Frequently Asked Questions with
Tips and Hints
 

Q/1. What is meant by current/continuing UHCL student”?
A. Students who are currently taking classes at UHCL or have taken classes at UHCL in the past and are coming back to complete a degree or begin a new degree plan.

Tip: If you plan to begin in the fall 2009/spring 2010 academic year, but are not sure in which semester you will return, apply for scholarships anyway. 
Hint: If you are awarded a scholarship and you cannot attend school for any part of the academic year, please notify the Assistant Director of Scholarships at wells@uhcl.edu

Q/2. I don’t have a computer with Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.  How can I apply for scholarships?
A. You may use computers in the labs or in the library.

Tip: If you use a computer for public use, be sure to log all the way out of STARS. 
Hint: You would not want someone to come along and read your personal information or plagiarize your essay.

Q/3.  I have a double major.  STARS will only allow me to choose one.  What do I do?
A.  You will need to choose one major and apply for all scholarships in which you meet the criteria.  Log out of STARS.  Log back in to STARS and edit your academic information.  Select your other major and apply for any additional scholarships that you get matched up to.  Again, be sure that you meet all the criteria before applying for each scholarship.

Q/4.  How many letters of recommendation should I include with my application?
A.  Zero.  Letters of recommendation are no longer required. 

Tip: Several scholarships require a letter of recommendation in the Additional Documentation Required. 
Hint: These may be uploaded to STARS using the document name Recommendation & your 7 digit UHCL ID number

Q/5.  Can I include letters of recommendation if I have them?
A.  Do not include letters of recommendation unless one is required.

Tip: Each scholarship has Additional Documentation in the criteria.  If a letter of recommendation is required, you may upload it into STAR’s.
Hint: Including documentation that is not required may make you ineligible for some scholarships.  A selection committee could evaluate the document and link it to the wrong scholarship.

Q/6. This is my first semester at UHCL, what about transcripts from my previous schools?
A.  Do not turn in any transcripts.  Selection Committees can obtain your transfer and current GPA information.

Tip: The Texas Scholars in Computer Science does require copies of transcripts from the community college you attended. 
Hint:  Upload these on STARS.  Name the document: Community College Transcripts & your 7 digit UHCL ID number

Q/7.  What should I put on my achievement list?
A.    Honors and awards, community service, campus activities, affiliations & organizations, offices held in organizations.

Tip: Do not use acronyms. Spell out the name of the organization or affiliation. 
You may write a sentence stating what you accomplished during your service. 
Include dates of service and how many hours you served per week, or per month.
You may include leadership activities.
Hint: There is no special format for the Achievement List.  I suggest a bullet format that is easy to read.
  Upload your list on STARS. Name your document Achievement List & your 7 digit UHCL ID number 
  
Q/8. What do I list if I have not been active in my community or campus within the last three years. 
A.   If you only have achievements prior to the last three years, list those accomplishments.
  
Tip: You may include degree(s) completed, part time or full time employment, child care (your own children or other’s).
Hint: Service for your campus or community does not have to be done on a large scale to qualify for this list. 
  Volunteerism performed on a small scale or short term, (one day or part of one day) may be included on the list.

Q/9.  Do I need to include certificates for community service or honors?
A.  Do not include certificates.

Tip:  Do not include any documentation that is not required.
Hint: STARS gives each applicant a limited amount of space for documents.  If you include documents that are not required you may not be able to upload the documents which make you eligible for a scholarship.
 Your Achievement List must be valid.  Do not include anything which you did not earn or participate in.

Q/10. Do I have to be a full time student to apply for scholarships?
A. Some scholarships do require full time, but some indicate full time or part time.  Some scholarships list a minimum number of credit hours required.

Tip: Full time for graduates is 9 hours per semester; full time for undergraduates is 12 hours per semester
Hint: Read the criteria and make sure that you are eligible before checking all 3 boxes and applying for each scholarship

Q/11. How do I attest to my leadership?
A. You may cover those criteria in your essay.

Tip: If you don’t have room in your essay, include leadership activities on your Achievement List
Hint: You may want to mention leadership in your essay, but put the specifics on your Achievement List.
Several scholarships ask for a list of leadership activities or an essay on leadership.  These documents may need to be placed in the dedicated area for the specific scholarship that you are applying for.

Q/12. Should I write a Current Financial Situation paragraph?
A. If you feel that you have had significant life changes that your FAFSA does not reflect, you may write a brief paragraph to explain.
 
Tip: Examples of life changes: divorce, marriage, a job change with lesser pay, fewer hours, a lay off/reduction in force, quitting your job to go to school full time, hence living on savings, a serious illness or the death of the person who is/was supporting you financially, a birth or adoption of a child.
Hint: Keep your explanation to a paragraph.  Do not make your current financial situation the topic of your 2 page essay.

