Siena College Offering Two New Transfer Scholarships Exclusively for HVCC
Siena College is offering Hudson Valley students two exclusive new transfer scholarships. Depending on eligibility, students may receive $14,000 or $7,000 in scholarship money, in addition to any other financial aid. The Franciscan Scholarship is a $7,000 award given to Hudson Valley students who have a 3.1 cumulative GPA or higher. “[Students] do get that throughout their time to finish their degree at Siena, so it is an annual award. We do ask that they maintain a 3.1 GPA,” said Jennifer Sloan, Siena College’s Associate Director of Admissions.
The second scholarship is the Siena College Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, awarded automatically to all transferring members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) National Honor Society. Sloan said, “There’s no cap on how many of those we’re giving out. It’s an unlimited amount, so if you are in Phi Theta Kappa, you automatically get it. The only stipulation with both scholarships is that you must enroll at Siena as a full-time student, so 12 credits or more.” Both scholarships cannot be awarded to the same student, so if a student is eligible for the PTK scholarship, the student will not receive the Franciscan scholarship. Students in all programs and areas of study are eligible for the scholarships, provided they meet the GPA requirement and/or the PTK membership requirement.
“Basically, all you need to do to get the actual scholarship is we need you to apply. We have a free online application, we have a free paper application, [and students] simply submit their transcripts, a letter of recommendation, [and] a final high school transcript,” saidSloan. Once students have applied for admission to Siena College, the scholarships are automatically awarded to eligible students without any additional paperwork or procedures. PTK members need only indicate their membership on the application form to receive their award. According to Sloan, upon completing the application, students are informed of the admissions decision within two weeks. The tuition rate for attending Siena College is approximately $30,000 annually. The PTK scholarship covers almost half the tuition, while the Franciscan Scholarship covers about a quarter of it.
Sloan said, “If a student files a FAFSA, which is the only form we require, they may qualify for additional aid, whether it’s NYS Tap or Pell grants. They may qualify for some Siena grants, too, so it may bring them over half the cost.” After acceptance into Siena College, transfer students are given an upfront credit evaluation, informing them of how many of their credits will transfer over to Siena and how long degree completion will take based on that.“ The good news is the majority of credits from Hudson Valley do transfer over very nicely into our degree program[s] and most of the students are able to complete their degree if they’re coming with their Associate’s in four full-time semesters,” said Sloan.
Hudson Valley and Siena have a formal articulation agreement that allows for smooth transfer into a number of degree programs at Siena, directly after completion of an associate’s degree from HVCC. “Some students may look at cost when they look at private schools and they may think only the SUNY route, but we really want to encourage students to give us a look, give us a shot, because we might be able to come up with a pretty generous package for them,” said Sloan.
More information on the new transfer scholarships is available from the Center for Counseling and Transfer, CTR 260.