{"id":7202,"date":"2021-09-23T03:28:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T20:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/?p=7202"},"modified":"2022-04-13T09:49:08","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T02:49:08","slug":"navigating-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/navigating-scholarships\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Scholarships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Nicholas Brown <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video by Nathan Lu <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graphic by Kate Korepova<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Pete Ramirez<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s paying for tuition, fees, books or other educational expenses, it is no secret that college is expensive. So, when means fall short, how can college students fill in the gaps? Scholarships are part of the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three students, each a member of Austin Community College\u2019s Alpha Gamma Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, shared how scholarships have contributed to their success as students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer Ebert is an education major and attends ACC completely online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ebert is the recipient of five scholarships this year alone. These include one scholarship that she was awarded from ACC\u2019s general scholarship application, and four others that she was able to access through PTK. Of the four scholarships from PTK includes the Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship, in which Ebert was one of only eight students internationally to be recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving these scholarships…having the additional funds for anything that I need…has been able to alleviate that financial burden that I normally feel in a typical semester,\u201d Ebert says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paralegal major, Brandy Lewis, is a non-traditional student who has also received four scholarships from the ACC general application and two from PTK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEssentially I have paid for no school and it has actually allowed me to stop working my part-time job. I was working full-time and part-time,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cIt relieved a lot of things for me…to be able to get these scholarships and just know that I could fully focus on my studies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, ACC and PTK scholarships are not the only form of additional aid that students can receive. Communications major, Saliyah Parker, has earned non-ACC affiliated scholarships which helped cover multiple semesters worth of tuition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parker was awarded her first scholarship from her apartment complex, which offered residents to apply for a scholarship made for adult learners, Parker decided to apply \u201con a whim.\u201d To her surprise, she was selected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parker has also been awarded a scholarship through ACC\u2019s general application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember just feeling wowed. You know…overwhelmed in a really good way,\u201d Parker says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some students, applying for scholarships may feel like quite a daunting task. Searching through available scholarship options and crafting the perfect essay can be a timely process. ACC\u2019s general scholarship application can make this procedure feel a little less intimidating. All it takes is a single application and short essay to be considered for hundreds of scholarships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnyone who is intimidated by filling out an application…break it down into pieces. I didn\u2019t fill any of this stuff out in one day,\u201d Lewis says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scholarships can be beneficial in addition to being a form of financial aid. Parker shares how applying for scholarships can form a sense of ambition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIt definitely calls to the forefront a drive to want to apply yourself once you\u2019re selected for that first one,\u201d Parker says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only that, but scholarships also look great on resumes if you plan on applying to transfer or for future employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the many opportunities that scholarships offer, Ebert insists that students have nothing to lose by putting themselves out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNever be afraid to apply. Don\u2019t be afraid of getting told \u2018no\u2019,\u201d Ebert says. \u201cYou won\u2019t know unless you apply.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For information on applying for scholarships for the Spring semester, visit https:\/\/www.austincc.edu\/students\/scholarships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For students who are interested in joining Phi Theta Kappa, visit https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/ptk\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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