Oct 13, 2008

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans - About | User's Guide

Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans is comprised of a main section containing descriptive listings on award programs and their administering organizations, and five indexes that aid users in identifying relevant information. Each of these sections is described in detail below.

Sponsors and Their Scholarships

SFL contains two types of descriptive listings:

Entries are arranged alphabetically by administering organization; awards administered by each organization follow that organization's listings. Entries contain detailed contact and descriptive information. Users are strongly encouraged to read the descriptions carefully and pay particular attention to the various eligibility requirements before applying for awards.

The following sample organization and award entries illustrate the kind of information that is or might be included in these entries. Each item of information is preceded by a number, and is explained in the paragraph with the same number on the following pages.

Sample Entry

  1. 3445
  2. Microscopy Society of America
  3. 4 Barlows Landing Rd., Ste. 8 Woods Hole, MA 02543
  4. Ph: (508) 563-1155
  5. Fax: (508) 563-1211
  6. Free: 800-538-3672
  7. E-mail: businessoffice@msa.microscopy.com
  8. URL: http://www.msa.microscopy.com
  9. The Microscopy Society of America was formerly known as the Electron Microscopy Society of America
  10. 3446
  11. MSA Presidential Student Awards
  12. (Graduate, Undergraduate/
  13. Award)
  14. Purpose: To recognize outstanding original research by students.
  15. Focus: Biological Clinical Sciences-Microscopy, Physical Sciences-Microscopy.
  16. Qualif.: Candidate may be of any nationality, but must be enrolled at a recognized college or university in the United States at the time of the MSA annual meeting.
  17. Funds Avail.: Registration and round-trip travel to the MSA annual meeting, plus a stipend to defray lodging and other expenses.
  18. Duration: One year.
  19. To Apply: Write to MSA for application form and guidelines.
  20. Deadline: March 15.
  21. Contact: Alternate phone number: 800-538-EMSA.

Descriptions of Numbered Elements

  1. Organization Entry Number. Administering organizations are listed alphabetically. Each entry is followed by an alphabetical listing of its awards. All entries (organization and award) are numbered in a single sequence. These numbers are used as references in the indexes.
  2. Organization Name. The name of the organization administering the awards that follow.
  3. Mailing Address. The organization's permanent mailing address is listed when known; in some cases an award address is given.
  4. Telephone Number. The general telephone number for the administering organization. Phone numbers pertaining to specific awards are listed under 'Contact' in the award description.
  5. Fax Number. The facsimile number for the administering organization. Fax numbers pertaining to specific awards are included under 'Contact' in the award description.
  6. Toll-free Number. The toll-free number for the administering organization. Toll-free numbers pertaining to specific awards are included under 'Contact' in the award description.
  7. E-mail Address. The electronic mail address for the administering organization. Electronic mail addresses pertaining to specific awards are included under 'Contact' in the award description.
  8. URL. The web address for the administering organization.
  9. Organization Description. Descriptive information about the administering organization, including any former names.
  10. Award Entry Number. Awards are listed alphabetically following the entry for their administering organizations. All entries (organization and award) are numbered in a single sequence. These numbers are used as references in the indexes.
  11. Award Name. Names of awards are always listed. Organization titles or acronyms have been added to generic award names (for example, MSA Undergraduate Scholarships, Canadian Council Fiction Writing Grant, etc.) to avoid confusion.
  12. Study Level. The level of study for which the award may be used. One or more of the following terms will be listed:
    • All: not restricted to a particular level.
    • High School: study at the secondary level.
    • Vocational: study leading to postsecondary awards, certificates, or diplomas requiring less than two years fo study.
    • 2 Year: study leading to a bachelor's degree within two years.
    • 4 Year: study leading to a bachelor's degree within four years.
    • Undergraduate: study immediately beyond the secondary level, including associate, colleges and universities, junior colleges, technical institutes leading to a bachelor's degree, and vocational technical schools.
    • University: study at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate levels.
    • Graduate: study leading to an M.A., M.S., LL.B., LL.M., and other intermediate degrees.
    • Postgraduate: study beyond the graduate level not specifically leading to a degree.
    • Doctorate: study leading to a Ph.D., Ed.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.D.S., D.O., J.D., and other terminal degrees.
    • Postdoctorate: study beyond the doctorate level; includes awards intended for professional development when candidates must hold a doctoral degree to qualify.
    • Professional Development: career development not necessarily restricted by study.
  13. Award Type. The type or category of award. One or more of the following terms will be listed:
    • Award: generally includes aid given in recognition and support of excellence, including awards given through music and arts competitions. Non-monetary awards and awards given strictly for recognition are not included.
    • Fellowship: awards granted for graduate- or postgraduate-level research or education that do not require repayment.
    • Grant: includes support for research, travel, and creative, experimental, or innovative projects.
    • Internship: training and work experience programs. Internships that do not include compensation of some type are not included.
    • Loan: aid that must be repaid either monetarily or through service. Some loans are interest-free, others are not.
    • Prize: funds awarded as the result of a competition or contest. Prizes that are not intended to be used for study or to support professional development are not included.
    • Scholarships: support for formal educational programs that does not require repayment.
    • Scholarship Loan: a scholarship that becomes a loan if the recipient does not comply with the terms.
    • Work Study: combined study and work program for which payment is received.
    • Other: anything that does not fit the other categories, such as a travel award.
  14. Purpose. The purpose for which the award is granted is listed here when known.
  15. Focus. The field(s) of study that the recipient must be persuing.
  16. Qualif. Information regarding applicant eligibility. Some examples of qualification requirements include the following: academic record, citizenship, financial need, organizational affiliation, minority or ethnic background, residency, and gender.
  17. Funds Avail. The number of awards granted and their dollar amounts are included here along with other relevant funding information, such as the time period covered by the award, a breakdown of expenses covered (e.g., stipends, tuition and fees, travel and living allowances, equipment funds, etc.), the amount awarded to the institution, loan repayment schedules, service-in-return-for-funding agreements, and other obligations.
  18. Duration. The length of time an award is active.
  19. To Apply. Application guidelines, requirements, and other information.
  20. Deadline. Application due dates, notification dates (the date when the applicant will be notified of receipt or denial of award), disbursement dates, and other relevant dates.
  21. Contact. When contact information differs from that given for the administering organization, relevant addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and names of specific contact persons are listed here. When the address is that of the administering organization, the entry number for the organization is provided.

Indexes

Field of Study Index classifies awards by one or more of 480 specific subject categories, allowing users to easily target their search by specific area of study. Citations are arranged alphabetically under all appropriate subject terms. Each citation is followed by the study level and award type, which appear in parentheses and can be used to narrow the search even further.

Legal Residence Index lists awards that are restricted by the applicant's residence of legal record. Award citations are arranged alphabetically by country and subarranged by state or province (for U.S. and Canada). Each citation is followed by the study level and award type, which appear in parentheses and can be used to eliminate inappropriate awards.

Place of Study Index lists awards that carry restrictions on where study can take place. Award citations are arranged alphabetically under the following geographic headings:

Each citation is followed by the study level and award type, which appear in parentheses.

Special Recipient Index lists awards that carry restrictions or special qualifying factors relating to applicant affiliation. This index allows users to quickly identify awards relating to the following categories:

Awards are listed under all appropriate headings. Each citation includes information on study level and award type, which appear in parentheses and can be used to further narrow the search. Users interested in awards restricted to particular minorities should also look under the general Minorities heading, which lists awards targeted for minorities but not restricted to any particular minority group.

Sponsor and Scholarship Index lists, in a single alphabetic sequence, all of the administering organizations, awards, and acronyms included in SFL.

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