Dina Ruiz / Staff Reporter
The deadline for DMC Foundation Scholarship applications for Spring 2012 is Thursday. The Foundation is no longer accepting paper applications; students must complete applications via the new STARS Online application website.
Emergency scholarship applications will still be accepted in paper form. “An emergency scholarship is awarded to students who are put in a unplanned situation that has caused them to use the funds they had set aside to pay for books or for the rest of their tuition,” said Joel Soliz, assistant director of Foundation Services.
“We are trying to make a lot of changes that will better serve the student from the application process to the notification process, and we think this new system should accomplish that,” said Soliz.
Another major change to the scholarship process are the application periods, which will now be per academic year instead of per semester. The September 15 deadline is for the last individual semester application process in the spring.
The new online application system will also change the notification process dramatically according to officials. “Once applications are evaluated, the system will send out notifications all at once where as of right now it’s done manually,” said Soliz.
Private donors and corporations have donated money to have scholarships created in their name to be awarded to students in need at DMC. “Despite the effect that the economy has had on the funds available to be dispersed for scholarships, the Ffoundation and its members are hard at work with their fundraising efforts to help offset the effects,” said Soliz.
The October 1 Dionne Warwick concert at Richardson Auditorium is just one of the events hosted by the Foundation.
Although detailed information as well as eligibility requirements are available online, awareness among students is low.
“I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll definitely check it out now,” said Mark Gonzalez, a Respiratory Therapy major who did not apply for any financial aid this semester.
The DMC Financial Aid Office (FAO) is another source for more information. “I plan to go apply for the next year,” said Desiree Servantes an Early Childhood Development major. This semester is Servantes’ first at DMC but she said she was given the information by FAO staff earlier this year.
Additional information can be found within the financial aid brochures and through academic advisors. The Foundation office is located in Room 131 at the Center for Economic Development in the DMC South Campus, Staples near Ray High School. All information including the link for the STARS Online Application can be found under the Foundation tab at www.delmar.edu or call 361/698-1317.
