Imagine being in college for one year. You and your family have saved up for this experience, however you still need some financial assistance. So to compensate, you both take out loans to get you through that first year so you can prove yourself. After the spring semester, you did so well that your GPA has earned you a merit based university scholarship to cover full tuition! Can you imagine the joy you would feel? A full tuition scholarship makes a collegiette™ feel like they are on top of the highest mountain. Then,one month later, you check your student account only to realize that your scholarship is no longer included in your financial aid.
A heartbreaking feeling that must be. Well, that is most certainly the feeling that many of Howard University’s students felt this past summer. Every year, Howard University awards deserving students with the Trustee Scholarship. “Students with annual grade point averages (GPA) of 3.00 or higher, earned while maintaining full-time enrollment each semester for the prior academic year, are eligible to be considered as potential scholarship recipients…Trustee Scholarship awards are made for each school/college to the students with the highest annual GPAs unti
l all funds are awarded…not all students are guaranteed an award,” as stated on the university website.
This year, the eligibility requirements were heightened, causing the re-evaluation of scholarship awards. In order to receive a trustee scholarship, the following requirements were instilled; 4.0 – 3.75 GPA = full tuition, 3.50-3.75 = ¾ tuition, 3.25-3.49 = ½ tuition, and 3.0 – 3.24 = an award up to $2,500.
In mid-June, the awarded students recognized the trustee scholarship in their 2011-2012 academic year financial aid package. By mid-July, many students’ scholarships were revoked due to the re-evaluation of Trustee Scholarships.
After contacting Howard University’s Office of Student Financial Services, their response was, “Due to the new policy implemented by the University, Trustee awards were redistributed based on highest ranking GPA. For most schools and colleges, the scholarship was exhausted around a 3.85 GPA. Select students may have viewed a preliminary Trustee Scholarship on their student account. This award was not definitive and no student received a scholarship award notice with a Trustee Scholarship listed.” And making the situation more hectic for students, there is a contract that is signed by every student stating that the university has the right to withdraw scholarships without student forewarning.
Je’Coven Norwood had a first hand experience. “When I first saw my BisonWeb, I printed out my awards just to have documentation. Within the next week or so that money was gone, I was able to take that piece of paper and I showed it to a financial aid assistant and I was given almost the same amount in grants. Totally a blessing!”
Howard University students were so outraged that they created a, “Hey Howard, Where’s My Trustee Scholarship?” Facebook group. On the page, it is clear how upset the students were about this situation, some stating that they have to fight what is rightfully theirs. Many student leaders from various university student councils went to the page to give students updates that they received from financial aid. In the end, students that diligently fought to gain their scholarships back received some sort of financial aid to compensate for the confusion.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Howard chapter.