Here are several things you can do to increase the chances that you will be selected for a scholarship.

Tell your story
When you hit the submit button on the scholarship application, the system will automatically put you in the list of candidates for all scholarships for which you meet the basic requirements (a combination of enrollment status, program of study, self-reported GPA, and other basic facts about you). When the short-list of qualified applicants are reviewed for each scholarship, the reviewers are looking for students who best match specific qualifications for that scholarship. Much of the information reviewers use will be found in the answers to application questions such as “Describe your long-range educational goals and career plans” and the other questions that give you an opportunity to tell your story.

Use the Academic Success Center for help
The Academic Success Center is a free service at Northland. They can help you if you’re having trouble with your scholarship application – especially with the questions about telling your story. You can also contact Amy Sperling in the foundation office with any questions about the application at (218) 793-2468.

Attend full-time (more than 12 credits)
We are growing our scholarships for part-time students, but the majority are still for full-time students taking twelve or more credits at Northland.

Attend classes in-person
We have some scholarships for completely distance/online students, but most are for students at either our East Grand Forks or Thief River Falls campuses.

Get involved in activities at Northland
Whether it’s student groups, Student Senate, or athletics, you will qualify for more scholarships if you are involved in extra-curricular activities at Northland.

Enroll in technical and trade programs
At this time in history, there is a very strong demand for our graduates in technical and trade programs. Many of our new scholarships are intended to attract students to high-demand career fields because our region is desperate for people to fill those positions.

Apply
Recently, nearly 40% of applicants received a scholarship. Between foundation scholarships and the Workforce Development Scholarship, over $400,000 is awarded annually to students at Northland. If you don’t apply, you may get one of our automatically qualified scholarships, but there are far more available to you if you apply. Plus, new scholarships with different criteria are added during the year. Pay attention to your emails for application announcements and deadlines.

Many people think you need high grades to receive a scholarship. This is not always true. Some of our scholarships have a minimum GPA requirement, but many do not. Some are as simple as being in a specific program or having specific career goals. When in doubt, apply!