Academic Scholarships and Financial Aid

This information was written by USJGT Co-Director Mark McClellan who also serves as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Christian Brothers University in Memphis.

In addition to any athletic scholarship money, parents and students are strongly encouraged to pursue academic scholarship money that may be available as well as other avenues of financial aid.

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS

     Each college has its own criteria for academic scholarships.  Start by exploring the websites of colleges that interest you and see if there is detailed information about scholarship criteria available.  If it is not available on the website, contact the Admissions office at that school and ask that the information be sent to you.

     IMPORTANT NOTE:  Be aware of the application deadline for scholarships at a school.  The deadline varies by school.  For example, at The University of Memphis, a student must apply and be admitted prior to March 1 preceding the fall in which that student plans to enroll in college.  Only those students that meet that deadline will be considered for academic scholarships.  Virtually all colleges operate the same way in this regard, but the deadline date does vary by school.

     Make sure you understand the criteria for a specific scholarship.  At times, in addition to the academic requirements, there may be a residency requirement if you don't live in the home state of the school to which you are applying.

     Other questions to ask include: 1.  Are freshmen required to live on campus?  2.  If so, does the scholarship pay all or part of your housing fees?  3.  If you live in a state that has a lottery scholarship program (such as Tennessee and Georgia), is the value of the lottery scholarship already included in the dollar amount of the academic scholarship or is it added on to that amount?  4.  What are the requirements for maintaining the scholarship in terms of hours enrolled and grade point average?  5.  How long does the scholarship last?  It is for four years or until you finish your degree?

     Contact Mark McClellan via the USJGT's e-mail address at usjgtjrgolf@aol.com if you have specific questions.

FINANCIAL AID

     There is only one application for financial aid.  It is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  This must be filed each year that the student is in college.  You can file it after January 1 for the upcoming school year.  Please file it before March 1 to maximize your eligibility for federal and state grant programs.  This is your application for all federal grant, work study and student loan programs. You can file the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

SPECIAL NOTE TO TENNESSEE RESIDENTS:  The FAFSA is also the application for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship so it is imperative that you file it.