The Wayne State College General Scholarship Application provides all fully admitted students with an opportunity to earn financial aid from a pool of $1,536,080 in club and merit-based awards. The online application portal closes for all current and incoming students on February 1.  

“You can access the application if you log in through your WildcatsOnline account, there is a link directly to the app,” Leslie Calhoun, assistant director of financial aid, said.  

From there, currently enrolled WSC students only need 10 minutes to complete the application and answer prompts that narrow their award preferences.  

There are over 300 awards up for grabs in the General Scholarship Application that average from $500 to $1,000. 

Some of these awards come from club funding like the Kiwani’s Club and PRIDE Club scholarships. Many other scholarships are provided from funding through the WSC Foundation and private donors.  

“Most of the information needed to apply is actually uploaded from our software that we use as far as your name, GPA, major, minor, things like that,” Calhoun said. “Then, there are questions that students answer that pertain to particular scholarships like what clubs and programs students are in.” 

Hailey Brooks, a junior at WSC, recommends that all students apply for the WSC General Scholarship Application like her.  

“It’s such an easy process that lays out all the opportunities you have,” Brooks said. “I learned how to look for awards that not only set me up for success, but also helped me financially.”  

When the online application portal closes, Calhoun provides departments with the amount and monetary sums of their scholarships, allowing departments one month to make final student selections. Then, Calhoun takes a few months to record every scholarship recipient and send each of them an acceptance letter. 

“I like to have a big bulk of the scholarships for sure out by April, in time for when students leave for summer break,” Calhoun said. 

Calhoun cannot stress to students enough to just apply. In her position for over 10 years, Calhoun has seen the benefit of providing WSC students with financial aid.  

“I mean you get free money,” Calhoun said. “Definitely also make yourself known, especially in clubs and with your professors since these scholarships might have a department committee reviewing them.” 

Students can find more information and updates on the application when Student Financial Services emails them through their Outlook email. Student Financial Services also placed an ad for the application on the WSC webpage and social media but is considering distributing flyers across campus in the future.  

“There are hundreds of scholarships that apply to just about anyone it doesn’t hurt to see what will happen and apply,” Brooks said. “You never know, you might actually get one.”