Q/13. What should I write about for the Personal Statement?
A. Several suggested topics:
Education and career goals
Area of study and why it is interesting to you
Obstacles that you have overcome
How a scholarship will help you attain your goals
Why you deserve a scholarship

Tip: You may want to use more than one topic for your personal statement.  Your statement should be upbeat.  Even if you choose to write about obstacles that you have overcome,
you are in college now!  Tell a positive story about yourself.  It should be interesting, every word should be spelled correctly and perfect grammar should be used.  This may be the most important part of your scholarship application.
Hint: Use the writing center.  You will need to make an appointment.  Their phone number is (281) 283-2910.
 They will not write your paper for you, but they can guide you toward improving what you have already written.
Hint: Have a friend proof your personal statement.  Are there any misspelled words?  Does it flow from beginning, middle and then to the end?  Is there a point to your paper?
Don’t forget to:  Name your document Personal Statement & your 7 digit UHCL ID number and then upload it to STARS

Q/14. What about Additional Documentation?
A. Some scholarships require an extra essay.  Don’t reinvent the wheel; expand on what you have already written for your personnel statement or use a part of it.  Most additional documentation requires a one page essay or a brief paragraph.

Tip: As you apply for each scholarship check to see if there is a place for the additional documentation.  If there is, you may type it in the box.
Hint: Instead of typing it in the space provided, type it in word, use spell and grammar check and then copy and paste it to the space provided.  Be sure that the space provided is large enough for what you have written.  Make adjustments if necessary.  You don’t want to submit a partial document.
 If there is not a space provided for the additional document, type it in word and name your document with the name of the scholarship you are writing it for & your 7 digit UHCL ID number then upload to STARS.
Hint: There several scholarships within SoE and BUS that require identical additional essays.  You may use the same essay, copy and paste in the space provided on each scholarship that requires that particular essay. If you need to upload it to STARS name it with all the scholarships it applies to and your 7 digit UHCL ID number.

Q/15. Why do I need to file an online FAFSA?  Do all the scholarships take financial need into consideration?
A. About 50% of the scholarships use financial need as a criterion.  All U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to file an online FAFSA as part of the application process because it makes more students eligible for awards.

Tip: You may not think you have any financial need, but in this competition you could be more needy that the other qualified applicants.
Hint: Filing an online FAFSA will not hinder your chance of getting an award.   Almost all students who file a FAFSA are offered loans.  You may not need a loan now, but just in case you need one later in the semester the money will be available for you. You do not have to take the full amount offered.  You should take only the loan amount you need to get yourself though the semester.  Remember, you must pay back your loan money!

Q/16. Will my spring 2009 grades be used to judge my scholarship application?
A. Yes. Final selections will not be made until grades are posted.

Tip: Spring 2009 grades for all scholarship applicants will be downloaded on a spreadsheet that the selection committees will use for evaluation.
Hint: Make good grades!!

Q/17. I’m confused about my GPA.  The Podcast tells me not to include it.  What do I do?
A. The Podcast has an error.  Please fill in your GPA on the academic information page within STAR’s.  If you have a UHCL cumulative GPA please use that number.  If you are a transfer student, please use your cumulative transfer GPA.

Q/18. Who sits on the scholarship selection committees?
A. It varies from school to school.  There may be one committee with faculty only.  Other committees may include advisors.  Some schools have committees for different majors.  The committee members change each year.
 
Tip: All essays are read and rated by staff, faculty, advisors and possibly even administration.  There is no guarantee that the person reading your personal statement knows you.  Some committees may choose to blank out the applicant names. 
Hint: Your personal statement should reflect your views, ideas, success and expectations.

Q/19. How much money is awarded?
A. A typical award is at least $1,000, split between fall and spring.
 
Tip: It is possible to receive less than $1,000. 
Hint: The selection committees decide how much to award based on the funding available and the number of qualified applicants.

Q/20. Can I defer my scholarship?
A. It must be used within the academic year it was awarded.  In some instances, particularly in the School of Education, a scholarship will be forfeited if it is not used for the specified semester(s).

Tip: The academic year is fall 2009, spring 2010 and summer 2010.
Hint: If you would like your award to be split in a different manner than indicated on your award letter, email wells@uhcl.edu
 Include your name, ID number, scholarship(s) and the amount you want for fall, spring and/or summer.  Every effort will be made to accommodate you, although in some instances it is not possible.

Q/21. Can you provide some insights of the basic scholarship selection process?
A. Selection committees at the school level (Education, Business, Human Sciences/Humanities and Science/Computer Engineering) meet between March and May.  The recipient names they select are provided to the chairperson of the General Scholarship Selection Committee.  The General Committee then convenes and makes every effort  to award deserving students who have not been awarded at the school level.  Each recipient must meet the criteria of the scholarship they are awarded.   It is possible for one student to be awarded more than one scholarship.  It is our intent to award a valuable scholarship to as many deserving students as possible.

Tip: If you do not receive a scholarship and you would like to know how you can improve your application for the next year, you may email wells@uhcl.edu.  Your application will not be re-evaluated for a scholarship award. 
Hint: Send an email ONLY if you are interested in improving for next year.  Once the committees complete their selections the process is final.