Pre-college scholarships available to Michigan 4-H youth

Did you know your participation in some statewide 4-H programs makes you eligible to apply for the MSU Pre-College Achievement Scholarship? Deadline for submission is Nov. 1, 2015.

It is never too early to begin a scholarship search when planning for college. 4-H youth in grades 8-10 who have participated in a Michigan State University pre-college program are eligible for nomination to apply for a $2,000 Pre-College Achievement Scholarships. MSU pre-college programs include 4-H Exploration Days, 4-H Capitol Experience, 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp, 4-H Forestry Fun Camp, 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp or Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation Council.

Youth who attended these programs need to be nominated to apply by their county’s Michigan State University Extension 4-H staff for Exploration Days or the director of the aforementioned pre-college programs following their involvement in them. If you are a student that has attended one or more of these programs this year, you should take the initiative now and contact the person responsible to see if they are willing to nominate you and initiate the scholarship application process. Nomination packets from the pre-college program director need to be submitted by Nov. 1, 2015. Even if you do not receive the scholarship, going through the application process can be a valuable learning experience.

Like the majority of scholarship applications, there are several requirements you must meet. The MSU Pre-College Achievement Scholarship application has questions that look for information on four topics:

  1. Your academic ability and subject matter interest.
  2. Your long-term goals and career aspirations.
  3. Your activities and leadership roles and what you have learned about yourself from your involvement.
  4. Additional information you want the scholarship committee to know about you.

It is likely you will see these questions or similar questions on most scholarship applications. Being privy to these questions now can help you consider how you will respond to them in the future. It can also give you insight into what you may need to do to prepare yourself to respond to this type of question on future applications. Use information from your 4-H Member Record Book to help you answer these questions. Keep an eye out next summer for the newly developed Michigan 4-H Personal Portfolio, another great tool to assist you in keeping track of your accomplishments.

In addition, the application requires a copy of your academic transcripts and GPA along with a teacher and 4-H program director recommendation. The application also includes a checklist to ensure you have everything required.

A maximum of 60 scholarships are awarded statewide each year and students are only eligible to apply once. The scholarship will be applied toward your first year at MSU as a degree-seeking student. Scholarship recipients are not guaranteed admission to MSU and are expected to meet admission requirements following their junior year of high school. If you are considering attending MSU, check out the high school preparation guidelines to assist you in preparing yourself academically.

For information about MSU Pre-college Scholarship applications and the pre-college programs offered by MSU, visit Spartan Youth Programs. These programs can help you develop valuable skills necessary to complete scholarship applications. In addition, they are a great opportunity to make new friends, taste college life and get excited about going to college. 

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