Financial Aid FAQ

Scholarships and Awards

The English and Philosophy Depts both have scholarships which they award to students. Each department operates independently of the other. The Texas Tech scholarship process is now centralized and one application is all you need for many of the available funds. Colleges also offer monies so check the website for the college(s) you are in. Go to www.ttu.edu, click on Academics, then on College and Schools, then on the appropriate college.

Helpful hints for a successful scholarship or award application include:

• Proofread! After you have completed the form, go back over it looking for errors or have someone help you with this. They did invent the spellchecker for a reason! Some evaluators simply toss out applications when they find errors.
• Research deadlines and make sure ALL of your paperwork is submitted on time. You may need letters of reference and the people you request letters from may forget. Figure out some tactful way to follow up to make sure the letter was submitted to the proper location.
• Letters of recommendation should be solicited from people who know you AND your work. Your academic advisor may or may not be appropriate. The English Department decided when I first took this job that it was not appropriate for me to write such letters because I would not have the knowledge that your classroom teachers would have so I don't do them for anybody.

The Financial Aid office is the appropriate place to go for other aspects of paying for school.

Emergency Fund

Sometimes students need resources beyond what the Financial Aid office can provide. I've had students who ran out of money and were hungry. Some have sold their books back to the bookstore for money to eat or pay bills. Others have just broken down in despair. I don't want you to be stuck in such straits. Please contact a staff person at Texas Tech and ask for help in finding resources. Each of us has different knowledge so if one person can't help, keep going. Here's some offices you can try:

• Ombudsman for Students
• Dean of Students office
• Student Health Services
• Student Counseling Center
• Your academic advisor
• Your teachers
• If you live in a dorm, your Community Advisor