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Scholarship Opportunities

There are a variety of scholarships that Liberal Studies students can apply for. Some of the ongoing opportunities are described below. Additional opportunities can be found by searching the SDSU Financial Aid Office website . Also, be sure to check the Liberal Studies home page for announcements about new scholarships.

APLE
The Assumption Program of Loans for Education is a competitive teacher incentive program designed to encourage students to become teachers and serve in either a critical teacher shortage area or in schools that meet specific criteria.

APLE may assume up to $11,000 in outstanding educational loan balances in return for four consecutive years of full-time eligible teaching service in a California K-12 public school. Participants must agree to teach in a California public school in a designated subject matter area or in a school that meets criteria specified by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Up to  $8,000 additional loan forgiveness (up to $19,000 total) is available to candidates providing teaching service in special areas, such as mathematics, science, special education and public schools ranked in the lowest 20th percentile.

For more information regarding eligibility and applications, please visit http://edweb.sdsu.edu/ceac/aple.htm.

Division of Undergraduate Studies Study Abroad Incentive Scholarship
This scholarship is intended to support study, research, or internship in SDSU-approved programs abroad. Applications will be accepted from Liberal Studies majors who are enrolled full-time at San Diego State University. Applicants must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.

• Application Deadlines (visit for exact dates):
        + Applications are generally due in April for programs in the following Summer, Fall and Academic Year.
        + Applications are generally due in November for programs in the following Spring and Winter/Spring.
• Scholarships are awarded annually, with average awards ranging from $1,000-$2,000.
• Applications will be rated on the following:
        + The quality of the applicant's response to the essay questions.
        + The applicant's financial need.
        + The relevance of the chosen study abroad program to the applicant's academic program and career goals
        + The length of the applicant's study abroad program.
        + The applicant's cumulative grade point average.
• Students may apply for study abroad scholarships even if they have not yet applied or been accepted into their chosen study abroad program, but award money will not be released without proof of acceptance to an authorized study abroad program.
• Students may download a writeable application from http://dus.sdsu.edu/international/ . For more information contact Karey Sabol at ksabol@mail.sdsu.edu or 619-594-2200.

The Neva and Ralph Smith Scholarship
The Neva and Ralph Smith Scholarship is designed to help future teachers, especially those with financial need, who are talented and serious about engaging the minds of their students. The application period runs from August to February. The Scholarship value is $2,000. Please see Neva and Ralph Smith Scholarship website for more information.