For Students: Frequently Asked Scholarship Questions
By Josh Barsch
Hola, students. As a major private-scholarship provider for more than five years now, we get a lot of questions that come in every day about our programs. There are tons of them, but over five years, we’ve heard just about every concern that you guys have (By the way, you’ve also helped us find and fix the occasional technical bug, the occasional typo, etc., which we appreciate very much.).
To that end, I’d like to post some of our most frequently asked questions about our scholarship programs here. Please bookmark this page — I’ll be updating it frequently in the future, as more questions come in. For now, though, feel free to sift through what I’ve got here. If you have a question that needs to be answered and you don’t see it here, feel free to post it in a comment, and then I’ll edit the blog post later with the answer you need.
Thanks!
Josh
How many words does the essay need to be?
There isn’t a minimum or maximum number of words that your essay needs to be. I had a journalism professor when I was at Southeast Missouri State University who told me that my stories should be “as long as a lady’s skirt: long enough to cover everything, but short enough to make it interesting.” That’s good (if politically incorrect) advice about your essays, too. I never liked word limits because they’re arbitrary. Some good stories can be told in 500 words, and some take 5,000. So be it.
Can I get a copy of my essay?
Sure — just fill out the contact form and tell us what scholarship you applied for, along with your full name. And if you’ve got some super-common name like John Smith or Melissa Jones, then you may want to include the approximate date on which you applied. Rob, our scholarship coordinator, will get back to you within a couple of days, usually.
Are graduate students eligible?
Yep. Grad students are eligible for all our scholarships.
I’m an international student, am I eligible?
Yep. International students are eligible for all our scholarships, too.
Is there an age minimum or maximum?
No, and thanks for asking this one, because it gives me a chance to vent a little. Before I established our scholarship programs back in 2003, I had zero experience with giving scholarships, administering them, or anything about scholarships at all, really. I had no idea that there were so many scholarships out there that specifically excluded older/nontraditional students and, for that matter, community college students. But over the years, students have clued me in on this. Frankly, I think it’s idiotic to offer scholarships that are ONLY available to recent high school grads, and those attending a four-year university. Why are non-traditional students less worthy of financial support? And good lord, excluding community college students? They make up around half of all college students in the United States. Why on earth would you exclude those folks from applying and earning money to finance their education — especially when stats tell us that community college students are much more likely to be squeezing their courses in between full-time job and family responsibilities? Hey, I’ve got nothing against your traditional four-year college students — I used to be one of those, after all — but there’s enough money to go around for everyone, isn’t there?
Do you send the check to me or to the school?
Actually, we send the check directly to you. We used to write the checks to the schools, until one lady at a bursar’s office at a college in New York City really, really pissed me off and drove me to change the policy. It was a few years back. It went down like this: it was a busy time here at the agency, and apparently I waited a few weeks longer than usual to send the check out. Shortly afterward, the student called me and told me that his office would not “accept” my check, because it had come after some deadline after which — well, after which they stopped accepting American dollars in exchange for education, apparently.
I called the school’s bursar’s office (or financial aid office, or something like that), and was told by an extremely rude lady that our winner would *not* be able to receive my scholarship for the current year, because the deadline had passed, and therefore he could *not* receive any more money. I was irritated to no end, but also amused — amused that this lady didn’t understand that my money was my money and I could do whatever the hell I wanted with it, morning, noon or night, and on whatever day of the calendar year I chose to do it. So that day, I sent our scholarship winner a check made out to him personally, and from that day forward, we’ve sent checks to students, rather the bloated bureaucracies who pretend to serve them. We’ve even sent a check to Zimbabwe before — which you should avoid at all costs, by the way, because it’s expensive and apparently the postal service is extremely unreliable.
For how many scholarships can I apply?
