The Geneseo online scholarship application, Academic Works, is currently open to all current students and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday March 14. Approximately 150 scholarships are available for applicants with a variety of requirements and qualifications.
The scholarship awards range from $500 for one academic year to $7,000 per year to finish a bachelor’s degree. Students can find the application on the Office of Financial Aid’s website homepage or add the Geneseo Scholarship Application tab to their MyGeneseo dashboard.
“These are scholarships that have been set up by donors, many of which are setting them up in memory of a loved one who's past,” Susan Romano, director of the Office of Financial Aid, said.
Many of the scholarships are exclusive to specific majors. Previously, each department had its own application process. This led to some confusion between students and was cited by Romano as the reason for low submission numbers in the past.
“Some [scholarships] had an online application and some had a paper application,” Romano said. “So last year, we implemented this new software which kind of centralizes all of the applications and the paperwork.”
Some of the scholarships are awarded to students involved in certain extracurricular activities, like sports and clubs, according to the Office of Financial Aid.
“First, you log in with your regular Geneseo ID. You are going to fill out a pretty simple application. There are some short essay questions that we asked, questions like, ‘Why are you deserving of this award’ or ‘What extracurricular activities are you involved in?’,” Romano said.
When students submit the application, the software combines the answers provided for application with information already recorded, like a student’s major or GPA. Then, the software matches the student with scholarships that they qualify for.
“We know what county you are coming from, your high school … All of that information … because sometimes the scholarships are very specific. We will match you up for the awards that meet your profile,” Romano said.
Students who are concerned about GPA requirements can still earn scholarships, as many of the possible scholarships do not have a GPA requirement.
This streamlined scholarship application first opened last year, with only a small fraction of the student body applying. As a result, some students received multiple scholarships, and most students received at least one scholarship award.
“We are hopeful that more students will apply this year, Romano said. “All current students are eligible, and I really encourage students to apply.”