By CATHY ANN SCHMIT
Scholarships are given as gifts, not only as rewards for hard work, said Sue DeMartini, director of scholarships at BYU.
'BYU has a unique purpose for giving scholarships,' DeMartini said. 'The university sees the awarding of scholarships as an investment which they hope students will return through alumni donations and service in the kingdom.'
Scholarships are offered to give students a good start and to recognize hard work in hopes that they will continue to work and serve, DeMartini said. They are a serious investment.
'I'd love to donate in the future if there is an opportunity,' said scholarship recipient, Jennifer Morgan, a junior from Layton, majoring in international relations.
'Scholarships are offered to students who have demonstrated a serious and diligent commitment to academic excellence as an investment in their education,' said Stephen Hill, private scholarship coordinator.
'It didn't sink in then, but now that I am at BYU and only a few months away from graduating, I really feel responsible to give back something. I learned a lot about responsibility and just how much I was given,' said Cristyn Newport, a senior from Danville, Calif., majoring in marketing.
The funds for scholarships either come from funds of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is ultimately tithing, or from private donations, DeMartini said. The tithing funds are gifts which are sacrifices from individuals who may not have had or may not ever have the opportunity to attend BYU, she said.
'It helps me take my education more seriously, knowing that my scholarship comes from people who have sacrificed for me,' Morgan said.
The board of trustees has increased scholarship funding for continuing students for the 1996-1997 school year as well as given more funding for spring and summer terms, DeMartini said.
BYU wants students to understand that there is a pressure felt by all involved in the scholarship process, DeMartini said
Even though the funding has been increased, there are limited funds because the request for scholarships has grown as well as the number of students qualified for these monetary gifts, DeMartini said.
BYU would love to give more money in addition to the 70 percent subsidized tuition to all students who attend the university, Hill said.
For those applying for scholarships, the application has been simplified and there is now only one generic form used instead of a separate form for each type of scholarship, Hill said. This allows a student to fill out only one form even if he or she fits into several scholarship categories, he said.
Continuing students can use the telephone system, Hill said.
'Reapplying over the phone is great. BYU makes it easy to reapply,' Morgan said.
BYU is considering further changes in the awarding of scholarships, DeMartini and Hill said.