You can apply for as many as you’re eligible for. First of all, we have three general scholarships that absolutely everyone can apply for — the Dale E. Fridell Memorial Scholarship, the Mesothelioma Memorial Scholarship and the Helping Hand Scholarship (used to be called the Get Out of Debt Scholarship, but we’ve recently changed the name, since “Get Out of Debt” sounds like the subject line of a spam email). In addition to those, we’ve got a variety of other programs that are specific to your area of study. You can review those here.
When will the winners be announced?
This is probably the most commonly asked question, and the answer is: It depends. There is no hard and fast date for scholarships to be named, but roughly speaking, it’s about three months after the deadline passes. It takes time for our judges to read and evaluate all of the applications that come in. And our judges have full-time jobs and lives of their own — they’re not sitting in their easy chairs all day, reading essays through a monocle while smoking a pipe and stroking their chin whiskers. Long story short: It takes time to get through the essays we receive, and our committee members choose the winners as fast as they can. If it sometimes takes longer than other scholarship programs, then I apologize. On the other hand, we’re talking about giving away free money here, people, so good things come to those who wait.
Can high school juniors, sophomores, or freshmen apply?
No — you’ve got to be one of the following: a) a current college student; b) a high school senior; or c) an adult planning to attend college next year (think of nontraditional students, folks who are “going back to school,” etc).
I live in (insert foreign country here), and we don’t have GPA. What should I enter in this field on the scholarship application?
Chances are that even if you don’t have the four-point scale we have in the U.S., your school still has some way to measure your overall performance as a student, and to rank you among your peers. If your system is different, just put “NA” in the GPA field and tack a paragraph onto the ending of one of your essays explaining your rank and your school/country’s ranking system.
OK — what did I forget? Let me know in the comment section.
add to delicious 
Digg this
Josh Barsch founded StraightForward Media in 2001 after a brief career in print journalism. He now lives in the sticks of western South Dakota with his wife Christina, daughter Mia, son Ezra, two dogs Velvet & Holly, and cat Chanceux, all of whom he loves dearly. And four nameless hermit crabs, for whom he feels nothing.
37 Responses to “For Students: Frequently Asked Scholarship Questions”
1 Tory 1 May 2008 @ 10:49 am
For the scholarships that are given quarterly, are we allowed to apply once each quarter?
2 SFM-Josh 1 May 2008 @ 11:05 am
Good one, Tory — that’s a common question, also. Yes, that’s right — you may apply every quarter for a scholarship. We pick winners based on the applications that come in during a given quarter, and once the winner is selected, the entire process begins anew with applications from the new period.
That actually sounds a bit confusing now that I look at it, so, simply put: Yes, you can apply each quarter. There’s one exception to the rule, and that’s if you’re the winner of one of our scholarships, you have to wait a full calendar year before applying for any StraightForward Media scholarship again.
3 Derek 2 May 2008 @ 7:31 am
Can you apply if your not form America, and, if so, what do you put for GPA?
4 Gayle H 2 May 2008 @ 6:00 pm
I have been having problems with the Dale Fridell Scholarship submit button…completed all of the info on the application, cut and pasted to the essay section, and did not get any confirmation that the submi went through…
Is there anyone I can contact to make sure that my application went through?
5 arai b 2 May 2008 @ 11:02 pm
can high school students (non-seniors)apply for these scholarships?
6 SFM-Josh 7 May 2008 @ 10:10 am
Derek: Yes, that’s the fourth question in the blog post above. International students may apply.
Gayle:
Arai: Good question, and also a common one. No, you have to either be a college student or a high school senior. We’ll look forward to seeing your application later on, though!
7 Caran 8 May 2008 @ 8:40 am
Hi,
I am wondering if one person applying for multiple scholarships from your website, ie: Medical, Nursing, Helping Hand, etc… can win more than one?
Thanks!
8 Kayla 9 May 2008 @ 12:41 am
I applied as a late high school junior without knowing that the scholarships were not open to my grade level. May I still be awarded, as I am entering my senior year, or will I have to wait until next quarter to apply again?
9 Breonna 12 May 2008 @ 8:15 pm
Do you only send the conformation e-mail once or is it once for each scholarship applied to? I have recieved one e-mail and applied for 3 different scholarships. Should I be worried?
