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CSU StanislausSTARS Online ScholarshipApplication Instructionshttps://banner2.csustan.edu/stars/
Contents: Eligibility CriteriaBefore You BeginLogging inPersonal InformationOpening QuestionnaireAcademic InformationFree-Form QuestionsAttaching Documents Letters of Recommendation Academic TranscriptsRecommended Scholarships2
Applicants must be a fully matriculated student and have a declared major(except for entering freshmen). Full-time enrollment is required of all scholarships unless otherwise notedin individual scholarship criteria. A minimum of 12 units for undergraduates and teacher credential students A minimum of 8 units for graduates in a graduate program. A minimum GPA if required unless otherwise noted within individualscholarship criteria. All documents, or essays required for individual scholarships must becompleted or scholarship application will not be reviewed.3
Your CSU Stanislaus 9-digit student IDA current email address Your academic information Some scholarships are based on financial need which require you to complete the FreeApplication for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/Letters of Recommendation Know your academic major (unless you are entering student) and what degree you areseeking (check your MyCSUStan for this information)Complete the 2012-2013 FAFSA form by 3-1-2013 Be sure to keep your email address current in STARS – this is where we will send anycorrespondence regarding your scholarship application.These can now be requested online through STARS (instructions to follow)An unofficial copy of your academic transcript Required if you are a new student to CSU Stanislaus for the 2012-2013 academic year4
Prepare your responses to the Free-Form essay questions. Your STARS online session will time-out in about 15 minutes so be sure to prepare yourresponses in WORD first, then copy and paste into the appropriate section in STARS.Use spell-check when preparing your responses.DO NOT use all lower-case when typing your scholarship application. It is what the scholarshipreviewers will see and it will affect the quality of your application.Read all instructions and criteria carefully. It is very important that your application be complete and filled out correctly in order to beconsidered for any CSU Stanislaus scholarships. When completing each section of the application click on ‘Save and Exit’ or‘Save and Continue’ at the bottom of each page or your data will not be saved. The scholarship application process is very competitive Be sure to apply your best effort and allow sufficient time in order to present the bestscholarship application possible.5
Use Windows Explorer 6.0 orhigher, allow pop-ups and enablecookies to access STARS. Click ‘START HERE’ to begin. Afterinitial registration, you’ll use your‘User Name’ & ‘Password’ to logback in to STARS. If you usedSTARS in a previous year at CSUStanislaus, you will continue touse the same login. If you need to stop at any point,you may click on ‘Save and Exit’and continue your applicationlater.6
Complete all required information(marked with an asterisk). You must provide a valid emailaddress. All contact pertaining tothis scholarship application will besent to the address you provide. If you change your email address inyour ‘MyCSUStan’ account, it willnot be changed in your STARSapplication – you will need to alsochange it in STARS. When you complete this page andother pages within the STARSapplication, click on ‘Save andContinue.’7
Read each questioncarefully beforeanswering. Keep in mind that thequestions refer to yourstatus in the upcoming fallsemester and not yourstatus at the time youcomplete the application. Additional questions willappear as you progressthrough the page.8
Select your high school from thedrop-down menu and indicate yourhigh school grad. date (required of allstudents). If your high school is not listed, choose‘Other, Not Listed’ from the drop-downmenu. If you are transferring from acommunity college, you will berequired to indicate the college youare transferring from and the date ofyour (exp.) grad. date. Select your college major*, and yourexpected graduation date from CSUStanislaus. Also indicate yourcumulative college GPA.* All students applying for scholarships atCSU Stanislaus are required to have adeclared major – except for incomingfreshmen students.9
NOTE: It is best to first prepare your responses in WORD, and then copy and paste into the appropriatesection as STARS may time-out before you are able to finish – your work would then be lost. However, youare able to type your responses directly into STARS (editing tools are available) if you wish.Essay Question #1 (Explain your educational & career goals) requires a page to a page and a half of text.The scholarship award process is competitive, but the more effort you put into this section, the better yourchances of receiving a scholarship.DO NOT type in all lower case – this will lower the over-all quality of your application and weigh againstyour chances of receiving a scholarship.Be sure to do a spell-check as well as a grammar-check.Take your time – you can log out and log back in to STARS in order to fine-tune your application right upuntil the deadline date of 3-1-2013.10
Recommendation Forms –For scholarships that require letters of recommendation, you can upload the completed documentsdirectly to your STARS application. If you are not able to scan and upload your completed document, you can send it to the Financial AidOffice and we will do it for you. The online Letter of Recommendation Form can be found /Schol-recomnd-form.pdf Teachers/Professors are able to type directly to the online form, print it out and either fax or mail to theFinancial Aid Office. Scholarship applications without the required letters of recommendation forms will not be reviewed.Academic Transcripts –If you have had your transcripts sent to our Enrollment Services Office, THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE DOESNOT RECEIVE COPIES OF THEM. You must arrange to have unofficial transcripts sent separately to theFinancial Aid Office (copies printed from the internet will be accepted). Unofficial copies of your academic transcripts are required for all students entering CSU Stanislaus for thefirst time in Fall 2013. High school transcripts as well as any/all schools attended prior to enrolling at CSUStanislaus.11
Your ‘Recommended Scholarships’ arethose that best match yourqualifications based on the informationprovided on your scholarshipapplication. To view the scholarships on this list andto see detailed criteria, click on ‘ApplyNow.’12
A description and specific criteria islisted for each scholarship. Verify your qualifications byclicking on each appropriate box. Complete each application asthoroughly as possible. If an essay is required, be sure tocomplete the essay on thespecified topic (if the essay on thespecified topic is not completed,you will not be considered for thatscholarships. When complete, click on ‘ApplyNow.’ Follow these steps for allscholarships provided on your list.13
Log on as often as you need inorder to complete your scholarshipapplication up to the deadline dateof March 1, 2013. Be sure to keep your email addresscurrent in your STARS account. Complete your 2012-2013 FAFSA byMarch 1, 2013. After the deadline date, you can logon to check the status of yourscholarship application. If you have any questions, pleasecontact our ScholarshipCoordinator at (209) 664-6587 or byemail at dgarz@csustan.edu14
For scholarships that require letters of recommendation, you can upload the completed documents directly to your STARS application. If you are not able to scan and upload your completed document, you can send it to the Financial Aid Office and we will do it for you. The online
