The term to apply for ‘Scholarship Aviator’ has opened and will be available from Oct. 1, 2023 to Feb. 1, 2024. The program is an initiative that helps students become eligible for scholarships they can apply for in their next academic school year.
What is ‘Scholarship Aviator’?
‘Scholarship Aviator’ is a scholarship initiative opened yearly by the University of Tennessee at Martin. While the title reads like an individual scholarship, the program in much more complex. ‘Scholarship Aviator’ is an annual program that extends from Oct. 1 to Feb. 1 of the current academic school year. The program is open to all current and aspiring students to apply for to be put into a database and matched with individual scholarships. The scholarships are for the next academic school year; so for students who apply this year and win any type of financial assistance, it will be gifted to them during the 2024-2025 school year.
Who can apply for ‘Scholarship Aviator’?
Anyone can apply for ‘Scholarship Aviator’. This program is open to current high school seniors who are attending UT Martin next fall and for current undergraduate students enrolled at UT Martin. Students can apply regardless of age, current grade, or major. Certain scholarships are based upon eligibility in specific programs, majors, or individuality. Scholarships through this program may also have an eligibility requirement such as a minimum grade point average (GPA) or different characteristics that may make a student unique, such as being a non-traditional student.
How does ‘Scholarship Aviator’ work?
The program has a very quick and simple application process. Students can log into the network by searching ‘UTM scholarship aviator’ or by searching through their portal. Students will then be shown a screen that gives three different options: scholarship search, student login, and faculty login. Students then may search individually for scholarships by using keywords. This can be their major, where they are from, or campus organizations they are apart of. Students may be required to fill out essays, individual applications, portfolio reviews, or submit letters of recommendation based on which scholarship they want to receive.
Additionally, students who are already enrolled at UTM may log on to ‘Scholarship Aviator’ and press the ‘apply now’ button at the top of the page. The student will then answer a few brief questions, such as checking their student identification number and name. The application may also ask if they are a first-generation student or non-traditional student. The application covers students who are a part of organizations on campus and who have performed acts of community service.
Next, the application will briefly ask the student to list organizations they’re apart of. This can vary from Greek life organizations to clubs with a monthly meet date. It is important that the student ensure they fill out this application thoroughly when asking about responsibilities in their organization as this can increase their chances of being eligible for specific scholarships that may have fewer applicants.
The application will then cover community service or acts of service that the student has accomplished within the last year. Again, a thorough response is needed describing which organization you helped with or volunteered for and describing what was accomplished by volunteering.
The scholarship may also ask the student to list prior work experience, if any. This can be off-campus jobs, on-campus jobs or internships.
Then, ‘Scholarship Aviator’ will ask the applicant three short-answer questions. The first question is, “Why did you choose to come to UTM and what do you love most about it?” The second, “If you had received any scholarships for the current academic school year, please list them and describe how they have helped you financially.” The final question is described as, “If you had a chance to thank your scholarship donor, how would you/what would you tell them?” Question three specifically asks the student to use full and complete sentences when answering this. Students can utilize their responses to these questions by describing how the financial assistance has helped their journey into college and eased their transition.
Finally, the student is asked to review their application and the process is completed! The student will receive a completion e-mail along with a message that explains what they can do while waiting, such as check the scholarship search engine for more specific scholarships and begin to prepare essays and letters of recommendation. The process is not guaranteed that every student will receive a scholarship, but filling out ‘Scholarship Aviator’ helps students become eligible for scholarships they otherwise may not have known about.
Students are expected to hear back from their donors at any time, so it’s important to consistently check outlets of communication. Once the award is offered, students are then asked to accept the award for the next academic school year.
