On Sept. 4-5, the first in a series of Money Matters workshops was held on campus, aimed at helping students locate scholarships. Academic Specialist Rachel Jank led these initial sessions, recognizing the financial need among students.
“93% of incoming students take out a loan to help pay tuition,” Jank said, emphasizing the importance of finding alternative funding sources.
During the workshops, participants learned how to identify scholarships that best fit their needs, starting with scholarship banks. Jank highlighted EducationQuest as a source of certified scholarship banks, cautioning students to be wary of scams. Scam scholarships exist and Jank wants students to be careful.
Jank encouraged students to save promising scholarship opportunities, even if deadlines have passed, and stressed the importance of staying organized. She recommended setting up email or calendar alerts to track when scholarships become available or deadlines are approaching.
“The people who win scholarships are the people who are persistent and apply for the opportunities,” Jank said, urging students to be diligent in their searches and to reach out directly to organizations for additional opportunities. While reaching out to organizations may feel awkward, some opportunities require students to take the initiative.
Jank also emphasized the value of dedicating weekly time to scholarship searches, suggesting that setting aside a few hours can significantly improve a student’s chances of success.
“The goal of this workshop was to give people the time to put in the work,” Jank said.
While the initial workshops focused on searching for scholarships, the next session will provide further guidance. In two weeks, Jank and the TRIO team will host another workshop, focusing on how students can set themselves apart from other applicants and improve their writing.
