Scholarship Instructions

Scholarship Instructions (PDF)

The Scholarship Application must be completed online at: https://laspositascollege.academicworks.com/

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In general, applicants must have completed a minimum of 12 semester units (by the end of Fall term 2018) at Las Positas College and be currently enrolled in at least 6 units of Las Positas classes with two exceptions:

Concurrently enrolled high school students and middle college students are not eligible. 

 International Students (students with a ‘F1’ VISA) are eligible for all scholarships for which they meet the qualifications. 

Application Process:

To access the General Application, click “Sign in” and use your college issued “W” Student ID and your corresponding CLASS-Web or The Zone password to login.

After you have completed your General Application and any supplemental questions, the system will automatically match you to scholarships you are eligible for based on your responses and the information from your Applicant Record.

The system may recommend additional scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible for. However additional steps must be taken to be considered for those scholarships. It is advised that you read all pages and instructions carefully in order to take advantage of all your available opportunities. Please do not apply for scholarships for which you are not recommended for, since you do not meet the full qualifications. If you believe you should be considered, please contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if our program logic is incorrect.

Some scholarships require the applicant to demonstrate financial need; in order to be considered for those scholarships a 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa) or a 2018-2019 California Dream Application (https://dream.csac.ca.gov/) if you are an AB540 student according to Admissions.

The “Deadline” column indicates the scholarship submission deadline.

Funds for scholarships awarded this spring will be provided during the 2019-20 academic year to help with educational expenses.

Additional scholarship opportunities may become available after you have completed the General Scholarship Application. It is your responsibility to check your Academic Works page frequently for additional scholarship opportunities that may become available.

If you are awarded a scholarship you will receive an award email sent to your college email address in early May.

For detailed information on how to use this system, download our Frequently Asked Questions or call (925) 424-1581.  

Need Help with the Scholarship Application?

We will have Scholarship Application Assistance at the Online Service Center (OSC) next to Admissions and Records.

Date	Time	Location

Need Help Uploading Your Forms?

For assistance in uploading your personal statement, transcript, or recommendation form, please drop in at the LPC Computer Center, Building 800 Room 803, for assistance. They will help you scan any necessary forms as a .pdf file and will assist you in uploading forms to your application.

• Computer Center Information

Personal Statement

(Required of all applicants)

You must type a PERSONAL STATEMENT in the general application, which should address background, interests, any hurdles the student has had to or needs to overcome, the goals student has set for him/herself in his/her schooling, career path, and personal life, and how s/he plans to achieve those goals.

You can also attend a Smart Shop session. Visit the Smart Shops website for more information.

Date	Time	Location

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of your application.  You are competing with other applicants, and you want your statement to be able to convince the scholarship committee to choose you over other students.  Do not be afraid to brag!

Write a statement telling about yourself. Explain the goals you have established for yourself in your schooling, career path, and personal life, address how you plan to achieve them, and why you feel you are particularly qualified or deserving of a scholarship.  You may wish to address work, family and dependents, hobbies, special interests, involvement in college, community or family activities. 

Analyze what interests and activities in which the sponsors of your awards are interested. For example:

Business Women's Network: community activity, business activity, organizational skills; Faculty Group: academic achievement and drive, service to school and community; Radio Club: tinkering with ham radio, building electronic boards

Then look at what you have to offer that group, and organize your statement to show:

• Who am I? (Student up-dating job skills, your future goals, etc.)
• Where am I going? (Life and career goals)
• What have I done to show I am helping myself?

It is especially important to be clear about your academic goals!

Need Help Writing Your Personal Statement?

Help with your personal statement is available in the Reading and Writing (RAW) Center. All students are welcome with reading and writing assignments for any class.
(PDF) 10 steps to writing a winning scholarship essay

Unofficial Las Positas Academic Transcript

(Required of all applicants)

You must request an unofficial transcript from the Admissions and Records Office. Your unofficial transcript will be emailed to you. You must upload your transcript in your general application. A print-out of your unofficial transcript or grades from CLASS-WEB or the ZONE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

LPC Students, please request a free copy by submitting a Transcript Request Form directly to Admissions, but request your transcript no later than March 7 and must be picked up no later than March 11, 2019 at 3:00pm.

• LPC Students Academic Transcript Request Form

Scholarships requiring instructor Letter of Reference

Please Don't Wait Until the Last Minute

There will be some scholarships that require a reference/recommendation letter. After you complete the general application, you will be asked follow up questions. If a letter of recommendation is required, you will be asked for the name and email address (check for spelling accuracy) of the faculty member who will be providing you a recommendation. It is advised that you discuss with them prior to providing their contact information so that they can expect the email. The staff or faculty member will receive an email from the scholarship system regarding your request for recommendation. The staff or faculty member must submit the recommendation online by uploading into the system. They must follow the instructions in the email they receive and not provide you a hard copy letter.

We suggest you email your recommender information about yourself that will help your instructor personalize your recommendation. Be sure to include your name, W number Student ID, identify the courses and terms when you took the course, and your proposed major/academic goals. Other suggested information that may help your recommender includes your academic achievements, future college/vocational/employment plans, and related interests.

Please check the email addresses for accuracy or your instructor may not get your request.

Scholarships requiring the student to have submitted a FAFSA or DREAM application, or to qualify for a Promise Grant Fee Waiver

If you have not applied for financial aid for the current school year, it’s not too late! File a 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.
If you are an undocumented student who has qualified for AB540 status, you file a 2018-2019 Dream Application instead (https://dream.csac.ca.gov/).
Be sure you have listed Las Positas College as your college or we will not receive your FAFSA results!
BE CAREFUL THAT YOU FILE THE 2018-2019 FAFSA and NOT the 2019-2020 FAFSA for scholarship purposes! The 2019-2020 FAFSA is for next school year (next fall 2019/spring 2020) and won’t help you now!

If you have not yet applied for FAFSA/DREAM Application it’s not too late, but you should complete the appropriate application by March 02, 2019 (Cal Grant Deadline) to ensure LPC receives it in time. Contact the financial aid office if you need assistance with your application. It takes up to 1 week for us to receive your results once your application is submitted.

We will determine if you qualify for a Promise Grant fee waiver when we receive your FAFSA or Dream Application results. If you are eligible, a fee waiver will be posted to your account and you will be eligible for a refund of enrollment fees previously paid.

All applicants will be notified by email by May 6 whether or not they have been selected to receive a scholarship. Recipients will be invited to attend LPC’s Annual Scholarship Ceremony on Thursday evening, May 16.

Other Scholarships

• Pedrozzi Scholarships
• 2GenFund Scholarship

Outside Scholarships List

A list of current 'OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS’ is posted on the Financial Aid Scholarships page and is updated frequently.

These are scholarships often from local, statewide and national organizations or foundations, which are usually not specifically for Las Positas students, but which may be of particular interest. Occasionally scholarships ARE for Las Positas students only but are selected by outside organizations.

Often transfer scholarship opportunities for four year colleges are listed. Deadlines vary greatly, so make it a point to check the list frequently.

There are hundreds of thousands of scholarship opportunities that an ambitious student can discover. There are several free on-line scholarship searches available which are listed on our webpage.