Raider Connect | Graphic by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
The Wright State Scholarship Application opened Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, for the 2024-2025 academic school year, and students are buzzing to finish and meet the requirements for funding.
How to get scholarships
Over 78% of incoming students at Wright State rely on scholarships to fund their education, according to RaiderConnect. Kim Everhart, financial aid director at WSU, recommends that students apply by the deadline of Feb. 1, 2024.
It is important that students have their FAFSA done so that the university can offer need-based scholarships.
“In order for students to qualify for those scholarships, they need to have filled out the FAFSA. There is no other way to account for those,” Everhart stated.
Different types of scholarships
There are several different types of scholarships that students apply for when they apply for the general scholarship application. There are need-based scholarships, merit-based scholarships and institutional scholarships.
Need-based scholarships are based on student income and rely on the student applying for FAFSA to be entitled to those scholarships.
Merit-based scholarships rely on students' academic achievements to be awarded. GPA, credit hours and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status are all factors that go into these merit-based scholarships.
“These scholarships are awarded to students who prove they are doing well academically,” Everhart said.
To be sure that they are in good academic standing to receive these scholarships, students are encouraged to consult their academic advisors and student success coaches.
“The student is responsible for knowing the details of their scholarship requirements and notifying the advisor if they need to meet certain goals,” Amanda Spencer, director of university academic advising, said.
The last type of scholarships that students can receive on the online application are institutional scholarships. These are miscellaneous scholarships that students can receive from the application, including military, race, gender, sexuality, organizational-based scholarships and other scholarships that do not fall under merit or need-based (for example, the Wright Patt Credit Union scholarship).
“We encourage students to get involved,” Everhart said. “The more students are involved with their school, the more those leaders are able to put names to faces, meaning they are able to receive more potential aid.”
Student reaction
Students all around WSU are preparing for the application, applying in hopes of receiving more aid for the upcoming year.
“I accidentally missed the deadline for the 2023-2024 year, so I’m actually about to apply after my classes today,” Michael Taylor, a history major at WSU, said. “I ended up getting little to no scholarships, so I had to take out loans. The goal for this school year is to not take so many loans out.”
The school's efforts to drive the idea of financial literacy and scholarships have helped students see the value of utilizing scholarships for their schooling.
“I think the university has done a really good job of helping students weave through the ins and outs of scholarships,” motion pictures major Joel Zepernick said. “They’ve made it easy to connect with someone if you need help, and there are plenty of events that help students learn how to fill out the scholarship application.”
Where to go
If students would like to be considered for any of the scholarships, they have to fill out the Online Application for Scholarships. If students want to be chosen for the need-based scholarships, students must also fill out FAFSA when it opens in December.
For those who would like information on the different scholarships available at WSU, visit the scholarship information page.
Finally, if students need help filling out the application or have any other questions, they are encouraged to visit the RaiderConnect page or visit them in person at their new location in Suite 101 of University Hall.
