By Carla Salazar
Pulse staff reporter
Palo Alto College has approximately 8,000 students. Of these, 300 received scholarships for Spring 2014.
Palo Alto College has a scholarship program that is available for any college student to apply. Going online onto the website, you will find an application to fill out, which offers more than 30 different scholarships.
Leticia Inocencio, the senior coordinator of Alumni and Scholarships, said, “Depending on the major and hours the student has, coordinators of the program will match the right one for them.”
Scholarships are available with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
“The most important things are the essays,” Inocencio said.
Students must complete three essay questions of 250 words each. Almost everything depends on how you answer the essay portion. Students may go to the Writing Lab for assistance on writing the essays for the application.
The scholarship system at PAC is separated into two groups: internal and external scholarships. For the internal scholarship, students need to fill out a Financial Aid form. These scholarships award around $150 to $2,500 per semester.
The external scholarships include funds donated from organizations. They do not require Financial Aid for assistance. Also, these scholarships have specific deadlines and specific requirements that are on the website.
Every applicant must apply before the semester starts. It is important to note that internal scholarships, the ones that the school offers, do not affect Financial Aid.
According to Micaela Sanchez, adviser and job placement specialist, deadlines for Fall 2014 scholarships are March 31. If students are approved, they will know by mid-April 2014. Students are notified that they receive the scholarship via email. It is important to check email for a confirmation.
TRIO/Student Support Services is another program that offers support at Palo Alto College. TRIO offers academic, career, personal advising, registration assistance and tutoring assistance with math in addition to participation in social and cultural activities.
Senior Coordinator of Student Support Services/TRIO, Maria Rogers, helps students feel comfortable and students connect with other students. TRIO has 250 students per academic year, and it has enough funding until 2016.
Each student has to earn an associate’s degree from Palo Alto College as a requirement to join the program. TRIO then helps transfer the scholarship to a future four-year university.
Freshman Marcelina Weaver, who is majoring in Art, has been enrolled in TRIO for two semesters. She knew about this opportunity because her brother was part of it when he was a student. Weaver and her sister are enjoying that members help them organize their schedule, give them tips about what professors to take and provide them with food in the morning, such as rice bars and coffee.
Many students take advantage of the TRIO program. Still, some students have never heard of the center and what it offers. To learn more about the TRIO/Student Support Services please contact Maria Rogers, Sr. Coordinator of the program is located at Palomino Building with number (210) 486-3180.
For additional information regarding scholarships, see Leticia Inocencio, coordinator of Scholarships in the Center for Academic Transitions, located in the Student Center, Room 101. Her phone number is (210) 486-3117.
pacpulse.com 