Info & Support
The Scholarship Pursuit
We advise students to start their scholarship research and application process one year before they actually need the money; typically that involves the fall semester and early spring semester of the year before they plan to enroll. In general, most University scholarships become available in the winter/spring (December - March) and are for the upcoming school year that begins in the fall.
Most scholarship applications require the student to submit a personal statement addressing why they are applying for the scholarship, two letters of recommendation, copy of their FASFA, official copies of their transcripts, and other types of information that is specific to the particular scholarship they are applying for. If you have questions about Women's Resource Center scholarships please email wrcscholarships@sa.utah.edu .
Personal Statement
A personal statement is a short story you write about yourself, your life experiences, and how these experiences have inspired you to apply for what you are currently applying for.
For Women's Resource Center scholarships write a brief personal statement answering the five questions below on a separate sheet of paper and include in your application. Be concise and limit your responses to a total of two double spaced pages. Please type your response to the following questions in one essay:
- Academic, professional, and personal goals
- Reasons why you feel you are a viable candidate for this scholarship
- Scholarly or vocational accomplishments, honors, special awards, or recognition you have received.
- Community and school involvement; include leadership positions and/ or activities
- Personal barriers you have had to overcome to achieve your educational goals such as domestic violence.
- Any unusual or extraordinary circumstances regarding your situation which you feels should be known in considering your application for a scholarship
Letter of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation is required for most scholarships and will attest to your qualities, characteristics, and academic promise. They are usually written by a professor, employer, or someone with similar authority. Letters of recommendation should be uploaded by the recommender through AcademicWorks.
Timelines
When looking for financial resources to pay for school, students should begin looking 6 - 8 months ahead. For example, if you are looking for funding for the fall semester you should begin applying for and looking for scholarships in the spring. In general, most University scholarships become available in the spring (January - March) and are for the upcoming school year that begins in the fall.