RISE Scholarship Renewal
RISE Alumni in their second year or higher at an accredited 4-year university currently enrolled in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related degree are eligible to apply for the $1,000 RISE Renewal Scholarship.
Important changes to the renewal process
The RISE scholarship must be renewed on a semester or quarter basis. This means students must renew their RISE scholarship twice a year and will receive two $500 installments.
Semester students must renew their RISE scholarship in the fall semester and spring semester. Quarter students must renew their RISE scholarship in the fall, winter, and spring quarter.
This change was made in order to ensure that you are still enrolled in an academic institution when receiving your RISE scholarship. Receiving all installments will be contingent on whether you are still attending school full time and if you are still pursuing a STEM major.
RISE Renewal Scholarship Requirements
You can apply if you:
- Participated in RISE Program during high school
- Full-time status, in 2nd year or higher at an accredited 4-year university
- STEM Major with GPA above 2.0, or other major with GPA of 2.5 or above
- Are transferring from a community college to a 4-year university
- STEM majors at a community college taking one or more STEM major courses per term may also apply for renewal scholarships if in good academic standing and enrolled full-time.
If this is your first time asking RISE for scholarship funds, please refer to the First-Year Scholarship Request.
Documentation needed to submit:
- 1 Personal Statement Essay
- 1 or more Unofficial Transcripts*
* 1 or more Unofficial Transcripts from all colleges and universities, you have attended and are currently attending.
Personal Statement Essay
Essays should be 500 words, but you may exceed 500 words by a reasonable amount in order to fully respond to the prompt. Essays must not exceed 1000 words. Choose one prompt from the appropriate list below:
Respond to one of the following prompts:
- How has RISE made an impact on your education? Please provide details and examples.
- What services or experiences did you receive from RISE that made you a successful college student? Please provide details and examples.
- How are you applying the knowledge you gained in RISE to your current major and/or academics? Please provide details and examples.
- What major are you pursuing at your college? What made you interested in that field of study? Please provide details and examples.
- Has RISE influenced your decision on what major to pursue? If so, how?
- What are you planning to do upon obtaining your college degree? Please provide details and examples.
- Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.
Respond to one of the following prompts:
- How did attending community college before enrolling into a 4-year university influence your college education? Please provide details and examples.
- What skills have you learned while at a community college that you will use at a 4-year university? Please provide details and examples.
- Have your academic goals changed while at a community college? Please provide details and examples.
- What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field – such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organization and activities – and what you have gained from your involvement.
- Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
In order to ensure timely disbursement of your scholarship, you must ensure that your Personal Statement and Transcript are properly named before you upload it through the google form.
Filenames should include your last name, first name, the phrase "Statement" or "Transcript", the year you are requesting the renewal scholarship, and the word "quarter" if your school operates by the quarter system or "semester" is your school operates by the semester system.
Personal Statement Filename Format: Lastname_Firstname_Statement_Year_Quarter/Semester.filetype
Transcript Filename Format: Lastname_Firstname_Transcript_Year_Quarter/Semester.filetype
Submitting your Renewal Application
Ensure you have all required materials before completing the Renewal Scholarship Application Form.
STEM majors need:
- GPA: 2.0 or above
- 1 Personal Statement
- 1 or more Unofficial Transcripts*
Non-STEM majors need:
- GPA: 2.5 or above
- 2 Personal Statements
- 1 or more Unofficial Transcripts*
*Amount determined by number of colleges and universities, you have attended
Questions? Email Eddie at echavez@csumb.edu