Why is it that scholarships work how they do?

Paying for College
1

<p>I mean, does anybody find it odd that most scholarships of generous sums of money (make or break on whether or not you can go to that school kind of scholarships) typically respond AFTER the typical decision deadline of May 1st?</p>

<p>For example, I was applying for a scholarship of a pretty substantial amount of money, yet it said its response time would be in JUNE. Say somebody needs that scholarship in order to attend a certain school. How are they supposed to make the typical college decision on May 1st, without knowing whether or not they've gotten that money that would allow them to go there?</p>

<p>Know what I mean?</p>

2

<p>Are you talking about private scholarships? Is this a scholarship for one year? or is it a scholarship for all 4 years? </p>

<p>If it’s only for one year, then the decision of whether you can afford the school should not be based on getting a scholarship for one year.</p>

<p>If the scholarship if for all four years, then I understand your situation. You might asking your schools for an extension for your decision.</p>

<p>How much is the scholarship for?</p>

3

<p>Yes it is a private scholarship, and it’s for up to twenty something thousand per year, and I’m fairly sure this isn’t a university that’s going to care to extend much more my way, they’ve already shot me down with a really terrible financial aid package of barely 6,000 a year based upon a single retired parent with 3 kids.</p>

<p>But yes, it is a private, four year renewing scholarship, it simply doesn’t make sense to me that their deadline for something that substantial can be after the decision deadline.</p>

4

<p>Some scholarships will want to see your final high school transcript or proof of graduation. It’s possible that this one is set up that way.</p>

5

<p>Most private scholarships are $500-$1000, non-renewable. If this is $20K renewable, I’m guessing that many thousands of students applied for it. Do you have reason to think that there’s a good chance you’ll win it?</p>

6

<p>I don’t know of many scholarships of that size with that deadline. I think it is unreasonable of them to do this and is a justification for accepting more than one school. I would treat this school as a waitlist school and accept, make plans to go to another school, and request this school putting you on hold for this award to give you up until the scholarship date to commit to them without a deposit. If the award comes through, I would then forfeit the deposit from the other school. If this school that has this money on hold does not give you an extension, you have to decide whether you want to risk paying and losing the acceptance deposit for it if you don’t get the scholarship.</p>