University students searching for money to pay for college expenses should look no further than their own departments to find it.

Nancy Ferguson, assistant director in the Office of Student Financial Aid, said academic scholarships available to students are awarded through the individual departments of the University.

“Students who apply for FAFSA by the March 1 deadline are automatically screened for need-based scholarships,” Ferguson said. “However, there is very limited funding for those scholarships, so we usually only have 100 or so to give out to 30,000 students.”

Ferguson said students have better luck looking for scholarships in their departments and should look there first when searching for scholarships.

Diane Miller, director of undergraduate services in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said Grady students can apply for scholarships once a year.

“We have an application process which usually runs from January to February, where students can apply for scholarships awarded for the upcoming year,” Miller said.

Miller said Grady offers students a variety of scholarships, some of which are need-based, and some of which are academically competitive.

“It just depends on what the person who endowed that scholarship wanted it to be given for,” she said.

However, Miller said the number of scholarships given to students last year dropped substantially from years before. She said 16 scholarships were awarded last year, as opposed to 72 scholarships in the spring of 2008.

“All scholarships are endowment-based and rely on the stock market. If the stock market drops, then there are no funds to give out to students,” Miller said.

Ferguson said students can also look outside of the University to find scholarships. She said OSFA has links on its Web site to help students find outside scholarships.

“Students should never pay to find scholarships. All the information you need can be found for free with just a bit of time and effort,” Ferguson said.

Another option available to students on-campus are ROTC, or Reserved Officer Training Corps, scholarships offered by both the Army and Air Force.

Major Kevin Fracassa, scholarship and enrollment officer of Army ROTC, said AROTC provides a variety of educational benefits for students. He said students enrolled in college are eligible for AROTC scholarships if they meet the requirements for ROTC.

“You have to be a U.S. citizen, pass a military physical, meet physical fitness standards and serve in the Army for four years after you graduate,” Fracassa said.

Fracassa said students can also be eligible for G.I. Bill benefits after they serve.

“ROTC is more than just a scholarship, it’s more than just a way to pay for college, but will definitely put you head and shoulders above your peers,” Fracassa said. “Getting a scholarship requires a lot of work … it never hurts to start early.”