Scholarship season has arrived and students will need to meet the Feb. 21 deadline to potentially be awarded money for their educational goals. Applying for the Los Medanos College Foundation Scholarships will aid those who are either continuing at LMC or transferring. 

Ray Baynori, a first-year business major, said applying for scholarships has already made an impact on him as the required written prompts “make you think” and the effort is work toward “something to benefit [themself] financially.” 

Financial Aid Scholarship Program Specialist Beverly Bui said the LMC Foundation offers more than 30 scholarships and the application process is fairly straightforward. 

“The application asks questions regarding educational background, career, community service and financial need to name a few,” Bui said. “In addition, students are required to answer two essay questions and provide two letters of reference.” 

While there might be more scholarships and resources outside of LMC for students, Bui cautions students to “please be careful of scams,” adding that students, “should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship. Avoid scholarships that have a processing cost, redemption fee, or any other upfront payment. Also, choose scholarships from reputable sources such as a financial aid office, an employer or parents employer, or other well known business/organizations.”

Dan Ruiz, a third-year psychology major, who is applying for scholarships this year said “they are helpful but they aren’t always sufficient.” 

He added that the process takes continued diligence since it can be “hard to get a scholarship and apply every year especially when the money is needed as well as limited to a certain number of people who can obtain it.” 

Foundation Scholarship amounts range anywhere between $250 to about $1,200. For outside organizations that have partnered with LMC, scholarships range from between $300 to $1,200. 

“We have worked with the majority of these organizations for several years, and many of our students have been awarded,” Bui said. 

Halena Neyazi, a second-year early child development and psychology major is applying for scholarships this year and notes their importance in helping “students achieve goals” she added that, “it’s the little things that matter.” Bob Zavala, a scholarship for child development majors “makes a difference in children’s lives,” she said. “Being a role model to children makes them happy and me happy.”

The LMC website lists available scholarships and there are many to choose from. Some students choose Extended Opportunity Programs and Services scholarships for student services or even the LMC Brentwood Scholarship for those who have taken courses on the satellite campus. 

“In most cases, a recipient will receive the entirety of the award amount. There are exceptions, for example, where a scholarship may require a student to be full-time otherwise their award amount is prorated,” Bui said. 

In particular, if a student were to apply for the larger scholarships, one of the requirements states the recipient must be, “transferring to a California State University, CSU, in the upcoming fall 2024 semester and having a 3.0 GPA or above.”  

Applying for the scholarships can have a specific criteria to help students know specifically what to apply for. Bui encourages all students to apply to help support their goals as “scholarship funds help make higher education more affordable,” adding, “scholarships can be used for educational expenses including new equipment, transportation, and housing.”