Published: March 12, 2018

Don’t let the opportunity to reduce your tuition fees and be recognized pass you by!

March. Not only is it my birthday month and the start of spring (yippee), it’s scholarship season at SJSU! Now’s the time to research and apply for fall scholarships to help fund your education and get your name out there. There are a variety of scholarships for both new and continuing iSchool students and awards for graduating students too. The deadline for many of them is March 30, so if you haven’t already, you’ll want to get started on your application ASAP.

New Students
New students enrolled in their first semester in the MLIS or MARA program can put their name in the hat for a few different scholarships. Both regular and special session students who meet the requirements can apply for the Director’s Scholarship for Excellence. Five new students will receive $1,000 scholarships by demonstrating their creativity and enthusiasm for the information profession. Students must create an infographic highlighting their future career path. Check out previous winning infographics here.

Special session students also have the option to apply for one of 13 scholarships worth $1,422 each. As with the Director’s Scholarship for Excellence, funds are applied to the first semester’s course fees. Eligible students will need to create a presentation that showcases their skills and illustrates a commitment to either impacting global/diverse communities and organizations or showing leadership. Applications are being accepted now for both scholarships through May 1, 2018 for students starting in Fall 2018. Visit the Scholarships for New Students page for all the details.

Continuing Students
There are scholarships available for continuing students too. Be aware that MLIS students must have successfully completed the four required core courses (INFO 200, 202, 203 and 204) and MARA students must have successfully completed the technology workshop and either MARA 200 and MARA 204 or MARA 210. Students must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and can’t be in their last semester of the program.

To apply, you’ll need to assemble your resume, a 500 word personal statement detailing why you are the best recipient and create a short multimedia presentation to support your statement. Showcase your technology skills using Jing, Prezi, Pinterest, Screencast-O-Matic or your preferred software. Keep it succinct and be creative!

Special session and MARA students also have the opportunity to apply for one of nine scholarships worth $1,422 each. Students can apply by submitting a presentation that either illustrates their commitment to global and/or diverse communities and organizations, or that shows leadership through initiatives related to libraries, records/information environments or external professional associations. Scholarships awarded in the spring will be applied to fall’s tuition fees. You’ll find the full list of scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,422 by clicking this link. 

Graduating Students
Graduating students are honored annually through Awards for Excellence, offered in a variety of categories. The deadline for the Ken Haycock award has passed, but there’s still time to apply to the other awards. To self-nominate (don’t be shy!) or to nominate another graduating student, submit the awards form by the March 30 deadline. Eligible students include those who graduated in the previous August or December, as well as students graduating this May or August.

Make sure you tailor your application to fit the scholarship, just like you would when applying for a job. It’s also a good idea to research the person or institution for which the scholarship is endowed or gifted. You can apply for more than one scholarship, so knock yourself out. Announcements for scholarships with a March 30 deadline will be made in April. See the full list of past scholarship and award recipients here. Good luck!