EU offers new ‘Sibling Grant’, scholarships

Edinboro University President Julie E. Wollman recently announced the newest scholarship and grant opportunities available to students for this upcoming spring semester; including a brand new universityfunded “Sibling Grant.”

In a recent email to students and faculty, Wollman addressed the new sibling grant, and the benefits it offers to students who qualify for it.

Wollman also expressed that the grant was created “to keep education as affordable as possible for families with more than one child in college and to encourage siblings to seriously consider applying to Edinboro.”

The newly funded “Sibling Grant” will provide $500 per semester — $1,000 a year — for each sibling that is a full-time student at Edinboro University.

The grant is credited per semester of eligible concurrent attendance and can only be applied for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters.

Students applying for the grant must be enrolled in an undergraduate academic program based on the Edinboro main campus, and complete the FAFSA to be considered.

Additionally, siblings receiving the grant must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average and apply annually to continue receiving funding from the grant.

Once the first sibling graduates, the grant will continue funding the sibling that is still enrolled at Edinboro University. However, if either sibling decides to withdraw from Edinboro, the grant will be forfeited.

Wollman urged all students who qualify for, and wish to receive, the newly established grant to apply by Jan. 1, according for the grant to be applied to the upcoming spring semester. However, for students wishing to receive the grant during the 2016 fall semester, the application due date is Aug. 1.

Summer sessions are not covered by the grant, and students will be notified of grant approval in a financial aid award letter. In addition to Wollman’s announcement about the Sibling Grant, Director for University Communications Jeffrey Hileman shared why students who qualify for the specialty grant should apply.

“The university makes aid such as the new Sibling Grant available to students to help ensure their success, both during their time at EU and in life after college,” said Hileman. Hileman also remarked that the university has established a variety of other financial aid methods to help students with tuition and other educational investments.

“The Sibling Grant is something entirely new for Edinboro students, but it’s just one of many, many scholarships and grants that the university and private benefactors have created to ensure that students have access to the life-changing opportunities an Edinboro University education can provide,” he said.

Some scholarships and grants are one-time awards and are based on specific criteria; while other financial aid opportunities can be renewed annually and are based directly on need.

The Financial Aid Office offers a variety of university-based and external scholarships every semester, and students are highly encouraged to apply for all and any scholarships they qualify for.

“The university does everything it can to keep an Edinboro education affordable by controlling costs and providing assistance in the form of grants and scholarships. Pursuing all possible opportunities for financial aid can enable students to concentrate on academics rather than finances and reduces the amount they need to borrow,” remarks Hileman.

For more information on the Sibling Grant, or on other scholarship and grant opportunities, students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office, or visit edinboro.edu and search “scholarships.”

Macala Leigey is a Staff Writer for The Spectator.

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