Scholarship recipients at a low
Jordan Takeyama
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Feature
These days a college education is getting more and more expensive, however, there are tons of scholarships available for students. The only problem is there are hardly any students looking for them.
"Out of about 45,000 students that are currently enrolled at Mt. SAC, only 300 students applied, 303 to be exact," Mt. SAC Scholarship Program Specialist Desiree Marquez said. "It was very disheartening."
There was a multitude of scholarships available the past two semesters, but the scholarship donors had no one to give them to. In part, the scholarship committee had to go out and give them away.
"There are so many myths out there that are deterring students from applying for scholarships," Marquez said. "We need to be actively out there as a college dismantling and disproving those myths."
According to Marquez, when the public thinks about the term "scholarship," they only think people who are exceptional academically or have an incredible athletic ability are able to receive them. However, there are many scholarships out there that have little to do with a student's GPA or ability to play sports.
"There are scholarships for different types of things," Marquez said. "It can go from being less than five feet to playing volleyball. Donors are looking for very different things."
One problem concerning the scholarship program is the ability to spread the word to students, that there are scholarships available to everyone. Marquez, as well as other staff members, are actively posting flyers and going into classrooms to talk to students about the opportunities available to earn money for their education.
Actually getting the chance to go out to classrooms and working with faculty and other counselors has really helped spread the word to students that there is free money to help with their education, Marquez said.
"When I first got here I really didn't know scholarships were available," Jazmin Vargas, 20, nursing major, said. "One of the financial aid specialists recommended me to talk to [Desiree Marquez]."
"Out of about 45,000 students that are currently enrolled at Mt. SAC, only 300 students applied, 303 to be exact," Mt. SAC Scholarship Program Specialist Desiree Marquez said. "It was very disheartening."
There was a multitude of scholarships available the past two semesters, but the scholarship donors had no one to give them to. In part, the scholarship committee had to go out and give them away.
"There are so many myths out there that are deterring students from applying for scholarships," Marquez said. "We need to be actively out there as a college dismantling and disproving those myths."
According to Marquez, when the public thinks about the term "scholarship," they only think people who are exceptional academically or have an incredible athletic ability are able to receive them. However, there are many scholarships out there that have little to do with a student's GPA or ability to play sports.
"There are scholarships for different types of things," Marquez said. "It can go from being less than five feet to playing volleyball. Donors are looking for very different things."
One problem concerning the scholarship program is the ability to spread the word to students, that there are scholarships available to everyone. Marquez, as well as other staff members, are actively posting flyers and going into classrooms to talk to students about the opportunities available to earn money for their education.
Actually getting the chance to go out to classrooms and working with faculty and other counselors has really helped spread the word to students that there is free money to help with their education, Marquez said.
"When I first got here I really didn't know scholarships were available," Jazmin Vargas, 20, nursing major, said. "One of the financial aid specialists recommended me to talk to [Desiree Marquez]."
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