Many Students Leave RCTC Less In Debt Thanks To An RCTC Foundation Scholarship
- The RCTC Foundation offers scholarships for RCTC students only.
- More than 300 students will receive scholarships this year.
- Scholarships range from $200 to full tuition, with $1,000 being the most common award.
- Your chances of getting a higher score increase if you follow directions and submit written, thoughtful, and articulate statements or essays.
Scholarship criteria
- Work.
- Financial need.
- Demographics.
- Geographic area.
- Major.
- GPA.
- Community service or volunteer work.
- Extracurricular involvement, such as band, sports, or clubs.
- An essay response to a question.
- Plans after graduation.
What reviewers look for
- Criteria met.
- Extra effort on statements and essays.
- Grammar and punctuation.
- Responses that do not include slang, abbreviations, or casual tones.
- Personal effort.
- Completeness of answers.
- A letter of recommendation, if required by the specific scholarship.
How to apply
The online portal for applications is open September 14 through October 31.
Apply online
The link to the online application and information on how to apply is posted at www.rctc.edu/foundation/scholarships
APPLY NOW
What you will need
- Time: Set aside at least one hour.
- Email address: Use your RCTC email address if available. If not, use an email address you check frequently.
- Transcript: Upload a copy of your most recent transcript with your name blacked out.
- Financials: If applicable, enter your financial need, financial aid, or FAFSA amounts when prompted.
Assistance
If you need assistance, contact the Foundation Office at 507-281-7771 or [email protected].
Tips and examples
The application consists of six parts:
- General Information,
- Academic Information,
- Financial Information,
- Extracurricular Activities/Community Service/Work Experience,
- Essay Questions, and
- Qualification Questions.
General information
- This is where you fill in your personal information.
- Use your RCTC email address, such as [email protected].
Academic information
Academic status:
- Incoming: First-year students, including transfer and PSEO students who have graduated high school and are attending RCTC.
- Returning: Second-year students continuing at RCTC or students returning after an absence.
- Graduating and transferring: Students graduating from RCTC and pursuing further education at a four-year institution.
Financial information
Explain your financial need for a scholarship. Financial need is the difference between the cost of attending college and the resources you have available to pay for college.
Extracurricular activities, community service, and work experience
Tell us about any extracurricular activities you participate in, any volunteering or community service work you do, and any clubs or organizations you are part of.
Examples of volunteering or community service work
- Mentoring or tutoring.
- Nursing homes.
- Hospitals or hospice.
- Volunteer fire department or ambulance service.
- 4-H.
- Special events such as ringing bells for Salvation Army.
- Red Cross activities such as blood drives or emergency prep.
- United Way.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Boy or Girl Scout activities.
- Environmental projects or Adopt-a-Highway.
- Adopt a Grandparent or homebound elderly companion work.
- Humane Society, animal shelters, or zoo volunteer work.
- Future Farmers of America.
Tell us about your work experience or history, including past or current employment.
Essay questions
Do not copy the examples below word for word. We want to hear your authentic story.
Our reviewers also score effort, not just essay answers. Most questions only require a paragraph of 500 words or less.
It is a good idea to draft your essay in Word, run spelling and grammar checks, and then copy it into the application.
Why are you choosing to pursue higher education?
Write a statement explaining why you are choosing to pursue higher education. Consider how it benefits you personally, how it benefits your community, and, if applicable, list other higher education institutions you have attended with the total credits earned and GPA.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| I believe education is power, and I would love to gather as much knowledge as I can. I would love to be a role model for my children and others.
The personal value of obtaining a college degree extends through an entire lifetime. College graduates are more likely to find gainful employment, have stable families, and be active and productive citizens. |
To better myself and to have the opportunity for a good future.
I am pursuing higher education because I do not want the average job where I only know the basics. |
What are your future educational plans?
Write a statement explaining your future educational plans. Include your specific goals, why you are pursuing your current program, what you plan to do after graduation, and how your interest connects to your academic life and the rest of the world.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| I would like to pursue an associate degree in nursing and eventually move on to a bachelor’s degree. I want to become a nurse to help others around me who cannot help themselves. I feel it is very important to be in the health-related fields for those who need medical attention.
Attend RCTC for two years, then transfer to the University of Minnesota to finish my bachelor’s degree. After I finish my bachelor’s degree in science, I plan to apply to medical school. |
Continue to a four-year school.
I plan on taking all the required courses for this program besides whichever ones did not transfer from previous colleges. If I am lucky, I will graduate someday. |
What are your future career plans?
Write a statement explaining your future career plans. Show a clear career path, such as teaching, mentoring, working with young people, or serving your community.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| After I receive a bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology, I plan to use the education I get from both majors and work for a business where they can both be put to good use and someday open my own business.
After I’ve completed my degree program, I will become licensed to teach Social Sciences to middle or high school students. I would like to do this for a while, then return to school to get my master’s degree and possibly teach at the two-year college level. |
I’m not quite sure other than that I want to either work in one of the fields of film or video games. To make it a bit clearer the job I would like in either field is to create the idea as my own.
My goal is to work in a variety of large construction projects anywhere in the world. |
Why are you a good candidate for an RCTC Scholarship?
Write a statement explaining why you deserve an RCTC Scholarship. Consider how receiving a scholarship would help you achieve your goals and why the Foundation Selection Committee should invest in you.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| I believe that I deserve a scholarship because I work very hard to uphold an exceptional GPA and I am a driven, goal-oriented student looking to make a difference in the world. I would be a good investment because I am determined to succeed and plan to impart knowledge to future generations of students.
I currently hold three jobs to support my college education and living arrangements and have faced many challenges balancing work, school, and volunteering. Receiving a scholarship from the RCTC Foundation would make it possible for me to continue my education at Winona State University to gain knowledge and develop the skills I need to provide support and advocacy to people in crisis and help them overcome obstacles in their lives. A scholarship would also provide me with the opportunity to reduce work hours so that I can focus on academic success. |
I want to get the best education for a lower rate, and RCTC feels like the best option I have.
I need it and I would really appreciate any type of help that I can get. |
Is there anything else the committee should consider?
Are there any factors or experiences that influenced your personal growth?