SUNY Orange, "If you have the dream, we have the way!"SUNY Orange

Scholarships, Grants and Awards

*** Scholarship applications will be available at the end of January 2013. ***

SUNY Orange Scholarships for Entering Freshman

Every student who applies to the Financial Aid Office for a SUNY Orange scholarship will be considered for every scholarship for which that student is eligible.

It is not necessary for you to specify certain scholarships, but, if you are especially interested in any particular scholarship, you should note that at the end of the Scholarship Essay.

To apply, students should complete an application as an entering Freshman.

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SUNY Orange Scholarships for Current or Graduating College Students:

How to Apply for SUNY Orange Scholarships

Every student who applies to the Financial Aid Office for a SUNY Orange scholarship will be considered for every scholarship for which that student is eligible.

It is not necessary for you to specify certain scholarships, but, if you are especially interested in any particular scholarship, you should note that at the end of the Scholarship Essay.

To apply, students should link into their status as either a current student, or graduating student and complete the special application found there.

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Definitions

A ‘scholarship’ is based on the student’s talents, skills, achievements, and/or other personal characteristics. A ‘grant’ is usually based on the student’s financial needs. An ‘award’ is given by the college’s academic departments or by outside organization such as clubs and associations.

Scholarships, grants, and awards are financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Unlike loans, this funding might be called "free money." Occasionally there is a requirement that the money be repaid under certain circumstances--if, for instance, the student drops out of school. Students make an application for scholarships and grants, but in the case of awards, the organization making the award takes the initiative.

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Eligibility for Scholarships

Eligibility for scholarships may be based on a number of criteria, such as field of study, artistic ability, athletic achievements, student’s interests, or some special characteristics of the student. These "special characteristics" could even include whether the student is a single mother, left-handed, a twin, unusually short, a C-student, a knitter, an animal lover, or nearly anything else imaginable.

Even though students may meet the qualifications stipulated for a certain scholarship, they are not automatically eligible to receive it. The organization giving the scholarship makes the final determination.

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Applying for Scholarships

When you locate a scholarship of interest (see section on Scholarship Search Organizations), follow the directions on the website to make the application. In some cases, you will add a scholarship essay and/or letters of recommendation.

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Scholarship Essays

Many scholarship sponsors require that applicants write an essay, sometimes on a given subject, to demonstrate their writing abilities. These essays will be judged on whether they are carefully organized, well-written, interesting, and original. Don’t be afraid to be original. Remember, no one else can represent your own unique outlook as well as you.

You will most likely find it useful to make an outline and other notes in advance. For assistance in structuring your essay, you might want to consult the section on Elementary Principles of Composition in Strunk and White’s book, "The Elements of Style".

Here are a few tips on the presentation of the scholarship essay:

  • Check for typos, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes
  • Follow all formatting instructions.
  • Use good-quality paper.
  • Use a professional-looking font with text size between 10 and 12, 14 for the headings.
  • Make sure that the papers look neat and have no unnecessary creases.
  • Mail in a large envelope, so the papers will remain unfolded.

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Letters of Recommendation

Students will be asked to submit letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselors, and community leaders.

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Tips on Applying for Scholarships

  • Represent yourself honestly but be fair to yourself.
  • Check the qualifications listed for each scholarship and design your application to show how you meet those qualifications.
  • Look at your application from the sponsor’s viewpoint and evaluate whether you can improve the case you made to support of your qualifications.

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Avoiding Scholarship Scams

  • Never pay money to apply for, to search for, or to receive a scholarship.
  • Don’t reveal credit card numbers or other personal data that has no connection to your eligibility for a scholarship.
  • Check out organizations that sponsor scholarships. Do they have a website? A working telephone number?
  • Beware of an offer for a scholarship that you did not apply for.

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Federal & State Grants and Scholarships

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Outside Scholarships

These links are scholarships offered by outside vendors:

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Scholarship-Search Organizations

Students may want to register with more than one search organization, since none will have a database containing all available scholarships (keeping in mind that there can be a lot of work attached to each application).

Search Organization listing 40 companies which perform scholarship-search services:

A Sampling of Search Organizations

Search organization with very large databases of scholarships—for instance:

Search organizations focusing on international scholarship opportunities—for instance:

Search organizations that sort scholarships by students’ attributes and background, as well as by name of scholarship—for instance:

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Tax Considerations

To evaluate whether your "free money" is also tax-free, see the IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education†. (It may also be that you can declare your personal computer as a deductible expense for income-tax purposes..)

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Informational Websites

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† External links on this web page are marked with this symbol †. Clicking on these links will take you out of the SUNY Orange Web site. The college cannot be responsible for the content on these pages, although the links on this page have been reviewed and are recommended by the staff of the Office of Financial Aid.

Contact Us:

finaid@sunyorange.edu

Middletown Office

SUNY Orange
Office of Financial Aid
115 South Street 
3rd floor
Middletown NY 10940

Telephone: 
845-341-4190
Fax:
845-341-4194

Office Hours:
Mon, Tues: 8am-5pm
Wed: 8am-8pm
Thurs, Fri: 8am-5pm

Newburgh Office

SUNY Orange
Office of Financial Aid
One Washington Ctr
Newburgh NY 12550

Telephone: 
845-341-9502
Fax:
845-220-4062