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College of Business

Resources, tools, and tips to help you thrive financially.

Navigating college finances can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. This resource page is designed to help you take control of your financial journey with confidence. Explore a variety of resources, including scholarship opportunities, peer financial counseling, and financial aid. Whether you’re looking to budget smarter, reduce student debt, or plan for the future, these resources will equip you with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions.

Scholarships

At Central Washington University, we’re committed to helping you succeed—starting with financial support. The College of Business alone awards over $175,000 annually to its students, and both new and current students are encouraged to apply through their MyCWU account. Too many students miss out on these opportunities because they assume they won’t qualify. But here’s the truth: you can’t win if you don’t apply!
  • How to Apply- Accessing the Application Platform

    1. Login to your MyCWU portal- my.cwu.edu
    2. Click "Student" on your dashboard to access your student dashboard
    3. Click "Financial" on the left hand menu.
    4. Click "Scholarship Application" in the Financial menu
    5. When it opens the Scholarship Central page, click "Sign in with Your School Account"
      • This will open AwardSpring, the platform we use for scholarship applications.

  • How to Apply- Fill out the General Scholarship Application

    Now that you have accessed Scholarship Central, you will need to complete the general scholarship application. 

    The application will ask you a bunch of questions that help determine if you are eligible for any of the scholarships that we have. 

    Don't worry, we are going to help you!

    1. In the menu on the left hand side, click "Application"
    2. The general application is divided into three parts
      • General Information
      • Academic Information
      • Qualification Questions

    General Information

    Read the information at the top of this section carefully. It will remind you to log in frequently after you complete your application to see if you are eligible for any new scholarships if they are added after you apply or if you are eligible due to a change in your GPA/Financial Aid information.

    The question part is short and will ask you what county you are from and which country. This is typically where you consider your permanent residence to be.

    Academic Information

    This section will ask you about your major and other academic information. Be very careful in this section as this section will determine what scholarships you see.

    Below are some of the areas students commonly have troubles with.

    1. Major Information- This is where you enter your major. If you are doing more than one, you can include more than one.
      • Some students will accidentally select Business and Marketing Education. This is not a College of Business major. Business and Marketing Education is a degree program for people who plan to teach career and technical education at the high school level.
    2. What type of degree- All major programs in the College of Business are Bachelor of Science degree programs at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Professional Accountancy and a Master of Business Administration.
    3. High School- Choose the option that is most representative of your high school. If there isn't one, choose "Other high school."

    Qualification Questions

    These questions help the software sort through all the scholarships to determine which ones you are eligible for. Do your best to answer the questions and select "none of the above" or "other" where something doesn't apply to you.

    Once you are done, click the submit button.

    The application will process and match you to scholarship opportunities.

  • How to Apply- Applying to Specific Scholarships

    Once you complete the general application, the scholarship platform will provide you a list of specific scholarships you matched with. Image of the list of scholarships a student matched with

    1. Click the "Complete" button for the specific scholarship you want to apply to. Once you click "Complete," you will be able to see the details and what materials are needed.
    2. Answer any questions the scholarship asks and upload any requested documents, such as an essay. See below for helpful information about using the same essay and materials.

    Important- You don't need to write several different essays!

    If a scholarship is a designated scholarship for the College of Business, it will request you upload the same three documents. You can use the same three documents for all College of Business related scholarships.

    You will know a scholarship is a College of Business scholarship because it will say "The College of Business requires three documents to be uploaded with your application."

    Those three things are:

    1. An Essay of No More than 1000 Words- Address topics like:

    • Educational goals and aspirations
    • Honors, awards, extracurriculars, and work experience
    • Any special considerations relevant to the selection committee

    TIP: Tell your story—explain who you are, your future goals, and how the scholarship will impact your life. Don't rehash your resume. You will have two documents to tell your story, your essay and your resume.

    2. Resume- Include information about:

    • Relevant club/volunteer work
    • Leadership roles
    • Professional experience

    3. List of Three References- The contact information (email, phone, address) for three people willing to serve as a reference if contacted. You do NOT need a letter of recommendation, just individuals willing to be a reference for you:

    • Consider asking faculty, supervisors, volunteer organizers, or advisors
    • Avoid using family, friends, or roommates as reference

    Once you upload the three documents to a College of Business scholarship, look to see if it requests any other information and provide that. Then click "Submit Application."

    Take a look at this example, the Ralph A. Conner Family Accounting Scholarship to see what a College of Business scholarship looks like.

     

    Example of scholarship a student can apply to

    REMINDER: YOU CAN USE THE SAME ESSAY/RESUME/REFERENCES FOR ALL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Advice for Applying for Scholarships

    Identify Available Scholarships

    • Scholarship Central: All students should submit a general scholarship application. Not all scholarships require essays (All College of Business do, but there are tons of scholarships at CWU).
    • Community and External Scholarships: Look for additional opportunities offered by community organizations, identity-based groups, and local businesses.
    • Avoid Scams: Avoid scholarships that require a fee or ask for sensitive information like your Social Security or bank details during the application process.

    Understand the Timeline

    • Scholarship Central: Opens mid-October and closes by March 1st. Check the Scholarships page for up-to-date information.
      • Review Period: Applications are reviewed between April and June.
      • Notification: Most scholarships notify recipients by late April to July. Some awards may be granted later during the school year.

    Edit Your Materials

    • Utilize writing tutoring services (essay) or Career Services (resume) for feedback.
    • Ask a trusted friend or family member to review for errors.

    If You Receive a Scholarship- Write a Thank You Note

    • Always write a thank you note to the donor.
    • Use it as an opportunity to introduce yourself and express gratitude.
    • This can also serve as a networking opportunity.

    Apply to All Relevant Scholarships

    • Don’t count yourself out—apply to every scholarship that fits your qualifications.
    • The same documents can often be reused for multiple applications, especially for College of Business scholarships.

Other Resources for Financial Wellness

CWU offers several resources to support you, even when times are tough. Check out some of these amazing campus resources.

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