San Francisco State University Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarship 101 Workshop

Workshop Agenda When to Apply and Tips on Applying SF State Scholarship Website Other Scholarship Resources Essay Writing Tips/Essay Writing Sample Letters of Recommendation/Thank You Scholarships and Taxes Financial Aid & Scholarship Coordination Receiving the scholarship Fellowships Office Office of Financial Aid Contact Information Question & Answer

When to Apply Search and apply for scholarships for the next academic year in the Spring semester Deadlines are usually from January to June Some organizations/SF State departments may have application deadlines that vary

Scholarship Tips Apply for as many scholarships as possible Read eligibility requirements or criteria carefully Seek out opportunities at your parents' work, church, or social organization, etc. Emphasize your talents/skills, academic achievement, and community involvement on your applications Nomination required Renewable Scholarships

Scholarship Website www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/scholarships Search tips and search chart AcademicWorks Campus & External Scholarship Search Scholarship tips on essay writing, recommendation letters, thank you letters Scholarship workshop schedule Scholarship winners and donors

SF State AcademicWorks Students sign in with their SF State ID & Password Complete General Application/View Frequently Asked Questions Once completed, will see “Recommended” Scholarships

Frequently Asked Questions Click this to find answers to scholarship questions

Recommended Opportunities Scholarships are recommended to students based on their general application and imported information (e.g., gpa or class level or major).

Organized On-line System View Applications Completed Drafts

Check Scholarship Status Review Status of Applications

Accept Awards If you are awarded a scholarship ~ Must ACCEPT it!

Other Scholarship Resources Website: http://www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/scholarships/ One Stop: Scholarship Corner Scholarship Lists FAQ Bulletin Board ‘Resources’ section ‘Tips’ section ‘International Students’ section

International Students Check out the “Scholarship Information” link on our scholarship homepage Check the Office of International Program's Web site @ www.sfsu.edu/~oip or e-mail them @ oip@sfsu.edu Check www.internationalscholarships.com & www.iefa.org International students may apply for scholarships, where the row "Citizenship" indicates "Any“ Use keyword search: "International"

Undocumented/AB 540 Students Check out the SF State AB 540 Information website www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/ab540 AB 540 students may apply for scholarships, where the row "Citizenship" indicates "Any" from the scholarship database results or Use keyword search: “AB 540 or AB540”

Scams Alert Red Flags: We’ll do all the work or a fee is involved Scholarship is guaranteed or your money back Credit card or bank account to hold scholarship Vague or no contact information You’ve been selected or you are a finalist in a contest You can’t get this information anywhere else Masquerade as government agency Report to Federal Trade Commission @ www.ftc.gov and National Fraud Information Center @ www.fraud.org Visit www.finaid.org for comprehensive information on scholarship scams

Essay Writing Tips Most ask you to write a personal statement about yourself. Tell your personal story Follow directions Answer all essay questions on the scholarship application Have several strong writers read and edit your essay Check out the Essay Sample on our scholarship website homepage under Tips

Campus Academic Resource Program (CARP) Make an appointment or drop-in to see a CARP tutor to: Learn how to effectively answer a scholarship essay prompt. Devise pre-writing methods in order to organize information for a scholarship essay. Discuss how to make a scholarship essay detail oriented, personal, and original. CARP San Francisco State HSS 344 Phone: (415) 405-0971 Email: carp1@sfsu.edu Website: http://carp.sfsu.edu/content/writing-reading-study-skills

Letters of Recommendation Check the scholarship application for guidelines Letters should be typed, signed, and printed on official letterhead Ask a professor or employer or community leader who knows you well and can write a good letter of recommendation Give the person sufficient time to write the letter Give the person a specific deadline date If the person must send the recommendation letter directly to scholarship organization, provide a stamped addressed envelope

Check to see if References have submitted recommendation letters Students can resend an email request to their reference provider from this page. Can view active and expired references.

Thank You Letter Guidelines & Tips The letter may be handwritten or typed Be prompt Address the letter to the donor or the person who should receive the letter with the appropriate title (Dear Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms.) Start the letter by thanking the donor Next, tell the donor about yourself Let the donor know what your future plans are Finally, express your appreciation for the financial support received from the scholarship Check all spelling and grammar Sign the letter

Thank You Letters Students can upload Thank you letters directly to AW. If one is requested, there will be a Post-Acceptance question.

Scholarships & Taxes Scholarships are tax-free if You are a full-time or part-time candidate for a degree at a primary, secondary or accredited post-secondary institution and The award covers tuition, fees, books and supplies required for courses

Questions should be directed to the IRS Scholarships & Taxes Scholarships are taxed if used to cover anything other than tuition fees, books and supplies. For example: -Room and Board -Travel -Research -Clerical Help -Equipment Questions should be directed to the IRS www.irs.gov International Students must meet with the SF State Tax Specialist.

Financial Aid & Scholarship Coordination Under federal and state regulations, your scholarship must be coordinated with your other financial aid and cannot exceed your financial aid eligibility or your cost of attendance. Report scholarships you have won at your Student Center. Full-time/Not Living at HOME Undergraduate Cost of Attendance: $25,232 Graduate Cost of Attendance: $26,498

How you receive the scholarship Outside scholarship - check received and processed by Bursar’s office from organization (up to 3 weeks) then paperwork forwarded to the financial aid office Campus scholarship – campus dept. completes check request form and forwards to fiscal dept. (up to 7 days) then it is sent to the financial aid office Financial aid office requests disbursement Student will receive scholarship in 2 - 3 weeks

Fellowships Office http://fellowships.sfsu.edu/ Provides assistance in applying for nationally competitive fellowships and CSU system-wide awards. Have a GPA of 3.7 or above, and a strong record of public service or research activities. Contact: Fellowships advisor, Dr. Joy Viveros, fellows1@sfsu.edu or drop by or call the Division of Graduate Studies, ADM 254, or 415-405-2128.

Contact Information San Francisco State University Office of Student Financial Aid Student Services Building, One Stop (415) 338-7000 faschol@sfsu.edu www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/scholarships