Scholarships
The SUNY Orange scholarship process is managed by the SUNY Orange Foundation, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to generating funds and building resources to enhance learning opportunities for students and the community. Through the efforts of the Foundation and the generosity of many private donors, SUNY Orange awards over 300 scholarships each academic year.
The scholarship Database is currently only accepting Entering student applications at this time. The portal will open on May 1, 2024 and will close to applicants on July 19, 2024.
Applicants MUST have a SUNY Orange Student ID# (A#) to apply for scholarships through this system:
- Apply for a SUNY Orange Scholarship
- Submit a Reference for a Scholarship Application
- Visit the SUNY Orange Foundation Website
Once you complete your general application, you will be automatically matched with scholarship opportunities based on the information you provide, as well as other data being imported from your SUNY Orange student account. To see these opportunities, please review your Recommended Opportunities Page.
If you are awarded a scholarship, please note that any scholarship of $500 or less will be paid out in a single semester. Any scholarship over $500 will be paid out in two equal payments over two semesters (ie: A $1,000 scholarship recipient will receive $500 for the Fall Semester and $500 in the Spring Semester.) If there are any circumstances that require scholarship money to be paid out differently, students should contact Sharon Hood from the SUNY Orange Foundation at sharon.hood@sunyorange.edu.
All scholarship monies will be paid directly to student accounts.
If, for any reason, a student receives more financial assistance than they require, the SUNY Orange Foundation reserves the right to decrease the scholarship amount in order to award additional monies to other deserving students.
This system is for SUNY Orange Scholarships only. If you are interested in other financial assistance opportunities such as the New York State Excelsior Scholarship Program, you can visit our Financial Aid homepage for more information.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Sharon Hood at (845) 341-4725 or sharon.hood@sunyorange.edu.
Tips on Applying for Scholarships
- Represent yourself honestly but be fair to yourself.
- Check the qualifications listed for each scholarship and design your application to show how you meet those qualifications.
- Look at your application from the sponsor’s viewpoint and evaluate whether you can improve the case you made to support of your qualifications.
Scholarship Essays
Many scholarship sponsors require that applicants write an essay, sometimes on a given subject, to demonstrate their writing abilities. These essays will be judged on whether they are carefully organized, well-written, interesting, and original. Don’t be afraid to be original. Remember, no one else can represent your own unique outlook as well as you.
You will most likely find it useful to make an outline and other notes in advance. For assistance in structuring your essay, you might want to consult the section on Elementary Principles of Composition in Strunk and White’s book, "The Elements of Style".
Here is a video with a few tips on the presentation of the scholarship essay.
- Check for typos, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes
- Follow all formatting instructions.
- Use good-quality paper.
- Use a professional-looking font with text size between 10 and 12, 14 for the headings.
- Make sure that the papers look neat and have no unnecessary creases.
- Mail in a large envelope, so the papers will remain unfolded.
Letters of Recommendation
Many scholarship applications ask for letters of recommendation. These are typically required to come from teachers, school counselors, employers, or other people who have interacted with you in either an academic or professional setting. Letters usually should not come from family, relatives, family acquaintances, or friends.
Avoiding Scholarship Scams
- Never pay money to apply for, to search for, or to receive a scholarship.
- Don’t reveal credit card numbers or other personal data that has no connection to your eligibility for a scholarship.
- Check out organizations that sponsor scholarships. Do they have a website? A working telephone number?
- Beware of an offer for a scholarship that you did not apply for.
Federal and State Grants and Scholarships
Scholarship Search Organizations
Students may want to register with more than one search organization, since none will have a database containing all available scholarships (keeping in mind that there can be a lot of work attached to each application).
Search Organization listing 40 companies which perform scholarship-search services:
A Sampling of Search Organizations
Search organization with very large databases of scholarships—for instance:
- ScholarshipExperts.com - over two million scholarships.
- Bold Scholarships - one million scholarships
Search organizations focusing on international scholarship opportunities—for instance:
Search organizations that sort scholarships by students’ attributes and background, as well as by name of scholarship—for instance:
- CollegeToolkit.com -- includes a list of actual scholarships
- Peterson's
Tax Considerations
To evaluate whether your "free money" is also tax-free, see the IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
(It may also be that you can declare your personal computer as a deductible expense for income-tax purposes.)
HELPFUL LINKS
