Associated Students Inc., Sacramento State’s student government, provides 18 scholarships to Sac State students so they can stay in school during recent tuition hikes and be active on campus.

ASI offers 15 general scholarships each award is $500 and three memorial scholarships worth $1,000 each. The submission deadline is Friday.

The general scholarships are given to students enrolled in at least 12 units, who are in good standing and have completed one semester at Sac State.

The student must also be an active participant in the Sac State community and explain this in an essay and how he/she plans to continue to be active in the future. Financial need is not a criteria.

There have been several general scholarship winners in the past.

ASI Director of Business Blake Menezes, senior business major and ASI scholarship committee member, won a general scholarship of $500 in spring of 2009. He won the scholarship before he served with ASI.

“I’m paying for my education at Sac State on my own with no help from my parents,” Menezes said. “This scholarship helped me stay in school.”

The scholarship also made him want to get involved with student government after he learned about the contributions ASI made to campus. He became interested in what ASI had to offer and saw how he could contribute to Sac State campus after winning.

The following year, after he received the scholarship, he ran for office and is now the ASI director of business.

“It gave me a jump start, a charge to be active even more,” Menezes said.

He emphasized not taking the back seat but getting involved with organizations and events on campus.

The four-member committee is made up of students who will choose the general scholarship winners. The committee is composed of both non-scholarships winners and past general scholarship winners.

Vice President of Finance Chris Smith, scholarship committee member and senior business major, is looking for students’ involvement on campus, leadership, the outcome of events they have put on and their career plans.

“We look for students who put others before themselves and are invested in their communities,” Smith said. “We want to know if they are doing it for their resume or something they are trying to pursue.”

The rising costs of fees and living expenses make these scholarships pertinent to off-setting the cost of college for students. The funding for the scholarships come from student fees that pay for ASI.

ASI director Dwayne Carter said by awarding these scholarships they are offering relief and providing a better life for students so they do not have to worry about the cost of tuition, food and books.

“Scholarships are important to the campus as a whole during tough economic times,” Carter said. “Although you are faced with financial worries, there are resources out there and it’s important to be mindful and take advantage of these opportunities.”

The scholarship committee brings attention to ASI’s general scholarships to get more students to apply through promotion. The committee’s purpose is to award scholarships andreach outto students to get more applicants.

Last year the scholarship committee received only21 entries and this year the committee is trying to promote the scholarships and get around 100 students to apply.

The Memorial Scholarships honor past ASI board members who had died and are more tailored towards students who have similar experiences.

One Memorial Scholarship is in the name of Chris Ramos, a former ASI officer who was actively involved with environmental causes. For this scholarship the committee is looking for someone who is interested in sustainability and has a record of organizing for environmental issues.

Another scholarship was one dedicated to Ron Tanton, a former ASI officer who was married with two daughters and had a part-time job while attending Sac State but was still very active on campus.

For this scholarship the committee is looking for a well-rounded student who is committed to their education but participates in extracurricular activities.

The Arnulfo Lara Memorial Scholarship, for a former ASI board member, awards a Sac State student who has commitment to community service on campus and to making the Sacramento community better.

ASI Executive Vice President Rylan Gervase, junior government major, said ASI is trying to make a difference for students who are active on campus such as participating in clubs or organizing events.

“It’s rewarding students who take the extra step to be active,” Gervase said.

ASI scholarships are even more important for students nowadays since fees are going up every year, Smith said.

“In the past, they didn’t know how they were going to make it through the academic year. The scholarship allowed them to stay in school,” Carter said. “ASI helped them to live a better, stress-free college life and be able to afford school.”

Mallory Fitescan be reached at [email protected]