| What Is GSA? | The Greenwich Scholarship Association is a non-profit umbrella organization that awards need-based scholarships from numerous local sponsor organizations. Nearly all of GSA's scholarships are for use in the first year of college only and are not renewable. GSA tries to match qualifying students with the criteria that each organization has set for its own scholarship (e.g., extracurricular involvement, GPA, intended major, etc.). After your GSA interview in April, you may be chosen to receive a particular sponsor's award; other awards are available directly from GSA's general funds. |
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| What does 'need-based scholarship' mean? | Need-based scholarships are awarded only to candidates who have demonstrated financial need. Students who qualify for the GSA scholarship process have shown that their family's financial resources (including income and savings) will not cover their cost of college. |
| How do GSA and its sponsors award their college scholarships? | Every student that GSA interviews will be awarded a minimum scholarship of $500. Additional funds are reserved for those students who, after consideration of their college financial aid package and their family's ability to contribute to the cost of college, still demonstrate an unmet financial need. In addition, many of our sponsors are looking for certain qualities in addition to financial need (e.g., involvement in a particular activity, interest in a certain field of study, or academic excellence). Together, these factors will determine which award(s) you will receive.. |
| How much scholarship money can I expect to receive? | Last year (2011) with 122 recipients, the minimum scholarship awarded was $500, and one student received the maximum award of $10,000. Based on award increments of $2,000, the highest number of recipients last year fell into the $500 - $2,000 category. However, the amount of money awarded varies from year to year, as do the number of students who qualify for the GSA scholarship process. Please understand that it is impossible to meet every student's full financial need, particularly as the cost of college has risen. |
| What happens if I change my college after I receive my awards from GSA? | Your award(s) are based on your demonstrated financial need as of Scholarship Night. Those awards may be subject to change if you switch schools after Scholarship Night. It is therefore extremely important that you communicate any changes in your college choice or financial aid package to GSA as soon as possible. |
| When is Scholarship Night? Do I have to attend? | Yes! Scholarship Night is Thursday, June 14 at 7:00 PM in the GHS Auditorium. ATTENDANCE AT SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT IS MANDATORY. Failure to attend Scholarship Night will result in the loss of your award(s). Your money will be awarded to other candidates! You will receive a written invitation by mail for the Scholarship Night, and you must RSVP. If you are unable to attend because of an illness or a school-related conflict, then you must arrange with GSA before Scholarship Night to have a family member or GHS faculty member attend on your behalf.
Congratulations again! We look forward to seeing you on Scholarship Night. |
| To contact us, please call | GSA President GSA Development Chairman phone 203-661-5015 |