Not all students have the luxury of a parent paying for their college tuition.

Some students have to look to other sources such as the federal government, private donors or departmental grants.

Because most federal aid is based on financial need, students who do not qualify for financial aid look toward scholarships and grants

Finding a private source is a student-driven process since there are so many different organizations that provide some sort of funding for scholarships, said Cathy Gordon, scholarship clerk.

She cautions students to not pay for any scholarships, since they are often not in the student’s best interest. If a student spends several hundred dollars to sign up for multiple scholarships they can wipe out any gains they make in awards.

Gordon said there are plenty of scholarships out there that don’t have sign-up fees so students should look for those.

One helpful tool in looking for scholarships is the financial aid Web site. It has a listing of scholarships and related sites. Although there is a list of scholarships printed in the class catalog, Gordon suggests that students look at the Web site. This is because the Web site is being updated continuously, with scholarships being added and removed she said.

The wall in the financial aid office also posts general scholarships. Scholarships related to departments or groups such as student government, ethnic affiliation and other subdivisions of the campus, which are then sent on to the appropriate places.

Going about a department scholarship

Department scholarships are distributed in a number of different ways. Every geology/geography faculty member works to decide how to distribute money to the students.

“We want to make sure everyone who is eligible has a chance,” said John Stimac, chair of the geology/geography department. He said he believes this holistic approach works because educators should know their students.

Geology and geography scholarships can have very specific requirements, and the eight they distribute are all different.

The Dewey H. Amos Scholarship has specific GPA requirements and also demands that the student have been involved in departmental activities. The Annie Weller Geology/Geography Scholarship has no requirements for involvement in departmental activities, but the student has to plan a career in teaching.

The department splits scholarships on a fairly regular basis, Stimac said. This is to ensure they can give money to as many students as possible.

The political science department operates much differently. Students have to apply for the six scholarships the department provides. A political science faculty committee reviews the applications and then sends their recommendations to Richard Wandling, the chair of the political science department, who approves them. He and the department secretary pass the information to EIU Foundation, who actually handles sending the money to the student or the student’s account.

Wandling said that scholarships are more than just money. He finds that students enjoy being recognized at the April Political Science Department Dinner, where the scholarships are acknowledged. Students who attend also enjoy recognizing their peers, he said.

Scholarships can also be added to resumes. Wandling used the Outstanding Senior Award as an example. This award not only carries financial benefits, but shows that the student was regarded as the best in the entire program. This can have a great deal of power on a resume, Wandling said.

Scholarship Funding

Scholarships are commonly started by a single person.

Wandling said he experienced this first hand when a person called him up and said they wanted to start a scholarship for the political science department. In 2000, Robert Glover established a scholarship for political science majors who are active in student government.

But to continue providing the funding can sometimes be difficult.

At times, scholarships will not be disbursed. This may be because the scholarship is being rebuilt; earning money through interest to ensure it can continue to be awarded.

Other ways scholarships are funded is through telefund. Telefund money comes from the money gathered from Eastern alumni by phone calls throughout the year. This funding can be used to increase the amount of money awarded, create a new scholarship or refresh an existing scholarship. The telefund is also used for funding speakers, acquiring new equipment and to fund other department activities.

The political science department is currently using much of their telefund to create two new scholarships. Although they have been formally created and registered, they do not have enough money to distribute them yet.

One is designed for recruiting students to the program and is a joint project with the honors college.

The other is the Outstanding First-Year Student award. These two, along with their current scholarships, will allow the department to distribute money for every level of their program.

The Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Foundation only distributes full, four-year scholarships. It provides 33 of these scholarships to the campus. All of the scholarships are endowed, which means the scholarship refreshes itself.

The EIU Foundation distributes a few scholarships that provide a full tuition. They also provide many smaller scholarships. Not all of their scholarships are endowed – they have some that only have a limited amount of money. When this money is disbursed the scholarship comes to an end.

The foundations are non-profit organizations associated with the university. In addition to providing scholarships, they also provide funding for improvements and other campus needs.

Scholarship advice

Private scholarships have to be sought out. Gordon said her job is not about finding scholarships for students: in fact, most of her work is related to depositing scholarship money and ensuring students meet the requirements.

For securing departmental scholarships, Stimac and Wandling agree that students need to do well in the classroom. They added that being active in the program helps, since some scholarships require students to do more than go to class.

Students should also begin filling out applications for scholarships as soon as possible.

“It’s not surprising for a scholarship deadline to be March 1 or earlier,” Gordon said. “You almost have to apply the year before you need it.”