The sooner you apply, the better
Going back to school is daunting, and finding the money you need to do so can make the process even scarier. Luckily, you are not alone. Boise State Online’s Student Success Coaches are here to support you from application to graduation and beyond.
Applying to Boise State as early as possible is a great first step in securing the funds for your educational career. Many students wait until the last minute to apply to school, as a result, often lose out on their opportunity for funding. Boise State students who apply early are more likely to get financial aid, scholarships and grants.
Completing FAFSA
If you’ve already applied to Boise State, the next step to securing financial aid is completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A completed FAFSA form presents students with financial opportunities available to them, including scholarships, grants, financial aid and work-study.
“I’ve met with so many students that don’t plan on utilizing financial aid or assume that they won’t qualify,” said Heather Ropelato, Boise State Online Enrollment and Student Success Undergraduate Recruitment Manager. “Regardless of what you might assume, please complete the FAFSA! You never know what can happen in your life and completing the FAFSA helps you understand the full picture of resources available.”
“Regardless of what you might assume, please complete the FAFSA! You never know what can happen in your life and completing the FAFSA helps you understand the full picture of resources available.”
— Heather Ropelato, Boise State Online Enrollment and Student Success Undergraduate Recruitment Manager
Like applying to Boise State, you’ll want to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible. An incomplete FAFSA or one submitted just before the deadline may result in losing out on Boise State funds distributed at the priority deadline.
Have questions about FAFSA or deadlines? The Boise State Financial Aid office and student success coaches are here to help you through the FAFSA submission process.
Five steps to earning more scholarships
Once you’ve applied to Boise State and filled out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it’s time to start applying to scholarships. The following are five simple tricks to getting on top of your applications before they are due.
- Know your deadlines: Knowing the hard dates allows you to determine what scholarship applications you can fit into your schedule.
- Make a plan: Scheduling time in your schedule to focus on scholarships gives you time to relax while completing your applications.
- Set goals and work in small increments: Set small goals for yourself. For instance, write the first two sentences of your introduction and work for only 15-20 minutes at a time. Give yourself two or three times as much time as you think you will need.
- Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose: Scholarship application essay prompts share a lot of similarities between scholarships. After finishing one application, paste everything you wrote into a saved Google or Word document. When you see a similar prompt later, you can use your previous writings as a great place to start your new essay.
- Quality not quantity: Focus on scholarships you have the best chances of getting. Your time will be better spent working toward a handful of realistic options rather than many different options. Strategize your approach, applying for those with deadlines you can fit into your schedule.
Scholarships for you
Need somewhere to start with scholarships? Here are several Boise State Online scholarship opportunities to turn chilling costs into painless payments.
Idaho Opportunity Scholarship
This state-wide scholarship requires students to have at least a 2.5 unweighted cumulative GPA, be able to demonstrate need and must be attending an eligible Idaho college or university.
Amount: up to $3,500 a year
Application deadline: April 15 for Summer 2021
July 1 for Fall 2021
Learn More About The Idaho Opportunity Scholarship
Osher Reentry Scholarship
Launched in 2005, this scholarship is for students with a five-year or more gap in education. Students must be pursuing their first bachelor’s degree and must demonstrate financial need and show academic promise and commitment to obtaining their degree. Students can apply to the Osher Reentry Scholarship through Boise State Scholarship Application.
Award amount: up to $5,000 a year
Application deadline: June 1, 2021
Crankstart Reentry Scholarship
This scholarship is for students who have a five-year cumulative gap in their college studies. The student must be enrolled in primarily face-to-face courses and must demonstrate financial need. To apply, students will need to complete the online Boise State Scholarship Application and respond to the Crankstart Reentry scholarship supplemental questions within the application. Students can apply to the Crankstart Reentry Scholarship through Boise State Scholarship Application.
Award amount: up to $5,000
Application deadline: June 1, 2021
Additional Scholarships
You can earn additional scholarships by completing your online FAFSA. Students can also apply for other scholarships by completing the Boise State general scholarship application.
Still have questions?
Our Boise State Online Student Success Team helps students navigate degree planning, applying for financial aid and so much more.