Late in 2014, in an effort to more efficiently manage scholarship processing, Henry Ford College (HFC) implemented AcademicWorks. This new system automatically matches students to scholarship opportunities that they are qualified to receive. Students have until Tuesday, March 31, to apply for scholarships for the fall 2015 semester.
AcademicWorks is the leading software provided for scholarship management solutions for colleges, universities and foundations. This system eliminates lengthy manual processes and better matches applicants to available scholarships.
To date, 706 students have applied for scholarships in comparison to the 544 total applications received last year. A. Reginald Best, Jr., HFC vice president of Development, directs the credit for having an influx of scholarship applicants to AcademicWorks.
“AcademicWorks has effectively managed the scholarship process here at HFC and better serves our students. It continues to enhance the overall scholarship process for applicants, donors and the HFC Scholarship Review Committee. The fact that we have 150 scholarship applicants more than last year at this time last year speaks volumes,” said Best.
Applicants can access information on HFC scholarships at https://www.hfcc.edu/tuition-and-payment/scholarships. Click on Apply for HFC Scholarships. Students will then be able to sign into AcademicWorks with their college login. Users will be prompted to answer five simple questions:
· First name,
· Last name,
· Email address,
· Career goals (optional), and
· Extracurricular goals/activities (optional).
The site then directs students to all of the scholarships that they are qualified for by using their imported college credentials. Based on that, it directs them towards additional scholarships that they can apply for that require an essay or responses to a series of questions, as well as other requirements pertaining to a particular scholarship. The Scholarship Management system also suggests additional scholarships to students, allowing them to more efficiently complete their supplemental application information.
To enhance stewardship, scholarship donors receive acknowledgement online at the time a scholarship is awarded to a student. Donors can easily find their scholarship fund, description, and profile page represented on a site branded to their company or foundation.
“I am very pleased to see how effectively AcademicWorks has positively impacted our students so soon out of the starting gate,” said Best.
Best is also head of the HFC Foundation, which was established in 1982 by the HFC Board of Trustees as a tax-exempt organization for the explicit purpose of raising funds in support of the College’s mission of providing affordable and accessible educational opportunities to area students. Toward this end, the HFC Foundation manages a $12 million endowment with more than 200 private scholarship funds from a variety of donors. Annually, the Foundation has approximately $300,000 available to be awarded to students in the form of scholarships.
The Foundation’s biggest fund-raising event is the Annual Mike Adray Memorial Golf Tournament, which will be held on Wednesday, May 20, at the prestigious Dearborn Country Club (www.dearborncountryclub.net/), located at 800 North Military St. in Dearborn. The Adray Tournament provides critical funding for 100 scholarships of $1,000 each. Organizers are actively seeking event sponsors and golfers to participate this year.
If the 2015 Adray Tournament raises $80,000, more than 80 students will receive a scholarship to attend HFC. With the cost of college tuition rising each year, it’s more important than ever to help students realize their higher education and career goals.
The AcademicWorks scholarship process ends Tuesday, March 31, so students – new and returning – are encouraged to go https://hfcc.academicworks.com/ to apply. If you have any questions regarding scholarships or the Adray Tournament, please contact the Foundation Office at 313-845-9620 or at or email foundation@hfcc.edu.
Source: HFC
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