10 alma 14 May 2008 @ 3:49 pm
Hi,
I am searching for about 20 minutes for themes for essays. Can you please tell me where I can find them?
Or just, about what they are talking about?
Thank you
Alma
11 Sophia 26 May 2008 @ 11:06 am
accumlated GPA or current semester?
12 akindele hameen o. 27 May 2008 @ 12:53 pm
please kindly assist me send a detail if i am among of does that have problem in your scholarship or not.Thanks
13 Diana 31 May 2008 @ 5:03 pm
Umm I was wondering if you could publish some of the winners of your scholarships?
14 Rowena Ventura 3 June 2008 @ 8:23 pm
I’ve been reading the blog and the commonly asked uestions now answered, i guess, i now just have to wait.
Thank you and more power!
Rowena
15 Sueann 7 June 2008 @ 11:03 pm
Josh:
I’m planning to be a Part-Time graduate student in the Fall am I still eligible? I’m assuming…yes…due to your response to the “Is there an age minimum or maximum?” question, however, assuming never seems to work out very well.
Thanks for your time and entertaining blog.
16 SFM-Josh 9 June 2008 @ 12:28 am
Sueann: Definitely, you’re eligible. Sorry I’m slow in responding here sometimes, and thanks for the kind words.
Diana: We publish the winner photos and bios as we receive them…you’d be surprised how slow some winners are to send them in! Usually, though, when we get a new batch of winners uploaded, we send out an email notifying everyone.
Sophia: Cumulative GPA, not the current-semester GPA.
Alma: Sounds like you’ve hit a rare technical glitch where the essay questions don’t show up. Email us directly, and we’ll get you the questions for the scholarships you’re applying for.
Breonna: Confirmation email only comes once.
Kayla: If you’re a junior, you’ll have to wait and reapply when you’re a senior.
Caran: It’s technically possible that one student could win multiple scholarships, but it’s never happened before. Who knows, though — maybe you’ll be the first.
17 FUNSO EMMANUEL 10 June 2008 @ 6:43 pm
Hi, am an intl student from nigeria.i want 2 really know what ur plans and programmes are for people like us who are in far away africa.u talk about GPA.PLS BE SPECIFIC what grades are going in.and how do i collect my winnings?Pls CEO try to come out straight so we dont just continue to border u.Maybe u dont know browsing in africa takes too much time and money and am just a student.pls save us d stress!
18 Olga 12 June 2008 @ 3:50 am
If you forget to enter your GPA, will that delay the application process?
19 Dustin Tellier 23 June 2008 @ 12:38 pm
Hi. Just recently I’ve gotten an email saying that I was a winner of the Quarter 1 Business Scholarship, and am wondering when I can get the check sent to me by, since school is coming up fairly soon and I need to start buying school books and supplies.
20 Anita George 27 June 2008 @ 1:13 pm
Mr. Barsch:
I just applied to your Media Minority Scholarship but the problem is that i recieved a confirmation e-mail (one that told me that i had already submitted the entire application) before I even submitted part two, the essay portion of the application. I have just submitted the essays now, but I wonder if you all will recieve both parts of my application together even though I submitted part one much earlier in the day yesterday. In the event that my application really did get messed up, should I just submit another one to you? Another question: If I wanted to apply for more than one scholarship (say at least 4 of them) but they all had the same deadline, would I be disqualified from any or all of them?
Thank you for your time!
21 Keira Blakely 2 July 2008 @ 8:23 pm
Do I choose 1 of 2 essays to submit, or do I submit both for the Part 2: School Information and Essays application? (It says Why did you choose your field of study over other educational opportunities? and another essay question How will a Straightforward Media Minority Scholarship help you meet your educational and professional goals?) Do I do both, or pick 1 of the 2?
Thanks!
22 Michael Kamara 3 July 2008 @ 9:38 am
Is Actually not a comment but a question. I want to apply for a scholarship but I am having problem with this GPA, what is real meaning for GPA in your scholarship form.
