By Sam Desatoff

The deadline for Fresno State students to file the Free Application of Federal Student Aid for the 2014-2015 school year is March 2.

As the FAFSA deadline approaches, the financial aid office will process student applications and determine who is eligible for awards. That date is not the last chance students have to submit their applications, but Fresno State director of financial aid Bernard Ogden encourages a prompt filings.

“We do not have an unending checkbook,” Ogden said. “Those who apply earlier have a better chance of receiving awards.”

In an effort to alleviate any confusion surrounding the application process, Ogden emphasized the use of on-campus resources. The financial aid office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Those seeking scholarships should act with equal haste.

The priority deadline for scholarship applications is today, said Gregory Varela, manager of the scholarship office at Fresno State.

Students applying for various scholarships are only required to fill out a single application form. That form is then inserted into a database that will automatically match the student to available scholarships.

While the automatic method of scholarship matching is convenient, Varela said there are a number of human characteristics that donors look for in students.

“Donors encourage students to look at the list of scholarships themselves,” Varela said. This way, students can find scholarships based on their interests and not solely on their major.

A large portion of the student body does not apply for scholarships. Varela attributes this to the myth that scholarships are only reserved for those with valedictorian-like grades.

“The majority of scholarships are reserved for those students who are simply doing well in their major,” he said. “Very few actually go to the top 1 percent.”

Varela says there is a very rewarding aspect to allocating money to deserving students.

“It can be very validating to students to be recognized by the school,” he said. “And it’s nice to be a part of the department responsible for rewarding them.”

Students are advised to inquire about available scholarships throughout the semester and not simply at the start of the new term. Varela said new scholarships are always being added.

Ogden says there is also a noticeable pattern regarding the timeliness of students applying for financial aid.

“There are always people who will apply the first chance they get, and there are always students who put it off to the last minute,” Ogden said. “But the majority of our students file on time.”

When asked what students can do to help their chances of receiving aid, Ogden again stressed timeliness.

“Apply early,” he said, “and attend school full-time.”

To those students who have yet to apply for aid, Varela offers words of encouragement: “If you’re smart enough to attend Fresno State, you’re smart enough to apply.”

Students can access the scholarship application at www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/scholarships.