University scholarships get $10,000 boost One of the more common issues for college students is money. What many students aren’t aware of is that there are plenty of scholarships out there to assist them. The scholarship office, with its new location in Salazar 1010, is a perfect place to get started in relieving financial stress. At the scholarship office a student will find resources for external scholarships, information on applications for the University Scholarship program, as well as Laurie Ogg, the scholarship coordinator. “[My role is to] administer the University Scholarship program in all of its aspects. I also provide assistance to students who have scholarships from organizations other than the University, and I provide resources and assistance for students looking to earn scholarships.” Currently, the University Scholarship Application for 2006-2007 is available to students. Due January 15th of next year, the only requirements are full-time student status for Fall 2006 and a 3.0 minimum grade-point average (GPA). Although 3.0 is the minimum GPA, because it is an academic-based program, the higher your GPA, the more competitive your application. The scholarship cycle generally runs October through April for the upcoming year, so while there are only a few scholarship applications open currently, it is the beginning of a cycle, and more applications are coming in weekly. The applications are posted in a ‘master binder’ in the scholarship office, and students can come by and review these applications, and take copies to complete. Roxanne Pumerojo, a student assistant in the Scholarship Office, said, “The office is a bit out of the way, but the nice welcome and help that you’d get from Laurie, is more than you’d expect.” “Potentially, most students are eligible to earn scholarships,” said Ogg. “Most scholarships have some sort of academic requirement, GPA, class level, etc. Some are specific to certain majors or require students to have financial need. Basically, a student must do a little research to see what is out there and if they meet the criteria of a given scholarship.” Students that are planning on entering a Graduate program are also eligble for scholarships. At SSU, graduate scholarship opportunities are within the University Scholarship Program and the Graduate Equity Fellowship Program, which accepts applications in May, and is offered through the Graduate Studies Office. Recently, SSU was presents with a $10,000 check from Sonoma State Enterprises (SSE) or the President’s Scholar Scholarship Program. According to a press release dated Sept. 19, “The scholarship is awarded in the amount of $1,000 for each student who applies and enters Sonoma State with a cumulative high school GPA of 4.0 or above for their sophomore, junior, and first semester senior years.” Pepsi, which has a longstanding relationship with SSE donated the $10,000 over the summer for University scholarships. “SSE would like to extend our congratulations to those students who have received Presidential Scholar Scholarships in the past,” said Ryan Ernst, marketing assistant for SSE. “We are happy to be able to work with The Pepsi Bottling Group to provide this donation to future recipients of this program. It shows how a business partnership can benefit the campus community on a number of levels. We look forward to being able to provide this support in future years.”
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