Completing a degree isn’t a cheap endeavor and it can be stressful and worrisome arranging the funds for each new semester. The important thing to remember is that there are people and foundations who want to help students in need.
Donor-Funded Scholarships are one of the many opportunities provided to students looking for some extra financial aid, with the help of NMU Foundation, the Financial Aid office and philanthropic donors.
Jessica Jones, NMU Foundation director of donor engagement, helps NMU create relationships with people who are looking to invest in the university and it’s students.
“The goal of almost all and any of our Donor-Funded Scholarships was the donor wanting to help our NMU students reach their full potential,” Jones said.
There are over 300 Donor-Funded Scholarships available for application on the MyNMU website open from Jan. 27 until Monday, Feb. 17. These scholarships create opportunities for students to perhaps work less hours or avoid more of a financial burden, Jones said.
All of the scholarships are criteria based and will be filtered on the website for each individual student applying. Some scholarships are need based, some aren’t. Others are based on major, GPA and even a students home town.
There are a few steps to follow when applying. Start off on the student services tab and below click on Financial Aid – Donor-Funded Scholarships. The website will ask you to update your personal information, like what year you are and if you are a full-time or part-time student.
The system will automatically pull your student records and provide you with the scholarships you best match with.
“Make sure it’s a match, make sure you read through the criteria and really apply for the ones that are green versus yellow or red,” Jones said. “Take time to fill out the statement and make sure to check with your professors because there might be more scholarships that aren’t listed.”
Each scholarship available on the website will have an application form that will consistently ask for up to a 3,000 character personal statement about what makes you a good applicant for that particular scholarship.
“Sometimes a student will add that this amount will make the difference in them graduating or if they’ve been through tough times sometimes that’s sort of factored into the decision,” Jones said.
The applicants also have the option to attach three files such as letters of recommendation or resumes.
Some scholarships are sorted by a blue paperclip which generally means you must contact a specific department to apply.
“We really want to make sure that all of our students who want to, can apply for these because you just never know if you’re a match for something,” Jones said. “And again, donors are excited to see students who are excited to have this assistance, and want to go on and achieve great things during their time here at NMU and then beyond.”
