Scholarships: Parents

My son/daughter is a junior in high school right now, and we want to make sure that we're meeting all the necessary deadlines. What can we do right now to ensure that our student will obtain the most financial aid and/or scholarships?

The spring before your student's senior year in high school is the perfect time to begin searching for scholarship opportunities and filling out scholarship applications. Most applications for scholarshipshave deadlines that are almost one year before the actual scholarship will be awarded and used at a university.

• Research scholarships using any of the free scholarship searches listed on the internet. We do not suggest using any scholarship search that charges a fee for their services.
• Find out if your (i.e., parents) employer offers scholarships for your dependents through the Human Resources office.
• There are hundreds of private scholarships offered by companies, civic, and fraternal organizations. For a list, go to scholarshipamerica.org, a nonprofit clearinghouse for private scholarships.
• Search for private scholarship opportunities on the University of Michigan's Office of Financial Aid web site.
• Keep in mind that industry-specific scholarship opportunities tend to become available to students after they have finished their first year of college and have declared a specific major.
• Most importantly, keep a calendar of the scholarship deadlines and make a plan to meet all of the scholarship deadlines.

My son/daughter was awarded an Engineering Scholarship of Honor, but on the financial aid award it shows up as the "Budd Student Aid Fund." Is that still considered a scholarship?

Yes. All of our Engineering Scholarships of Honor are funded by the College of Engineering's endowments -- gifts from alumni, donors, and other friends of the university. Each endowed account has its own distinctive name based upon the gift agreement that was signed at the time the scholarship donation was made.

Scholarships: Students

I heard that you can have the cost of a computer taken into consideration for financial aid purposes in your first year. Is that true, and if so, what do I need to do?

You should contact the Office of Financial Aid. They will require you to submit documentation of the cost of the computer, and can advise you on the steps you'll need to take in order to have the computer costs taken into consideration. The Office of Financial Aid also has information on computer purchases in the Frequently Asked Questions section of their web site.

I received an Engineering Scholarship of Honor after I was admitted to the university. What do I need to do in order to keep my scholarship every year?

Current scholarship recipients should pay special attention to the three requirements for scholarship renewal, and should seek assistance if you are having any trouble meeting the requirements. The conditions for continuation of your scholarship are:

• Demonstrate satisfactory progress towards the completion of an engineering degree program within the College of Engineering by taking at least 12 credit hours per term (or 6 credit hours minimum during either of the half-length Spring and Summer terms) as a full-time student;
• Declare an engineering major by the end of your freshman year;
• Maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0* or better each year.

If you have any difficulty meeting these requirements, please stop by the Engineering Scholarship Office at 143 Chrysler Center to speak with the financial aid officer. We can help direct you to the best resources for your individual circumstances.

*Axel Marin and Kidder scholarship recipients must maintain a GPA of 2.7 or better each year.