Mesa Legend - ARCHIVES - Vol. 39, Issue 8


Volume 39, Issue 8. Today is .

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Volume 39, Issue 8
January 15, 2002

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Scholarship money available but still untouched by students

By Shane Miller
For the Mesa Legend

The financial aid department at MCC could be a valuable resource for students looking for ways to fund their tuition.

The department helps students with questions and concerns about grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and loans.

Grants are federally funded awards that students may receive based on their financial need, and don’t have to be paid back.

"Typically scholarships look at academic achievement, financial need, major, career, ethnicity, gender, single parents, or community service. They are funded by tribes, foundations, companies, and private sources," said Joan Grover, director of student financial services.

Work-study programs offer students the opportunity to earn money while working for the school.

"The student seeks a job on-campus, and works about 20 hours a week. Typically we have 150-200 students working on-campus at any given year, earning up to $7 an hour," Grover said.

Students also receive college money from federal or private loans.

"Federal student loans have a lot lower interest rates than other loans because they are federally subsidized, and don’t have to be paid back until school is done," Grover said.

"About 50 percent of the (MCC) population applies for federal aid," Grover said.

Many students apply for financial aid, but not everyone actually receives aid.

"Around 25 percent of students receive some kind of financial aid," Grover said.

Although there are thousands of scholarships available, many students fail to apply for them because of a variety of reasons.

"You don’t have to a 4.0 student to apply for a scholarship," Grover said.

"People think you have to be a brain to get a scholarship. That’s a myth."

Grover also said that students often use their own resources before they come to them with questions about finding financial assistance.

"I’ve never been there before. My parents pay for school," student Daniel Penner said.

"Students look for money from family or themselves first. People don’t think they qualify, so why bother," Grover said.

"They don’t know unless they apply."

Frustration with the long and detailed applications is another factor that keeps students applying for financial aid.

"The frustration is when people spend a lot of time and don’t get the outcome they wanted," said Grover.

"It’s just too complicated. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in that office," student Greg Freye said.

The biggest problem the financial aid department faces with helping students is when they wait until the last minute to do their applications.

"The best time for students to apply is the spring preceding the school year they start. Most scholarship applications come in during the spring time," Grover said.

Grover said that "students have to do some work" when filling out their forms, which can be lengthy and time-consuming, but "even a $200 scholarship is worth the time."

"They just want their money and they want it now. They have tuition due and want it paid," Grover said.

"We try to make it as painless as possible."