Kirkwood Community College is offering student support through its upcoming scholarship events, designed to help students navigate the scholarship application process with confidence.
The event is a two-part workshop offering different types of assistance.
The “Invest in Your Future” presentation will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 11:15 a.m.-12:10 p.m. in the Learning Commons.
The session will provide tips for strengthening scholarship applications and highlight campus resources available to support student success.
“I applied for a scholarship, and then kinda forgot after submitting it, but a few months later I got an email about receiving one. For me it lifted a financial burden, and it relieved some stress,” said Jack Groth, English major.
The second part, titled Scholarship Success Workshop, will be held Thursday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Learning Commons.
There, students can receive help completing their applications and have faculty members proofread their personal statement essays.
Alison Robinson, scholarship and annual fund officer for the Kirkwood Foundation, will be one of the presenters at the event and emphasized that students should aim to submit their applications by the March 15 deadline.
“The sooner you submit it, the better chance you have to receive one,” Robinson said.
For students who miss the March deadline, the next deadline is July 15. Robinson added that applications submitted between those dates are considered lowest priority, which significantly reduces the likelihood of receiving a scholarship.
Each year, about 1,500 scholarships are awarded to Kirkwood students. While the organizations and donors determine the criteria for each scholarship, requirements vary widely. Some scholarships have extensive qualifications, while others simply require students to be enrolled at Kirkwood and meet a minimum credit requirement.
“I have received a few scholarships. One was via high academic records and the others were from the FAFSA, state and Kirkwood’s scholarship program. The former was just given. The latter I went online and applied through their applications. It’s given me a full ride. It helped me buy a car and gone toward savings and life expenses,” commented Royce Thompson, psychology.
Robinson added that many students may be surprised by how many scholarships they are eligible for. When asked whether scholarships are transferable to other colleges, Robinson said they are not.
“The money awarded from the Kirkwood Foundation must be used at Kirkwood,” she said.
Robinson also advised students not to underestimate the importance of the personal statement essay. She encouraged students to include specific details, demonstrate effort, use proper grammar and clearly explain who they are and how the scholarship would help them reach their goals.
Another key piece of advice Robinson shared was to write the essay entirely in the student’s own words, without the assistance of artificial intelligence.
“Your story, in your own words, is what matters,” she stated.
Categories: Campus News, News
