SRTC Foundation: Nine Scholarship Tips to Get You More Money for College this Summer

Staff Report From Tifton CEO

Wednesday, June 20th, 2018

Did you know that SRTC's Foundation offers over 20 unique scholarships EVERY semester? Each and every Southern Regional student has the opportunity to apply for scholarships, and we're here to help give you a shot at being one of the students awarded with extra cash for college!

Scholarship Success Tip #1:

Apply early! Scholarships are open for the Fall Semester NOW, and it is certainly not too early to get started.
Letters of recommendation take time to write. Essays take time to perfect. Give yourself ample time to make sure your applications are the best they can be.
To get started today, visit southernregional.awardspring.com

Scholarship Success Tip #2:

After submitting your general application, AwardSpring will automatically notify you of all the scholarships you are eligible for.
Apply for each and every one. The more scholarships you apply for, the more likely you are to be awarded!
If you haven't started your application, now's the time!

Foundation Fact:
Did you know that much of the money given for student scholarships comes directly from SRTC faculty and staff? In the past year, our faculty and staff gave over $70,000 to the Foundation to help fund scholarships for students!

Scholarship Success Tip #3:

No scholarship application is complete without at least TWO letters of recommendation.
This doesn't have to be a daunting task:

Current students must request at least one letter from an SRTC instructor. Make sure the instructors you ask are familiar with you, and be sure that you give them reasons to want to write nice things about you!

Contact these individuals BEFORE you put their name and email address into your application. A face-to-face meeting, a phone call, or even an email goes a long way!

Ask EARLY.

Don't put it off, because the letters might take a long time for your references to write.

Remember, these instructors and professional references are doing you a favor. Explain that you are applying for scholarships. Ask them if they would mind writing a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Ask them to write their email address for you. Explain to them that they will receive an EMAIL request for their letter of recommendation. Remind them of the scholarship deadline.

Importantly, thank them for their time!

Foundation Fact:
Every single SRTC Foundation application is read by a committee of dedicated volunteers.

Scholarship Success Tip(s) #4:

Today's tips are all about common mistakes that students make, so that you can avoid them!

-Follow the scholarship prompts and answer EVERY question. (Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.)

-Make sure to register your account with the email address you check most often. This is how we will notify you of missing items from your application as well as whether or not you received a scholarship.

-Ask someone to help you by proofreading your essays. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

The majority of points are taken off because students did not have someone proofread their essay. Don’t let grammatical errors be what keeps you from getting a scholarship this semester!

Foundation Fact: The Director of the SRTC Foundation is Brittany McInvale, and she is always happy to help students! If you get stuck, call 229-227-2415 and leave a message with your name and question or send an email to [email protected].

Scholarship Success Tip #5:

Don't forget to attach your academic transcript! : Current students can view transcripts by logging into banner web. Instructions on how to upload a copy of your transcript can be found here: southernregional.edu/upl…/groups/3/Uploading-Transcripts.pdf

If you are a recent high school graduate or have never attended a college or university, please upload your high school transcripts. If you have previously attended or are transferring to SRTC from another institution, please upload an unofficial copy of your college transcripts.

It's not too late to get started on your scholarship applications! southernregional.awardspring.com

Foundation Fact:
Because of generous donations, The SRTC Foundation is able to offer county-specific scholarships for many of the counties we serve!

Scholarship Success Tip #6:

Today's tip is quick and easy:

Be aware of the deadlines! For Fall Semester Scholarships, the deadline is July 20th, and there are no extensions!

If you haven't started your application, don't worry, it's still not too late!

southernregional.awardspring.com

(Scholarships are available every semester. If you miss your opportunity to apply this semester, try again next semester!)

Scholarship Success Tip(s) #7:

For many students, the essays can feel daunting. The essays are your chance to let the review committee get to know you! Here are a few pointers on how to really shine in your essay:

-Make sure to write more than the minimum 250 words. The review committee wants to see your time and effort to write a quality essay that is above the minimum word count and worth $500+!

-Follow the essay prompt! Be as detailed as possible in your essay. Be specific with your goals and aspirations. The more the review committee can learn about you, the better.

-Do not use the same essay more than once. The goal is for the committee to learn as much as they can about you and your goals.

It's not too late to get started on your scholarship applications!

Scholarship Success Tip(s) #8:

Don't forget that you are in competition with other students for this money! Put your best foot forward and shine through your essays.

Today's tips will help you stand out from the crowd!

-While it is not a requirement, titles and paragraph indentions show professionalism.

-A well-researched essay goes a long way! Don’t forget to give credit where it is due. While there is no need for a works cited page, please let us know where you plucked your information from.

-Be yourself and tell an interesting story if the essay prompt calls for a personal story, or your point of view.

-Lastly, do not insult the people reading your essay. Do not say anything negative about the essay prompt, or the scholarship application process.

It's not too late to get started on your scholarship applications!

Scholarship Success Tip #9:

We are ONE month away from the Fall Scholarship deadline, July 20th!

Don't forget to follow up on those letter of recommendation requests.

Checking to see whether the recommendation letters have been turned in is easy! Just log back into your AwardSpring account. Choose the application tab. Select letters of recommendation. A “pending” status indicates that you have requested a letter while a “submitted” status indicates the recommender has responded to your request.

It is a great idea to follow up with a phone call or email to your recommender after a week or two if they are in “pending” status. Ask if they received the email request. Repeat the email address back to them to ensure it is correct. Correct any errors in the email address or resend the email to make sure it is on the top of your recommender’s email inbox.