Editor’s Note: This post was written and submitted by Alan Royal, Director of Outreach and Partnerships for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
As National Transfer Student Week, led by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, quickly approaches (Oct. 19-23), I know that community college students across the nation are checking in with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and other organizations to seek guidance on what steps they can take to make transferring to a four-year college or university more affordable. Scholarships are one of the key resources that students should consider when preparing to engage the transfer process.
Many scholarships are competitive, so presenting the best application possible is important for receiving these awards. Below, I have listed three quick tips to keep in mind when completing any scholarship application.
1. Your academic achievements are important, but also share how you have demonstrated your character, persistence, and leadership. Just like colleges, scholarship providers are looking for students who are engaged with their communities and striving to make a positive impact on the people around them.
2. Request recommendations from people who can speak about your strengths as a student. Remember that your best recommenders will have insight about your achievements, as well as your educational journey and the challenges you have overcome. Remember to request their support several weeks before the deadline.
3. Don’t limit yourself to one or two scholarship opportunities — search for as many scholarships as possible that you could be eligible for, large or small, and apply! This requires time to research, planning ahead to obtain the necessary materials, and checking with advisers and professors who might know about scholarships that could be a good fit for you.
Good luck to everyone working on applications of all types this fall and winter. And if you are currently a sophomore in community college and planning to transfer next fall, consider adding the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship through Common App for Transfer to your list of scholarship applications! The deadline to apply is January 6, 2021.
