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SCHOLARSHIPS NOT ALWAYS FREE TO APPLY FOR
Last week, when I read v12 i35 I clicked on the link for the “CBC Literary Awards Competition,” my excitement grew as I thought I was actually eligible for a scholarship. You see, as with most students, I am often ineligible due to the type of degree I’m taking or the fact that I don’t speak French or some other characteristic that disqualifies me. Other than the ones AU automatically enters each student for, I haven’t had the opportunity to apply since commencing my studies.
When I came upon the one for writing I was overjoyed, but my bubble burst when I read that to ‘apply’, you must pay a non-refundable amount of $20 to CBC. Yeah, ok, like my taxes don’t give enough to CBC that I have to pay “Administration Fees” to apply for a scholarship.
What I’d like in future is information on whether or not you have to pay up front to apply for a scholarship. As a starving student, this is information greatly appreciated.
Jody Waddle
Jody:
Thanks for sharing this information with readers. You make a good point, that publicly funded companies might think twice about asking for money to administer a little community service!
The Voice scholarships column provides links and information on a variety of scholarships, but as you say, the number available to students who are older, who haven’t a distinguishing ethnic heritage, who don’t live in remote areas, and who do not otherwise fit into one of the larger “disadvantaged” groups, are very few. We try to provide as much information as possible in our limited space, and always provide links to the main scholarship website so that students can get more information before applying. Our column is only a starting point. I’d strongly urge all students to visit these sites and read the fine print. Occasionally, we receive a listing from a secondary source, which is not correct.
There are not many awards that require an admin fee (though it’s very common in writing contests! I think the Voice writing contest is rare in not asking for a fee), but I’ll do my best to make sure this information is included in future. Thanks for letting me know!
In the meantime, please see the front page of AUSU.org for information on a batch of brand new scholarships for AU students in need!
Tamra