Jobelle Calimag
UC Santa Cruz
"My mother is one of seven children, and I am the oldest of sixteen cousins on her side of the family. Nobody from my mom's side of the family has graduated college in the United States, so I'll be the first to do so.I know I must set a good example to follow. Although at times it's a struggle, it's also my source of motivation. I've done my best to get help and ask questions from people outside of my family, to reach out to college preparatory programs, to truly achieve and excel in school, all the while thinking of my fifteen cousins. In truth, I will not be attending a university alone. They will be with me every step of the way."
Resources for Scholars
College Admissions and Preparation
CSO College Center - an online clearinghouse of college programs and information for first-generation college, low-income, and minority students. A free and publicly accessible site, we encourage students to utilize CSO College Center to research colleges and register a ConnectNow profile to send academic and extracurricular information to colleges of interest.
Opportunity Scholars - once students register on ConnectNow, they are deemed Opportunity Scholars, and in addition to the benefits derived from the CSO College Center website, students will receive monthly Opportunity Scholars eNews and are eligible for the $1,000/year, four-year renewable Opportunity Scholarship upon enrollment to a CSO partner college.
College Access & Opportunity Guide - The College Access & Opportunity Guide is the first comprehensive college guidebook dedicated to promoting college opportunity for the traditionally underserved.
Financial Aid
Federal Financial Aid
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - form required to process and award financial aid for all federal funds and most state and school-based awards.
Student Aid on the Web - one-stop source for free information from the U.S. Department of Education on preparing for and funding education beyond high school.
California Financial Aid
California Student Aid Commission - website listing state-based financial aid programs for Californians.
Scholarships - list of scholarships identified by Meritus that may be of interest to Scholars.
Meritus Nursing/Allied Health Scholars
Download the Nursing/Allied Health Resource Guide (Adobe Acrobat PDF). This guide will help you identify which degrees are eligible to recieve the Meritus scholarship, help you decide what type of healthcare program to select, help you identify schools that match your criteria, and give you some helpful hints about being a student in nursing or allied health.
Low-Cost Textbooks
Job Opportunities
Internship Opportunities
Tips for Scholars
Alumni
If you are a former recipient of the Meritus Scholarship and want to stay connected through events, mentoring and networking, join the Meritus College Fund Alumni Circle on Facebook (www.facebook.com).
Contact Meritus if you are interested in meeting with a professional in your field of interest at scholars@meritusfund.org.
Contact Meritus if you are interested in providing resources to a new scholar at scholars@meritusfund.org.