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Scholarships
AASU Scholarship Information
There are many scholarships available to AASU students, which are awarded on
the basis of merit, need or both. A scholarship committee comprised of faculty
will award these monies. You may apply for these and other scholarships using the
Academic Scholarship Application
which is available online or in the Office of Financial Aid.
The application consists of basic student information and includes a place for
the student to express their need and desire for scholarship funds.
Approximately two weeks after the due date, the scholarship committee meets to
review the applications. Approximately ten faculty members make up this
committee. The committee evaluates the applications and makes a list of the
10-15 best candidates at each student academic level. The number of candidates
fluctuates based on the funds available each year. The committee also makes a
ranked list of alternate candidates. Students on the original list are
notified by US mail and their AASU email account of their selection for a
scholarship. Notification is never made by phone. Students on the alternate
list are notified only if a student on the original list declines the
scholarship or fails to return all paperwork by the deadline set forth in the
award letter. Students who are not selected are not notified.
In reviewing the applications the committee considers many factors including
academic achievements, GPA, SAT scores, extracurricular activities, financial
need and the applicant's statement. The statement is evaluated for its
message, organization, grammar and demeanor. Be sure to take your time and
check your spelling. Students need to take this information into consideration
when completing the scholarship application.
The Freshmen Applicant (recent high school graduate) deadline for submitting a
scholarship application is March 1. The deadline for Current, Returning,
Transfer, Nontraditional or Graduate students is May 1.
Scholarship Bulletin Board
AASU accommodates our students by posting outside scholarships to the
Scholarship Bulletin Board.
This bulletin board is updated as we receive information from donors about
scholarship opportunities available. Students are strongly encouraged to visit
the bulletin board frequently to seek scholarship information that may be
applicable to them. The bulletin board will contain information about the
eligibility, application process and deadlines. You may apply for these and
other scholarships using the Academic Scholarship Application which is
available in the Office of Financial Aid or on our website:
www.es.armstrong.edu/finaid.
Scholarship Scams
There isn't a fool-proof method for determining scholarship scams, but some
warning signs include guarantees of winning, implying that anyone is eligible,
or pressure tactics. Watch out for the following well-known scams:
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The Free Seminar. A letter invites you to an interview or free seminar at a
nearby hotel, activity center or even a school. These seminars are usually
sales pitches for financial aid/scholarship consultants.
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Ego Stroking. You receive an offer to see your name and achievements in
print for a fee and to compete with others in the directory for scholarship
awards. These scholarships typically only cover 5 - 10 percent of all
entries.
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Pay to Play. A letter indicates that you have already won a scholarship.
However, it states that you have to mail in a "shipping and handling fee"
or pay taxes on the award up-front.
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Notification by Phone. All scholarship organizations notify winners by
writing. Even calls from organizations by a scholarship sponsor are
followed with written notification.
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Time Pressure. Be wary of phrases such as "first-come, first-served" or
others that pressure you to make a decision in a short time frame.
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The Name Game. This scam uses similar or official sounding names by using
words like national, federation, administration, or bureau (for example,
the National Federation of Education, the Bureau of Educational
Administration, or State Scholarship Federation).
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No Phone Number. Legitimate organizations and foundations always give a
phone number on scholarship application materials.
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False Sponsorship. The Better Business Bureau and federal agencies do not
endorse private enterprises.
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Personal Information Requests. Do not give out your bank account number,
credit card number, or Social Security Number. None of these are needed to
process or award private scholarships.
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Application Fees. Most scholarship foundations are non-profits and cannot
charge an application fee.
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