The scholarship application process can often be just as cumbersome as the application process. During this webinar from January 2019, Texas OnCourse staff highlight helpful advising resources from the scholarship learning module in the Texas OnCourse Academy. These resources, together with information about scholarships at Texas A&M University and through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, will be helpful no matter when you view this webinar.
We are also joined by:
For comprehensive, up-to-date information and resources on scholarships and financial aid, don’t forget to log in to the Texas OnCourse Academy.
As counselors help students and families begin and complete the scholarship application process, the following infographics should aid those advising efforts.
Our Scholarship Basics for Educators page includes a overview of all things scholarship, including information about the QuestBridge Scholarship, National Merit Scholarship, College Board Opportunity Scholarship and more.
The Ten Steps to a Strong Scholarship Application infographic includes tips and reminders like drafting a good resume, requesting recommendation letters, writing general essays ahead of time and customizing them to fit individual applications, tracking due dates, and much more. This infographic can be found in our Scholarship Applications Module under Unit Five.
The 8 Strategies to Combat Verification Challenges infographic should help understand how huge of a barrier verification is to getting students to complete the financial aid process. This infographic shares important tips like helping students order a tax return transcript. You can visit unit 1 in our Academy Verification and Renewal of our FAFSA module to download the infographic today.
Dawn D. Coleman-Glenn, training specialist from Texas A&M University, discussed scholarship requirements at A&M as well as FAFSA verification. A&M is the largest institution of higher education in Texas, with over 15,000 students in the 2018–19 freshman class.
ApplyTexas vs. the Coalition Application at A&M
Texas A&M accepts both the ApplyTexas and Coalition applications. During a student’s senior year, both applications open July 1 and are due by December 1. Once students have submitted their applications, they cannot make changes.
There are important differences between the two. ApplyTexas has separate modules for admissions and scholarships. Students can submit these modules separately and complete the scholarship module at a later date. As a best practice, Coleman-Glenn suggests that students complete and submit everything at the same time so they don’t forget to complete the scholarship module.
The Coalition application is a single, seamless application. There is a page of scholarship questions that a student completes at the same time they complete their admissions information. Students may opt out of completing these scholarship questions. Students should not submit the Coalition application until everything is complete.
A&M Scholarship Consideration Requirements
Here are the requirements for students to be considered for a scholarship at Texas A&M:
The Scholarship Consideration Process at A&M
After a student submits the required ApplyTexas or Coalition application, they are considered for six different scholarship pools. The pools are Endowed, Achievement, Century Scholars, Opportunity Awards, Terry Scholars, and Brown Scholars. Students are considered for one or more pools depending on their qualifications.
A&M also has a process for considering outside scholarships through a Student Data Form. This is a form every single student has in their Financial Aid Portal. If a student receives a scholarship outside of Texas A&M, the following should occur:
The Scholarships and Financial Aid Office will conduct an email campaign in March to remind freshmen to report outside scholarships. All scholarship checks should be made payable to Texas A&M University and sent to Scholarships and Financial Aid.
As a reminder, the FAFSA and the TASFA are available each October for the next academic year. Students must use the tax information from the prior prior year – so for the 2019–20 award year, students would use 2017 tax information. Encouraging students to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (if eligible) reduces incorrect information. A FAFSA mobile app (myStudentAid) is available. The Data Retrieval Tool is also available on the app.
FAFSA Verification Steps, Data, and Reminders
Because it is such a large institution, a large number of students get selected for verification at A&M. Last fall, over 8,000 students were processed for verification. For this reason, Coleman-Glenn strongly advises students to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool.
Coleman-Glenn also asks you to please remind students to check their email and their portal frequently for communication from the school. The school provides students with examples, forms, and other specifics to assist in the verification process.
The tracking and verification process occurs in November and December. Tax transcripts – not tax returns – are required for FAFSA verification. To request a tax transcript, students should visit the IRS website and select “Get Your Tax Record.” They should then click on one of the two retrieval options and follow the instructions.
FAFSA verification is a long process. The steps include:
The information that the university verifies may include:
Coleman-Glenn included some additional pointers for the verification process at Texas A&M:
Alan Royal, director of outreach and partnerships from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, talked about the foundation’s Young Scholars and College Scholars programs. The Cooke Foundation is a private grant and scholarship provider dedicated to advancing the education of promising students who have financial needs. The foundation is based in northern Virginia, and they select and support students from across the country. The Cooke Foundation has $190 million awarded in scholarships, 2,500 Cooke Scholars, and $100 million awarded in grants. The Cooke scholarship programs that he discussed include:
The Cooke Foundation also has a hands-on approach to supporting Cooke Scholars versus just writing a check. In addition to the foundation, they offer personalized education advising to the scholars they select. They have an on-staff team of advisers who work with them on making the most of their academic and extracurricular experiences during their time in college.
The educational adviser’s role includes:
Another aspect of the programs is the community of Cooke Scholars, a thriving community of active students. Cooke Scholars attend colleges and universities spanning the country and globe. Each year, the foundation hosts a Scholars Weekend event attended by approximately 300 Cooke Scholars.
Young Scholar Program
The Young Scholar Program is about to open soon. The eligibility requirements listed are to help determine whether a student might be a good fit to apply.
College Scholar Eligibility
The College Scholars Program requirements are slightly different, but the general student profile is the same. It is looking for talented, motivated students who are doing well academically but have financial obstacles. Eligibility details include:
When considering a candidate for the program, selection criteria includes high academic achievement, persistence, leadership, service to others, and unmet financial need. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is also a “member college” on the Common Application and uses the Common App platform to host their Cooke College Scholarship application.
Texas OnCourse leader fellow Chansi Shope from Grapevine-Colleyville ISD discusses her tips and best practices for guiding students through the scholarship process. Her district uses Texas OnCourse resources for scholarships and financial aid presentations. Her tips include: