It Is Never Too Late for a Scholarship Taking the Right Steps for Relief from the Financial Burden of College By Maria Sanchez , Coordinator, Academic Studies, Office of Minority Affairs There are 600,000 scholarships worth more than one billion dollars and these are available to both perspective and current college students; sadly, a good portion will simply go unused. Meanwhile, those unaware of scholarship opportunities continue to be overwhelmed by the cost of attendance. In fact, the stress that has been produced in their first years at OSU has created extra pressure in an already challenging academic environment for many students, often leading to their failure. But whether you are starting your college journey or are halfway through there is one thing you need to know: it is never too late to look into scholarship and financial aid opportunities. First, if you are just applying for college or are in the middle of the decision making
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process, you’ll need to tune out the cost of attendance for awhile… There are bigger questions that need to be answered: what is the strength of the institution; how strong is your major within that university; what sorts of opportunities (study aboard, research, co-ops/internships, etc.) are available to you if you select this college? This is not to say that you should tune out scholarship opportunities, because finding scholarships is an ongoing process that never ceases! But when it is time to actually select a school it is a mistake to consider cost first. Only after you have ranked your colleges, should you then consider what seems like the biggest factor to most: how will you pay? The fact is the cost of attending a university can be deceiving, because scholarships and
financial aid can bring down your actual cost of going to college; at the same time scholarships can position you for success and bolster your resume. Now in regards to scholarships there is one thing you need to known above all others: NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THIS FOR YOU. This is work. Money doesn’t just fall from the sky, so you need to be proactive, ask questions, and develop a strategy that works for you if you want to earn a scholarship. First, cast your net as wide as possible in terms of looking and asking for funding opportunities. Establish personal connections, so that someone can help guide you through the admissions and scholarship processes. Ask Ohio State representatives about financial aid opportunities and do a search for scholarships on Ohio State’s website; visit the financial aid website (more than once!). Contact the program or major that you are interested in and ask if they offer any scholarships. Many high school students may be sidetracked with football games, homecoming, etc., while others may only be thinking about getting accepted into college and not necessarily how to pay for college. You should be putting yourself on the radar for specific scholarship opportunities, not just for general financial aid. The Morrill Scholars Program Scholarships (MSP) at Ohio State University is one such opportunity. MSP is a great scholarship for incoming freshman and the nation’s largest diversity scholarship program; the value of an MSP starts at in-state tuition and is flexible enough to increase and cover costs for out-of-state students as well. This scholarship is administrated by Office of Minority Affairs (OMA) and it is important for you to become familiar with their selection criteria. MSP asks for a minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale), 23 ACT (or 1,070 SAT), and top 20 percent of your graduating class. Students who are interested in attending Ohio State, are U.S. residents, and meet two out of the three requirements should not hesitate to apply for this scholarship. To apply, students should complete the MSP application, which is available online, along with their admissions application