ree money makes students' lives easier

Palo Alto College recently hired a scholarship coordinator to assist students with the research, essay and application processes so more students will apply for scholarships on campus or via the Internet.

On Sept. 1, 2006, Carmen M. Velasquez became Palo Alto College’s Scholarship Coordinator. Since then, she has worked to find out what students need help with most and how she can help raise funds for Palo Alto students.

Velasquez said, “Our goal right now is to raise $75,000, so that we can go ahead and get the internal scholarships going. Those are scholarships that we can offer just to Palo Alto students.”

Velasquez can be contacted through her email at cvalsqu@accd.edu or bgy phone at (210) 921-5397. Her office is in the Welcome/Advising Center.

Many scholarship funds are available to students during the school year, yet a lot of money sits unused. According to Elaine Korry of npr.com, $100 million of private scholarships goes unclaimed annually.

When deciding on recipients for scholarships, committees look for community involvement, classroom leadership, and extracurricular activities. They are also looking to see how well your essay describes you and if your G.P.A. is in good standing.

If you are a student struggling to pay for tuition and books, make time to search the Internet to find out what scholarships are offered for your major. Many times students tend to believe that you must have a 4.0 G.P.A., but that isn’t always the case. Some scholarships only require that you maintain a 2.0 G.P.A. or higher.

Go to websites like www.costep.com or www.fastweb.com that will have you fill out information regarding your major so that you can receive specific scholarship information. Click on Financial Aid to find listings of scholarships offered just for ACCD students, like the ACCD Endowed or Trustee scholarship. Scholarships available to students are posted on a bulletin board in front of the Financial Aid office in the Palomino Center.

Some programs offered here at Palo Alto College can provide additional scholarships if you become a member of their program. Passkey and Saber help counsel students on their courses, set semester goals, and assist students with finding grants that the student qualifies for.

To be part of the Passkey program, you must meet one of these qualifications: qualify for financial aid, be a first-generation college student, or have some type of disability. Only 250 students are accepted into the program per semester.

If you are a parent struggling to find scholarships and daycare for your children, then you should apply for the Saber program. Students are accepted each semester and the benefits are career advising, assistance with tuition and books, and inexpensive daycare.

When applying for scholarships, apply for as many as you qualify for. Being a minority can increase your chances of qualifying for scholarships.

Put off applying for loans and focus instead on applying for scholarships. The real pay off is that you may have less debt to pay once you graduate.