I'm interested in attending Grand Valley State University but need financial help. What scholarships does the school offer, and how competitive are they? Any tips on applying for them?
Grand Valley State University offers several scholarships that could assist you financially. These include both automatic merit scholarships and competitive scholarships that require an additional application. Here are a few of them:
Automatic scholarships:
- Award for Excellence: This scholarship awards $1,000 to $6,000 per year to out-of-state students based on GPA and ACT or SAT scores.
- Laker Scholarship: This scholarship provides $1,000 per year to in-state students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and an ACT score of 24 or an SAT score of 1090.
Scholarships requiring an application:
- Frederik Meijer Scholarship: A highly competitive scholarship that offers full tuition coverage plus room, board, and other expenses. This is unique to first-generation college students with a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. The competition for this scholarship is very high.
- Grand Finish Grant: This grant offers $1,000 to students in their final two semesters provided they are on track to graduate within four years.
In terms of applying for these scholarships, my first piece of advice would be to maintain a solid academic performance, especially for scholarships based on academic achievement. Secondly, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the requirements, deadlines, and any necessary supporting documentation for each scholarship well in advance. Lastly, if essays are required, make sure you take the time to craft thoughtful, well-written responses that make you stand out from the other applicants.
Additionally, students can apply for departmental scholarships from various academic units in the university. These scholarships typically require a separate application and are based on academic performance and commitment to a particular field of study.
Keep in mind that Grand Valley, like many other colleges, uses information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your eligibility for some need-based scholarships, so be sure to fill that out as well.
Lastly, you might want to consider checking external scholarships. Platforms like Appily can be good resources for finding such scholarships.
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