Mel Rising Dawn Cordeiro
Managing Editor
College students typically have a lot on their plate. Some of the challenges range from time management to being involved on campus to, most notably, finances. Tuitions at colleges throughout the country are on the rise, and one of the very few options available for students are scholarships.
At Rhode Island College, there are a number of scholarships available for students, several of which are directly funded by RIC alumni. Every current student is encouraged to apply and to do so quickly. The deadline of June 30 will be here before students know it. Students who are interested in applying can do so by visiting the Alumni Student Scholarship page using this link.
The scholarships are not automatically renewed, so those who have received one in the past will need to reapply. All awardees are selected by the Alumni Association Scholarship Committee.
The first scholarship up for grabs is the RIC Alumni Scholarship. In order to be considered for this scholarship, applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the fall semester and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. To apply, applicants must also submit a 250 word minimum essay listing their accomplishments during their time at RIC and how the scholarship will help them to finish achieving their goals. Applicants are also encouraged to talk about achievements outside of school, such as community service, work milestones and more. Past award amounts have ranged from $200 to $2,000. Seniors are not eligible for this scholarship.
The Noreen Ackerman ‘80 Scholarship is also on the list of scholarships RIC students can apply for. This scholarship is open to Rhode Island residents who are entering their sophomore, junior or senior year. They must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the fall semester with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Applicants will also need to submit an essay of 500 words maximum stating how they will give back to the RIC community and their personal communities if given this scholarship. The past award total is $1,379.
For the graduate students, there is the Alumni Graduate Award. Eligibility includes graduate students having obtained their undergraduate degree at RIC and being enrolled full-time in a Master’s degree program, meaning being enrolled in nine credit hours minimum. Applicants must also submit an essay including information about their current graduate program, the number of undergraduate credits they earned while attending RIC, their accomplishments at RIC and how receiving this scholarship will benefit their career goals. Past awards have ranged from $500 to $1,500. Graduate assistants are not eligible to apply.
Those who are the child or grandchild of a RIC alumni, are eligible to apply for the Alumni Children Academic Award. There is no essay requirement, but full-time enrollment is required. One scholarship is given to one person from each class, not including seniors. Awards are based on the highest GPA of all applicants from each class. The past award total is $2,000.
There are also two scholarships for incoming freshmen. The first scholarship is the Incoming Freshman Scholarship. Requirements for applicants include being enrolled in 12 credit hours or more for the upcoming fall semester, a 250 word minimum essay about how a RIC education can assist them in achieving their goals and a list of any extracurricular activities they have participated in. Past awards for this scholarship have ranged from $200 to $1,000.
The other freshman-specific scholarship is the Frank & Agnes Campbell ‘46 Scholarship. This scholarship is for students coming in as freshmen that want to become a teacher, meaning education is their intended curriculum. Requirements for applicants applying for this scholarship are being enrolled in 12 or more credit hours for the fall, an essay on why they want to pursue teaching, a list of extracurricular activities they have participated in and three references, with two minimum having to come from the applicant’s high school. Names, titles and telephone numbers are asked to be included with the references. Past awards ranged from $750 to $1,500.
Students who have any questions are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Alumni Relations by phone at 401-456-8086 or via email at alumni@ric.edu.
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