This upcoming Fall term, five students will be selected by Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) to receive a scholarship of $1000 each, about a third of a semester’s tuition.
“This is the first ever that ASI is offering scholarships for our students,” ASI President Mariam Salameh said.
Entitled as the “ASI Giving Back Scholarship,” funds will come directly from ASI as a way of giving back to students in an area that supports academics more directly than their usual activities of advocacy.
Eligible students will be those who have shown leadership or have given back to the campus community, regardless of class level or major.
“One of our big things is having it open to any and everybody,” Marvin Hooker, ASI Vice President said.
“Graduate, undergrad, full-time, part-time [students].”
As with most university-sponsored scholarships, the ASI Giving Back Scholarship requires students to apply through the Scholarship Tracking and Review System (STARS) program, meaning they must also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
This leads to the exclusion of certain students.
“Undocumented students or people that do not apply for financial aid will not be able to use [the scholarship] because of putting it in STARS,” Salameh said.
The ASI Board does not, however, plan on leaving undocumented students excluded.
“We talked about undocumented students,” Salameh said. “That’s the only part that we are trying to kind of figure out what we want to do with.”
Even students living at home are eligible to apply; rejected does not mean ineligible when it comes to STARS and the scholarships it allows access to.
“STARS’ program, they ask them just to apply,” Salameh said.
“They don’t have to qualify for financial aid or grants or loans or any of that good stuff; they just have to apply.”
Those who wish to apply for this scholarship must have their application, as well as the required paperwork, submitted to the Financial Aid office by March 2.
This must be done in order to be considered for one of the five $1000 scholarships.
More information about candidate criteria and what is required to open a STARS account can be found in the Financial Aid and Scholarships section at csustan.edu.