University of Memphis multicultural students can obtain a new grant to help them through their schooling at the university.
The UofM Student Government Association (SGA) collaborated with the Provost office to offer grants to students who are hardworking and showcase diversity around the UofM.
Kevyanna Rawls, the president of SGA and a senior in English and African-American studies, said the scholarship was created for students who are “sacrificing” their time and effort to attend college.
“SGA worked with the Provost’s office to create the multicultural scholarships to celebrate deserving students who have dedicated their time to raising cultural awareness on our campus and enhancing the student experience for all students,” Rawls said. “Often, these students are overlooked, and we wanted to make sure that these students knew they were appreciated and that their contributions to campus were irreplaceable.”
The multicultural scholarship is designed to honor students from different cultures by celebrating their achievements while attending college.
“Many students who spend most of their time working to enhance various communities do this work because they are passionate about the issue and sacrifice a lot of their time and effort to make sure each community is visible,” Rawls said. “This impacts their ability to work, balance home and school life and even how they are able to participate in class.”
Most scholarships can assist students to cover college expenses to help them pursue their education. Rawls not only wants to dedicate certain grants based upon the month being celebrated but also hope it benefit their communities.
“We hope that, with this scholarship, students are able to continue their educational journey and continue to make contributions to their communities without having to make extreme sacrifices in their personal life,” Rawls said.
Lofton Wilborn, the assistant director of scholarships, explained how the department got involved with the process.
“The Scholarship Office manages Tiger Scholarship Manager, which contains the various scholarship opportunities available for University of Memphis students,” Wilburn said. “Tiger Scholarship Manager is our centralized location for scholarships.”
The Tiger Scholarship Manager provides a variety of grants for students to apply for in different departments. Wilborn manages the site along with other organizations such as SGA by discussing details on how students can qualify.
“Applicants must be undergraduate students with a 2.75 GPA or higher,” Wilborn said. “The scholarship is competitive, and undergraduate cumulative grade point average will be highly considered ... Applicants must be continuing students, and continuing (students) are defined as students who have been at the University of Memphis for at least a semester.”
The applicants must also be an active returning student along with being a U.S. citizen. Students also need to submit a résumé, letter of recommendation, an academic transcript and an essay. Wilburn said the grants can benefit students in many ways.
“These scholarships are one time awards and should provide assistance to the recipient as they continue their path to graduation,” Wilborn said.
For students who are interested in applying can visit the Tiger Scholarship Manager website and read the requirements. The application deadline for the 2019-20 academic year is Feb. 1, 2019.
