Giving Hope to College Student Funds

by Jacob Brannon

If you see yourself needing a little extra help financially for the upcoming college semester or year, then this article could be helpful for you. If so, you can apply for, and potentially receive scholarships to help. There is no shortage of scholarships from West Virginia University at Parkersburg and the Foundations across the nation. Senta Goudy, the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement was recently interviewed about this topic. She went over different aspects and knowledge about scholarships and funding around the school.

People always wonder how many scholarships the school and the local foundation actually give out. 100 different types of scholarships are given out each semester. There are 150 students that receive a type of scholarship each semester while attending this institution. Scholarships range from around $250-$3,000 per semester and are all generally based off of need. The foundation gives around $250,000 per semester for students who receive a scholarship. The college also awards scholarships. There are many generous donors who are willing to donate money to help out many of the students who attend the college.

Some people ask how they can get around and apply for scholarships. Many places are actually trying to go paperless. Because most applications for scholarships are already online, all you have to do is enter information. If students need more help, they can visit the Student Services office in the college and they will be glad to help. The college also offers some scholarships through the college website.

The website it gives a description of the scholarship and its founders. Starting this fall, there is going to be new software to help ease this process and make it more convenient. All students will have to do is enter their student ID and answer some questions. Some questions are specialized for different majors like nursing and education. These are also going to be based off of FAFSA and Financial Aid.

The deadlines for applying for scholarships and funds are all taken care of through the Financial Aid Department. The deadline for this fall semester is March 31, the selection is in April and wrapping up with announcements being made in May. If you are an ongoing student, then all you have to do is check your school email and OLSIS. Special scholarships or funds can be provided for early college students and students studying abroad. In the Spring, you can start signing up for summer classes if that is an interest.

There is no need to worry if your fund or scholarship will be in your account in time for classes. The people are very reliable and on time with the process. Most are awarded for the year, but some are not. An exception can be that a certain donor may want to help fund a student for all four years they are here, but they must still reapply each semester. You can see all opportunities on wvup.academicworks.com. It has all the deadlines and certain criteria for each scholarship listed.

Executive Director Goudy encourages everyone to apply for them even though only 150 will be awarded some type of fund or scholarship. There are many wonderful donors in the area. The college was funded almost 60 years ago and some of the scholarships have been that long. Donors continue to support and care for student success at WVU Parkersburg. Each scholarship has its own story behind it. So take the time and read about it.