College is a tremendous expense for a financially underdeveloped student. Fortunately, colleges are committed to lessening financial strain through loans, grants and scholarships. There are just under 300 scholarships available to qualified students at Kean University. The Office of Scholarship Services devotes their time to making a world-class education accessible. In conjunction with Kean University, they go to immeasurable lengths to grow the pool of available scholarships and provide financial support to those who demonstrate need and academic merit.
The Kean University Foundation offers various named scholarships for its constituents. Brian Treanor, director of scholarship services, recalls the previous extent of the university’s financial philanthropy. He states, “…more than 350 [scholarships] were awarded to students last year through the Foundation” While not every scholarship listed is awarded every year, the list is considerable.. Most Foundation scholarships are granted as annual awards and are extremely competitive in nature. Similarly, scholarship availability and award amounts are variable.
Scholarships have individual criteria that applicants must fulfill in order to be considered. In particular, the Kean University Foundation Scholarship application requires two recommendations from the likes of professors who can attest to the applicant’s character. Qualified applicants are chosen by a campus-wide volunteer committee. The Foundation Scholarship Application Review Committee is comprised of Foundation Board members, current and retired faculty, staff, and alumni. All of these members understand the value of an education and the worth of a scholarship to a student in need.
The timeline of the scholarship process is as follows:
Sunday, March 1: Applications due
Wednesday, April 15: Incoming freshman scholarship decisions rendered
Monday, June 15: Undergraduate and graduate scholarship decisions rendered
Wednesday, July 15: Scholarship acceptance letters due
July 15 – August 1: Awarded scholarships accessible on student’s KeanWISE account
The online application can be accessed at: www.kean.edu/ku/scholarships
Treanor states, “I believe that each and every Kean [University] student should be online applying for a Foundation Scholarship, because while academic merit obviously plays a significant role, it doesn't always necessarily tell the entire story. Besides academic performance, scholarships offered through the Foundation also take into account other vastly important areas of focus such as financial need, community service, volunteer work, and faculty references. In short, they look at the big picture.” In celebration, every year Kean University hosts a Scholarship Recognition Ceremony. The momentous occasion provides the recipients with the unique opportunity to meet and thank their donors in person. With questions regarding the Foundation Scholarship, contact Brian Treanor via telephone at 908-737-3480 or email at btreanor@kean.edu or kuscholar@kean.edu
