Applying for scholarships yields high results

By Priscila Rivera
Staff Writer 

Out of the students who apply for an Anoka-Ramsey Coon Rapids scholarship, 77 percent of them get one. There is a scholarship for all kinds of students. No huge essays are required, and perfect grades or extracurricular involvement aren’t necessary. Many students think it’s almost impossible to get a scholarship when in reality it’s super simple.

Third year ARCC Coon Rapids student, Nicol Gorostiaga Salgado, has been an award recipient twice in the past few years. “I’ve received the Kopp Foundation Scholarship and the Science Scholarship, each of them were $1,000 which is really good,” said Salgado.

Every student is encouraged to apply for scholarships.

“Definitely apply! If you apply it’s almost guarantied you’ll get one,” said Salgado.

The majority of the scholarships don’t even require you to write anything, just make sure to check if you meet all the requirements of the scholarships you’re applying for, Salgado said.

“It’s critical to follow instructions in the scholarship application form and make sure you have all the requirements, go through it several times and pay really close attention,” said Salgado.

Lisa Sisson, scholarship coordinator, encourages students to come and see her and ask questions.  She knows how overwhelming it can be for students to try and get applications in on time, so she recommends an early start. The deadline to apply for Spring 2016 Scholarships is Oct. 15.

Sisson said that part of why students don’t apply for scholarships is they think they are ineligible because they already get financial aid from FAFSA or their parents pay for their school. Some students feel they just don’t have time to complete the application.  A lot of students think they don’t meet the criteria. Some worry because they aren’t involved in clubs, but that isn’t all we see when we look for recipients.

“We look to see if the student is in a special situation, their potential in academics, letters of recommendation, and if they are a well rounded student in general,” said Sisson.

Sisson also stresses visiting the writing tutors at the writing center, use the skills one has learned at English 1121, or have another pair of eyes look at the scholarship application before turning it in. Good grammar is key, and creativity is always good, said Sisson.

“Don’t be vague with your writing, they want to read in depth answers, so write with confidence. Also if you submit early, we’ll go through your application with you to make sure you have everything,” said Sisson.

Getting free money is easier than you may think, so make sure you visit the ARCC Scholarship page and the other resource links they provide.

Cambridge Campus Application & Coon Rapids Campus Application