Grants and Scholarships
Instructions for Applying for the State College Branch Grants and Scholarships
PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE APPLICATION CAREFULLY.
The State College Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant, the AAUW Scholarships and the Evelyn C. Marboe AAUW-State College Branch Scholarship are awarded on the basis of the applicant's financial need, academic performance and promise, contribution to the community, and the overall quality of her application. The Grants and Scholarships Committee requires specific information of all applicants. These requirements are detailed below and on the application form itself, and the applicant is expected to fulfill them. However, the committee is always willing to consider extenuating circumstances. If you are having difficulty providing a required item, or if the requirement is unclear to you, call Charlene Harrison at (814) 237-6723, or by email at chh1@psu.edu.
Eligibility
To qualify for a State College Branch AAUW grant, an applicant must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Applicant must be seeking an undergraduate degree.
- Applicant must have interrupted her studies, at some point, for a period of at least two years or delayed her higher education for at least 2 years after graduating from high school.
- Applicant must have completed at least one quarter (or 30 credits) of the course work required for the baccalaureate degree.
- Applicant must be a Centre County
resident (with the intent to maintain such residency for the duration of the grant) although she may attend a college or university located outside the county.
- A Centre County resident is defined as someone who lives and works here and has not moved here for the sole purpose of attending PSU. For example, a woman who accompanied her husband when he came to do graduate work and who has since made this area her home and become involved in the community would meet the residency requirement. However, a woman who grew up in Centre County, attended PSU briefly, moved away, and now would like to return to complete her degree would not meet the residency requirement.
Required Materials
The following items constitute a completed application:
- A completed Education Grant Application
Download the grant application from the AAUW State College Branch website and complete. - Financial information including a copy of your federal tax return and a proposed
budget for the 2011-2012 academic year
If married and filing separately, copies of both returns should be supplied. The budget must include all sources of family income including salaries, interest, annuities, alimony, child support, loans, welfare payments, social security, disability payments, grants or scholarships, food stamps and savings. Also include all anticipated expenditures including rent/mortgage payments, insurance, utilities, loan payments, credit card payments, transportation costs, child care, physicians/dentists, food, clothing, tuition, books, and incidentals. Please present the budget in terms of a typical monthly budget showing your tuition payments as a monthly expense, not as a single lump sum payment. - Description of interruption or delay of your education
Please be thorough and concise (maximum of 2 pages). The Grants and Scholarships Committee needs to understand why you had to interrupt or delay your education, what your life experiences have been since that time and why you have decided to return to school. Please include any service to the community such as volunteering at a school, religious organization or for a non-profit group. This description is extremely important to your application. - Transcripts
Official copies of college/university transcripts are preferred, but unofficial copies are acceptable. If you are now enrolled, please send a transcript that includes the courses you have most recently completed. - Letters of Reference
Two letters of reference are required. One letter of reference should be from a faculty member familiar with your academic performance and educational goals. The second may be from a faculty member, academic advisor, or from someone who has supervised you in a job or volunteer setting. Your letters of reference should be send directly to the Grants and Scholarship Committtee at P.O. Box 735, State College, PA 16804.
APPLICATION DUE FEBRUARY 1, 2011.