Youdon'tsay

I called the office, and the guy I spoke to was not at all helpful. He didn't seem to understand what I was asking at all.

1) When do you find out about scholarships? Do you find out all at once -- departmental, merit? Is that a different time from when you learn about financial aid?

2) Under "scholarships," ds's Howdy portal shows that the status for the Student Profile Form is "awaiting." The guy on the phone said he couldn't even see that screen. Is that holding up the scholarship process? Ds asked his counselor and she said she sent it weeks ago.

I have more questions but will stop there for now.

bandnerd91321

No, the scholarships seem to trickle in. Under my Howdy portal, the scholarships changed from one to another until the total amount was set. For instance, I would get one scholarship which was higher and negated another scholarship. The total would never go down, it always increased until the very end. Engineering scholarship was the last one to go in. Hope that helps!

Youdon'tsay

Thanks! That does help. Ds already got a certificate saying he has a $14K scholarship for being a National Hispanic Scholar, and yet that number isn't showing up at all. That's partly why I'm confused.

But we just got something in the mail today from the Honors program. I'll read that and maybe it will answer some questions. If not, at least there's an Honors contact who might be more helpful than the other office was. Thanks, again.

Also, I assume financial aid won't come until well in the spring, after FAFSAs are filed? We qualify for the Assurance financial aid, and I'm confused how that might affect any other aid we'd receive.

bringbackpluto

Youdontsay, we have encountered similar frustrations regarding scholarships. The information given thus far has been vague and confusing. Depending on the the source (either letter, website, brochure) scholarships for NM kids are sent out in February or March; however, we have also been told that scholarships are sent out on a rolling basis each month from the Honors Program and that some NMSF kids who are deemed "competitive" for NMF will receive offers early. We have been told that scholarships from the university and from the departments go out at different times. DS applied (also submitted scholarship app.) and was accepted way back in the middle of September and nothing has appeared on his Howdy Portal. Other than a certificate promising 2K for being a NMSF, we have received nothing in the mail, etc. Hope this helps.

Youdon'tsay

LOL, it helps me know that I'm not crazy! I've seen the same things -- scholarships are announced in March, but here's 14K, we offer them on a rolling basis, etc. I'll get ds to call on Monday and see what he can find out.

bringbackpluto

YouDon'tSay: Yes, you are not alone! Whatever you find out, please post here so we can all compare!

Youdon'tsay

Pluto, ds called with a bunch of questions. They said March 1 is the drop-dead date to find out about all scholarships so I guess we'll be sitting tight for a while.

bringbackpluto

You Don't Say: FYI DS got scholarship package in the mail today! 3 Scholarships from Honors and a list of ones he is to claim once named as NMF. It came with a summary sheet of his scholarship package and a scholarship reply form to accept/decline the scholarships that is to be returned to A&M. So, I guess they are sent out on a rolling basis after all!

Youdon'tsay

Awesome! I'll be looking for it.

Are you happy with the amount?

bringbackpluto

You Don't Say, DS applied mid-September so I don't know if it is being done by acceptance date or not. The packet says he still may be eligible for other awards;(???????) however, it appears that so far he will have about 95% of tuition & R/B for 1st year paid for, & about 75-80% of the other 3 years. In addition there is about 3K for study abroad and an addition 1K for senior year. We are going to National Scholar Day next Friday, so if there is anything in particular you would like to know........

Youdon'tsay

Sounds like a great package!!! Congrats to him.

I'm wondering: Are the scholarships reflected in the Howdy portal? Ds's status now shows that they've received everything so maybe it won't be too much longer. He applied in late September/early October and got word in mid-October of his acceptance.

gxgal7

Yes, if you go to the "My Record" tab of the Howdy portal, there is a box that says "Financial Aid." All loans and scholarships will be reflected here. You can click on the link in the box for the details.

Youdon'tsay

Then how come ds's $14K for being a National Hispanic Scholar isn't there? They already sent the letter and certificate saying it's his, even before his acceptance, I think, but it doesn't show up on the Howdy portal. That's what's confusing to me. I'm sure they send that letter as an enticement to apply so it doesn't "mean" a lot, but I would think that by now some of this stuff would catch up and come together.

We'll just keep waiting.

gxgal7

My son knew he had his main scholarship in the fall, but it didn't show up on his Financial Aid portal until May. Don't worry, your son has the scholarship, it just takes a LONG time to show up. I think they don't start finalizing all the financial aid details until they get done with the overall admissions process in the spring.

bringbackpluto

You Don't Say....my DS's scholarships are not listed on his Howdy Portal yet, so don't stress. My DS was accepted late September, so you are not too far behind us! I know that any scholarships from the university as whole will not be out until much later. The same goes for departmental scholarships. We also got dorm information in the packet. National Merits Finalists, Hispanic Scholarships, etc. are first priority for Freshman Honors Housing if they accept their scholarships by April 1st.