Scholarship leaders and club presidents were briefed in May about changes being made to the Alumni Scholars Program (ASP). Since then, there are updates that we want all club leaders to know concerning the new process.

Starting this fall, students will be directed to the Alumni Association website to complete the ASP application process. Application links for all ASP scholarships will be posted in a chart organized by the name of participating clubs.

How will the new application process work?

• Application links will be live from November 1 through February 1.

• Students will visit the ASP webpage on the Alumni Association site.

• Students will locate and click on the appropriate club link, the application opens, they complete the form and click SUBMIT. They’ll receive a notification when the form is submitted successfully.

• The Alumni Association (Leslie Smith) will be notified when a student submits an application.

• The Alumni Association will send scholarship leaders a spreadsheet of all applicants for their club’s scholarship(s) by mid-February.

• All applicants information will be sent electronically in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

• Your scholarship committee will read, score, rank and interview as it normally does.

• The completed cover sheet and rank sheets will need to be electronically sent to the Alumni Association, as usual. Forms are available on the scholarship page of the Group Leaders website.

Why is this process changing?

• Application submission will be easier for students.

• To help ensure the privacy of the student and their information.

• Updating to work with today’s students is important and necessary. Ohio State is a competitive admissions university and not the same institution it was when the Alumni Scholars Program was created in 1980. Our philosophy is, first, do what is right for the student, then make it work for Ohio State.

• Applications will be branded and consistent across all clubs, which strengthens the Ohio State brand and puts all students on a level playing field.

• Reviewing applicants will be easier for scholarship leaders. The electronic spreadsheet can be shared with committee members by forwarding the document.

What is new?

• University offices of admissions and financial aid will collaborate with the Alumni Association to market the club scholarships.

• Scholarship leaders will not receive a list of students to email. This will be a huge time saver for the scholarship leader. No more emailing students over the holidays.

• The application process will be open for three months (November 1–February 1).

• Instead of emailing students, scholarship committees should focus on marketing club scholarships to guidance counselors, fans, friends, and alumni. Reach out to guidance counselors via email, share information on your group’s website and post opportunities on social media. Information to share with guidance counselors can be found on the scholarship page of the Group Leaders website.

• This process will not expose the personal email of the scholarship leader or committee members.

• Although ASP is still a merit-based program, it will no longer be required for a student to be in the top 10 percent of their high school class to receive the $600 ASP. Many high schools no longer provide a rank to students. Their application should speak to the kind of student they are.

• All forms available for scholarship leaders have been updated on the Group Leaders website.

• Each club will need to update their website to reflect these changes. Submit a club communications request via Workfront, contact your Regional Engagement Officer (REO), or if your site is managed locally, contact your webmaster.

Questions?

Your REO and/or Leslie Smith will be in contact with each scholarship leader soon. They can walk you through the online application with scholarship leaders. It’s very easy to navigate. Your club scholarship application and link are being built now and will be posted on the Alumni Association website by November 1.

We welcome all club leaders to join us at Symposium on September 5–6. Leslie Smith will be hosting a session on Thursday, September 5 from 5–6 p.m. in the Mount Leadership room at the Longaberger Alumni House.