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University of South Dakota
Scholarship Application
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Which scholarships can I apply for using the Online Scholarship Application
- Students may apply for the following scholarships with the Online Scholarship Application:
- Mickelson Scholarship
- Presidential Alumni Scholarship
- Al Neuharth Scholarship for Excellence in Journalism
- Sanford School of Medicine Alumni Student Scholars Program
- Ullyot Lakota Scholarship
- USD School of Law Honor Scholar Program
- Are these the only scholarships available to freshmen at USD?
- No. Additional scholarships may be available for exceptionally talented students in program-specific areas such as ROTC, theatre, music, art and athletics. Auditions or other application criteria may apply.
- State, community and private scholarships may also be available for students entering USD.
- Coyote Commitment. All accepted freshmen students are automatically considered for the Coyote Commitment scholarship. You do not need to submit an online scholarship application for consideration for the Coyote Commitment.
- Visit http://www.usd.edu/admissions/freshmen/scholarships for additional information on USD scholarships.
- Am I required to apply for all of these scholarships? What if I’m not interested in some of these scholarships, have chosen a different major or do not meet one or more of the qualifications?
- Students submitting the online scholarship application are automatically considered for all scholarships that match their qualifications.
- If an essay is required for a scholarship for which you do not wish to apply, simply skip the essay and leave that essay section completely blank.
- Which scholarships require essays?
- One 500-word essay is required for all students submitting the online scholarship application (page 5 of the online application)
- Additional essays are required for the following scholarships and may be submitted using the Online Scholarship Application:
- Al Neuharth Scholarship for Excellence in Journalism (500 words) (page 7 of the online application)
- Sanford School of Medicine Alumni Student Scholars Program (4,000 characters) (page 7 of the online application)
- Can I save information on a page and return to that page at a different time?
- Yes. Click on the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of the page.
- You can log in and out of the application as often as needed up until the application deadline.
- IMPORTANT: Do NOT click “Submit.” Once you submit, you will no longer have access to change your application
- How much time do I have to complete the application?
- You may save your information using the “Save and Continue” button and log in and out of the application as necessary up until the application deadline.
- The application will time-out after 40 minutes on each page. If you are on a page for more than 40 minutes and do not click the “Save and Continue” button during this time, you will be automatically logged out of Scholarship Manager.
- What is the best way to complete the essay question(s)?
- Carefully read the instructions for the essay before writing.
- We recommend completing your essay(s) using Microsoft Word or any other word processing application. You can easily check your essay’s word/character count and will not be restricted by the 40-minute limit before your page times out.
- When you have completed your essay, you can then copy and paste it into the appropriate essay text box in the online application.
- Make any format adjustments to ensure your essay is easy to read.
- What if I don’t answer a mandatory question?
- All mandatory questions must be answered before you will be allowed to submit your scholarship application.
- Before you can submit your application, you will receive a warning message listing the mandatory question(s) that were not answered along with a link to those pages.
- Click on the link to access any pages/questions you need to complete.
- What do I do if a reference does not receive my e-mail request?
- Confirm the reference email is correct. If the address is incorrect, remove the incorrect email address and enter the correct e-mail address.
- When the address is correct, alert your reference to expect an email from notify@ngwebsolutions.com. The reference should receive the email within one hour.
- Try re-sending the email invitation.
- If your application has been submitted, click on “Manage Letters of Recommendation” in order to send a reminder e-mail.
- Some email accounts will automatically send your email request to the reference’s junk/spam mail box. Alert your reference to this possibility and request your reference to check their junk mail box. School email accounts - especially K-12 schools – often have strong security filters that prevent the delivery of unfamiliar email.
- Ask your reference if you can send the email invitation to their personal email account. Many personal email accounts are less likely to automatically send your email invitation to the junk mail box.
- How do I change or remove a reference?
- If the application has not yet been submitted: click on “Continue Application”, withdraw the reference from the application and click on “Save and Continue” to save the changes.
- If the application has already been submitted: click on “Manage Letters of Reference” and click on the withdraw button next to the applicable reference.
- To add a new reference input the reference information in the newly-opened reference box. Once entered, click on the “Save and Continue” button for open applications or the “Save and Return” button for submitted applications.
- How are my references contacted to make sure they have received my e-mail invitation and successfully completed my scholarship recommendation?
- It is your responsibility to contact your recommenders and provide support for them as they complete and submit your scholarship recommendation by the deadline.
- You will not be considered for scholarships unless the required recommendations are submitted by the appropriate deadline.
- Can I access my recommendations AFTER I have submitted my scholarship application?
- Yes. Click on “Review your answers” and then click on “Manage Letters of Recommendation” to change, update or send a reminder to your reference.
- How do I know if my recommendations have been submitted?
- You can log in and monitor the status of your recommendations at any time before the deadline.
- Click on “Review your answers” and then click on “Manage Letters of Recommendation”.
- Check the status of your recommendations.
- Can I print a copy of my completed application?
- Yes. On the summary page you will find a link for a “Printer-friendly version” of your application.
- Click on this link to print your application.
- Can I change any answers after submitting my application?
- No. Once you submit your application, your answers are final.
- Will I receive a confirmation once I submit my application?
- Yes. When your scholarship application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail at the email address you provided when creating your online scholarship account.
- What is the next step in the scholarship awarding process?
- Once the applications have been reviewed, scholarship finalists will be invited to interview via web.
- If the scholarship criteria does not require interview, scholarship recipients will be notified via a mailed letter.
- Typically, most USD undergraduate scholarships are awarded mid-December.
- Do my transcripts need to include my 7th semester grades? What if my 7th semester grades are not yet posted?
- 7th semester grades are not required. Scholarship applicants are asked to list the classes they have/will complete during their senior year (Page 2, “Senior Year Coursework”). A student may elect to send an updated transcript, but that transcript it must be received by Dec 1.
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