Scholarships available for the picking

Every other week, graduating senior David Phung used to trek across campus to Lassen Hall to check for newly-posted scholarships on the financial aide bulletin board. He scanned the criteria of each listed scholarship, and applied for all he was eligible for. This would add up to 10-15 applications sent out per semester, according to Phung.

His efforts paid off. Phung received five scholarships in his first few years at CSUS, including the California Newspaper Advertising Executive Association Scholarship, an Asian American Studies scholarship, the KCRA Kelly Broadcasting scholarship (two years in a row), and the CSUS Friends of Journalism Alumni Scholarship. He said the awards helped pay for much of his tuition.

Phung, a Business and Graphic Design major, did not have to be a straight-A student, star athlete, or philanthropist in order to win scholarships.

The qualifications for awards vary. Some ask that the recipient be of a certain ethnic or economic background. Others require a particular course of study, or involvement with sports or civic causes. Many institutional scholarships have minimum GPA requirements, often of no more than a 2.5.

According to Phung, the most important quality for winning a scholarship is diligence.

"It doesn't come easy; I had to look for it," he said.

Not enough students take the time to apply for scholarships, according to Jan Applegate, the director of financial aid.

"They tend to shy away from the hard work (applying), but the benefits are well worth it," she said.

There are currently 365 scholarship accounts through CSUS, and $511,000 was awarded to students last year, according to Applegate. Awards range from $200 per semester to $10,000 a year.

"I've known of students who have paid their way through college using scholarships," she said.

Unless a student is receiving need-based financial aid, there are no limits to the number of awards, according to Applegate.

There are three types of scholarships available to CSUS students.

Institutional scholarships are university-sponsored through grants given to CSUS by organizations or individuals. They are posted on the financial aide board in Lassen Hall, and under student services on the CSUS Web site. The scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis by the university scholarship selection committee, the deadline to apply is in March. Applications can be obtained both at the financial aide office and on-line.

Department scholarships are sponsored by the major departments through outside donations. The listings and applications can be found in each major department's office.

Community scholarships are offered by individuals and organizations not related to the university. A directory of state and national scholarships is available on the second floor reference desk of the library. Community scholarship information can also be found under the CSUS homepage, which offers a link to Fastweb, a free scholarship search service.

With its database of 400,000 scholarships, Fastweb matches students with a list of scholarships they are most eligible to apply for, based on answers given on an on-line questionnaire. Students are given their own log-ins and can check the site daily for new award possibilities.

Phung said the biggest advantage to winning scholarships is that they look good on your resume.