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Scholarships available for non-traditional women
SCSU Women's Center to give out more than $12,000 to non-traditional female students this spring
By Geoff Higgins/Contributing Writer
Non-traditional female students at SCSU are encouraged by the Women's Center to apply for scholarships.
More than $12,000 in scholarship money will be given to non-traditional female students this spring. The Women's Center gave out it's first scholarship for non-traditional female students in 1990 and has been able to create and give away more scholarships every year since. The Women's Center is now giving away six different types of scholarships for non-traditional female students.
According to Pat Theilman, the office manager of the Women's Center, there is a good chance for non-traditional female students to win a scholarship. Last year the Women's Center received 20 applications from students, and of those 20 applications, 10 were awarded scholarships.
There are different requirements that applicants must meet to qualify for the scholarships, but Jane Olsen, the director of the Women's Center, assures that non-traditional female students will find that the requirements and rewards of the scholarships are realistic.
"We have worked with the donors of the scholarships to make the scholarships reflective with the real needs of women," Olsen said.
The largest scholarship available is the Mary Jane Young Scholarship for the Education of Young Women. This scholarship is worth $1,500, and there is going to be six given away this year. The focus of this particular scholarship is to give money to women that are single, divorced or widowed, and have custody of children. This scholarship is also offered to women that have delayed their education to raise a family, or married women that do not have the adequate resources of their own to pay for school. Women applying must be at least 25 years of age and an undergraduate student currently attending or transferring to SCSU.
The next largest scholarship for non-traditional female students is the Grace McDowell Memorial Scholarship, worth $1,300. This scholarship is designated to women that are at least 35 years of age and have a minimum GPA of 2.75. This scholarship is available to both graduate and undergraduate students.
The Colleen & Jon Petters Scholarship is also offered to both graduate and undergraduate non-traditional female students. This scholarship is worth $650, and has no age limit. The recipient of this scholarship is considered for two consecutive years. The applicant for this scholarship must be a single student with a child, or come from a disadvantaged family.
A $500 scholarship called the Marcia Summers Career Opportunity Scholarship for Single Mothers is awarded to a non-traditional female student who has attained a 3.0 GPA and is at least a sophomore. The applicant must also have specific degree and career objectives.
Another $500 scholarship is the Claude F. and Helen I. Delzoppo Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a non-traditional female student who is at least 25 years of age and is working to overcome significant personal obstacles in order to continue working toward completion of an undergraduate degree. The applicant must be either a junior or senior student by credits and must have a 3.0 GPA.
The most specific scholarship that is offered to non-traditional female students is the Elaine L. Leach Scholarship for Women in Educational Leadership. The applicant for this scholarship must have experience of at least three years as a classroom teacher. The applicant must also plan to establish or continue a career in rural Minnesota as a school principal or superintendent. This scholarship is worth $500.
Olsen encourages women to apply for the scholarships if they are non-traditional students. She especially encouraged women who have applied before but did not receive scholarships.
"We typically get very qualified applicants," Olsen said. "Even if a woman has been turned down before, we urge women to consider reapplying."
The deadline for applications to any of these scholarships is April 1. The applications can be dropped off at the Women's Center.
The whole philosophy of the Women's Center scholarships is to encourage women in school and academics.
"The Women's Center helps give away these scholarships to promote women," Olsen said. "We are emphatic about supporting women's college careers.
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