As most of us know, one of the most stressful parts of being a student is paying for college.
Between financial aid, full-time and part-time jobs and whatever other money we can scrounge up, most of us are able to make it work. But, everyone knows that the stress and anxiety to make ends meet is real.
While Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is one of the more affordable colleges in Texas, that does not mean it is easy to afford. Thankfully, our university has our back by offering scholarships through Javelina Scholarships.
Near the end of my second year at TAMUK, I began to feel anxious about how I was going to pay for the next year.
I knew two of my scholarships were not renewable and I also knew that financial aid would not offer enough loans for me to cover the cost either. I began searching up scholarships, but there were few that were applicable to my major and also seemed slightly attainable for me to receive.
In my search for scholarships, I stumbled on TAMUK’s very own scholarship system, Javelina Scholarships. When I first logged in to the system, I was surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of scholarships offered.
I was used to having to apply to each scholarship individually but the TAMUK system makes it really easy to apply by filling out one general application.
On the general application, you are first asked basic information such as full name, date of birth, marital status, etc. The application will also ask you about what you are involved with on campus, resume, transcript, letter of recommendation and one essay.
With this information the system will automatically submit your application towards whatever scholarships are applicable to you.
Like I said, this process is relatively easy.
But it seems so few students take advantage of this helpful resource. The summer before my third year, I was notified of a few scholarships I received because of Javelina Scholarships. However, I was confused for one scholarship I received because I felt I did not meet the criteria.
I decided to call the scholarship director to ensure it was not a mistake and I was basically told that I was the next best candidate since no other applicants completely fit the criteria. I was shocked but completely grateful.
However, this got me thinking about why more students aren’t applying for these scholarships.
Yes, it was nice to receive extra money, but I know affording college is a struggle for most of us so here, I am encouraging you to take a few hours out of your day to fill out this application.
By the time this issue hits the racks around campus, there will be about two days left before the Feb. 15 deadline for most scholarships on the system hit. Don’t let this discourage you! The application is pretty easy to fill out and you’d be absolutely crazy not to take advantage of the free money the university is looking to give out.
