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Summer 2015 Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What are these summer scholarships all about?
We have a significant amount of unawarded scholarship money from Fall 2014 and Spring 2015,
so we are converting it to summer scholarships in order to keep students’ momentum going and
to help boost summer enrollment.
2) How do students apply for the summer scholarships?
One of the enhancements to the student experience that the Scholarships and Financial Aid
Standing Committee has been working on is streamlining the scholarship application process for
students. For example, all of the Provost scholarships that were found here:
https://www.pima.edu/paying-for-school/scholarships-grants/index.html
Can now be found in the Foundation’s STARS On-Line system here:
https://www.pima.edu/paying-for-school/scholarships-grants/pcc-foundation/index.html
The Summer Scholarships can be found in the STARS On-Line system. Please explore the STARS
On-Line system to learn about all of the scholarships offered at the college, if you have not done
so already.
NOTE: You’ll also notice that we have changed the names of some of the scholarships. The
Aztec Activity Grant and Chancellor’s Recognition Scholarship are now called the Chancellor’s
Service Scholarship.
3) Why are we making such a big push for summer scholarships?
As you may be aware, Banner will begin enforcing pre-requisites for all courses starting April 6th,
the first day of Fall 2015 registration. Historically, many students have been taking courses
without having the appropriate pre-requisite, i.e. PSY 101 without the REA 091 pre-req.
Therefore, if we can get students to take the pre-req during the summer, with the financial help
of a summer scholarship, we can not only accelerate their completion of coursework, but
hopefully mitigate any enrollment hits the pre-req enforcement may have.
NOTE: Spanish is the lone discipline that will not have pre-reqs enforced for Fall 2015. The
World Languages CDAC Is working on implementing a SPA language assessment over the next
year which will assist in the appropriate course placement.
4) What are the application requirements for a Summer Scholarship?
The application requirements are quite simple:
 Apply through the STARS On-Line program.
 Meet with a counselor/advisor to complete a MyDegreePlan Planner for their Program of
Study.
 Register for the same classes that are listed on their MyDegreePlan Planner.
 That’s it! There are no GPA or credit hour limits to the summer scholarships.
5) So a student can take anything in the summer and get a scholarship for it?
No. The courses have to be part of their Program of Study and have to appear on their
MyDegreePlan Planner. They also don’t need to be pre-requisites for other courses, but just
courses to help them reach their goal.
6) If there’s no GPA or credit limit, could a student with a 1.0GPA receive a scholarship for 15
credits in summer? Or vice-versa, a student with a 4.0GPA taking just 1 credit could receive the
scholarship?
Yes to both, but this is where your professional judgment needs to come into play. When you
meet with a student to complete an MDP Planner, think about the student and their unique
situation. What do they need in order to be successful in their academic pursuits? If a student
hasn’t been successful taking 12 credits over the past few years during a full semester, is it
realistic that they can complete 12 credits during a compressed, summer session? It’s probably
unlikely. Pull out some of those developmental advising tools from your toolbox and engage
students in a conversation around time management, study habits and college and community
resources.
Please, do not hesitate to make statements like “I’d recommend that you only take 6 credits,
and this is why”. Quality advising which includes these crucial conversations, are key if this
summer scholarship program is going to work.
7) Who is eligible to apply?
Any student who wants to take summer school and is willing to meet the application
requirements may apply. New and returning students are eligible to apply.
8) Who is NOT eligible to apply?
Students who are taking classes for fun and/or personal interest. The goal here is to help
students receive a degree or certificate.
9) What’s the timeline to apply?
The summer scholarship application is available now. The application and corresponding MDP
Planner must be completed by May 8, 2015. The materials will be reviewed and checked for the
MDP Planner and corresponding course registration on May 11th, 2015. Scholarships will be
awarded in time for the Friday, May 15th, 2015 Payment deadline. With this timeline, students
will know their scholarship status before the Payment deadline and can make an informed
decision about the summer. Likewise, VPIs and Deans can make adjustments to summer course
offerings based on these “paid” enrollments.
10) What will these scholarships cover? i.e. How much is it for?
The summer scholarships will cover Tuition and Fees only. The awarding process will be done in
conjunction with Financial Aid in order to offer the best aid package to the student.
11) What’s next?
We’ll start to get the word out to new and current students, as well as the community. In the
meantime, familiarize yourself with the STARS On-Line system by creating a log-in and
maneuvering through the system so you can better assist the students you’re working with.