NW students receive keys for financial aid, scholarships

By Jessica Espinoza/ reporter

Transferring to a four-year university is difficult, but once students get the necessary information, they’ll find that it is not an issue to stress over.

The NW Campus Transfer Academy: Financial Aid and Scholarships for University March 9 began with fall priority deadlines.

Ryan Dickerson of Tarleton State University’s Fort Worth campus said its fall priority deadline was Feb. 15, but students could still fill out an application until classes start. He advises students to keep up with their financial aid status. If students are awarded scholarships but do not officially accept them, they could lose those funds.

“When it comes to scholarships , if students have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5, they can be granted a $1,500 scholarship. If students have a GPA higher than a 3.5, they can be granted a scholarship that is worth $2,000,” Midwestern State University’s Adam Pitts said.

The money awarded from a scholarship can be added to financial aid funds. The scholarship deadline for Midwestern’s fall semester is April 1.

Arthur Moore said Texas Wesleyan has two priority deadlines: April 1 and Dec. 1.

“If students want to be sure they win money, they must apply by those dates. If a student wants to apply for a scholarship from Texas Wesleyan, they must have their financial aid done by spring break,” he said.

UT-Arlington’s Julie Flores advises students to apply to the college they wish to attend in the fall. For UT-Arlington, students do not need spring grades to get in. For students to actually receive financial aid, they need to complete the application and be accepted. UT-Arlington’s fall priority deadline for financial aid is April 1. Students can still apply for financial aid after the deadline, but since UTA only offers a certain amount of money, Flores said it is important to apply as soon as possible.

Texas Woman’s University’s Andrietta Jackson said deadlines for scholarships and FAFSA were March 15. Students do not have to be accepted to TWU to be granted a scholarship. Once they apply for a scholarship, they create a Pioneer Portal, which gives them access to their scholarship applications.

The FAFSA deadline was March 15.

“Once a student applies for UNT and pays the application fee, they can apply for a scholarship,” said Kelson Honeycutt from the University of North Texas.

TCC student Aseel Alsoub, who is applying to UNT, was very pleased with this session.

“I was very impressed with the information that was presented,” he said.

The representatives told students to check and see if a scholarship is renewable. Often, students apply for scholarships only available for one semester. In addition, they said to consult with the financial aid department if they are considering dropping a class.