23 Melody L 9 July 2008 @ 2:02 pm
How do you decide who gets the scholarships, and how many people get each one?
24 Tin Trung Nguyen 12 July 2008 @ 3:36 am
I’ve submitted my essays for SMF Art school scholarship but i forgot to explain my country’s ranking system. Please tell me how can I adjust it. I put “9.2″ in the GPA field. it is 9.2 on a 10 scale, which means i attained 92% out of 100%. this is ranked as “excellent level” in my country
25 Shayla 19 July 2008 @ 12:39 pm
What if I don’t want the check sent to me personally because it would affect other benefits (I’m not sure of all the ins and outs of certain systems, so forgive me if my concern is irrelevant)? Can I request that it be submitted to say, a trust fund or an agency or the collge or something?
26 Lindsey 22 July 2008 @ 7:52 am
I am unable to view the winners for this scholarship Straight Forward Media Scholarship. Can you please help me? When clicking on the site it tell me that the page cannot be found.
27 Su Hawley 22 July 2008 @ 11:11 am
You sent the message about the winner’s. All I get when I go to those sites is if I want to subscribe or unsubscribe. I assume I am not a winner because you did not email me directly. I had problems with submitting the application like others. Getting to the essay page was a problem. I have no idea if my application went through or not.
Mia sounds adorable. Some day she will come back and thank you for doing the best you knew how. My three children have. As long as she is always sure you love her, you win. Thanks.
28 Anonymous 27 July 2008 @ 10:28 pm
Sir:
I am a Filipino protestant pastor assigned in a remote Muslim community in Southern part of Philippines. My daughter, who is presently a senior high school student, wishes to pursue a nursing course next year. But I cannot provide a full financial support for her future studies. Can my daughter apply for a scholarship to your program of which she will study here in the Philippines. Her desire is to serve here depressed areas after finishing her college studies. Can my daughter for scholarship assistance through your program. Thank you and God bless you.
Ptr. Elpidio R. Tangunan Jr.
email: elpidio_tangunan@yahoo.com
mobile: 09167811096
29 Bonnie 29 July 2008 @ 1:39 pm
what are my chances….. how many people apply for say the nursing scholarships, or the Fridell? How do I know if it’s even worth mt time? I’ve never used a system like this and I’m wary that my chance are extremely low even with a high GPA- that this is more about giving my name to a bunch of advertisers.
30 C 1 August 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Can undocumented students apply?
31 WL 3 August 2008 @ 3:37 am
I understand that the students receive the check if they win the scholarship and not the school. However, when it comes to outside scholarships, my school takes half of the money and reduces the need based loans, and the other half to reduce the need based grant money. So basically I will only receive half of the money ($250) if I were to win. Am I required to report to my financial aid office if I were to win a scholarship?
32 ar 12 September 2008 @ 7:26 pm
Is this also offered for Canadian students?
thanks
33 gaby 26 September 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Can undocumented students earn a scholarship too?
34 Donna 28 September 2008 @ 12:12 pm
I have not enrolled in college yet; however, I plan to enroll in the spring of 2009. I also a 40 year old non-traditional student. Should I go off of my high school GPA or should the GPA section be left blank or N/A?
35 Jasmine Bridges 6 November 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Hello SFM-
I applied for a scholarship in July 2008 as I am graduate student in Mechanical Engineering. Please do let me know if there is anything I can do to support my application. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you,
~Jasmine Bridges
253-353-5984
36 Elizabeth Tucker 6 November 2008 @ 11:41 pm
This is the 2nd or 3rd attempt I have made to contact straighforward media about collecting on my daughter’s scholarship. She is listed as a winner but she has not received a check or any information about how to collect.
There is no link on any website as to how to collect the money.
How do we contact a real person to check on the issuance of said scholarship check?
37 Anderson Ingram 12 November 2008 @ 9:11 pm
md66nlttq8jrsi7n
Leave a Reply