was a first generation college student herself.
“$300 may not seem like a lot for a university student, but for a community college student that could be most of your tuition, or at least part of it, and also your textbooks,” Panagakos said.
Some scholarships require a letter of recommendation, which students can request from faculty members, counselors or employers. Panagakos advised to start applying early and let professors know in advance if any recommendation letters are needed.
Essays might also be required to qualify for a scholarship. If students seek help in writing an essay, they can go to the Tutoring Center in room 216 at the Learning Resource Center.
“There’s a lot of money that goes unclaimed and applied for and it’s a shame,” Harris-Mathews said.
The general application process is fairly simple, taking students about 30 minutes to answer general questions about their chosen field of study and free response questions about career goals, motivations, extracurricular activities and experience.
“We can’t solve all the world’s problems, but if we can help, you know, cushion students a little bit as they’re trying to make it through college, I think that’s a good thing,” Panagakos said.