Scholarship Renewal

So many students are finally relieved when they are offered a scholarship and start college. The search for financial assistance seems to be over, and it may be if the students have received full four-year scholarships. However, this is not frequently the case. It is important to be aware of the terms of scholarship renewal. Some scholarships are awarded for only one year, with no option of renewal, while others are awarded initially for one year, with renewal dependent on specific criteria.

One common requirement for renewing scholarships is maintaining a certain grade point average. Dropping just one tenth of a point can mean the end of all financial assistance. Another condition for scholarship renewal is often the obligation to attend a required number of classes or to earn a certain number of credits each semester. This is especially important to remember if a student is considering dropping a class to avoid failing. While they may keep their GPA high, they may fall short of the required amount of courses specified for continuance of the scholarship.

Athletic scholarships and scholarships awarded specifically for study in certain fields are only renewable if the students continue to play the sport or remain in that area of study, in most cases. Before accepting an athletic scholarship it is wise to inquire about the rules regarding injuries and other factors that may keep an athlete from participating in a sport, and how these circumstances may affect the renewal of the scholarship. Similarly, recipients of scholarships for specified areas of study should know the consequences regarding scholarship renewal if they decide to change majors.

There are a few final points to keep in mind about renewing scholarships: remember to reapply, have all progress reports available, and do not miss the deadline.