Scholarship Service Program Philosophy

MTSU academic scholarship recipients are required to complete 75 hours of service to MTSU each semester. For more information about academic scholarships for incoming freshmen, please visit http://scholarships.web.mtsu.edu/incomingfreshman.htm.  For information about scholarships for incoming transfers, please visit http://scholarships.web.mtsu.edu/transfers.htm.

We believe that the service requirement provides valuable experience to students, as well as helping scholarship recipients make important connections with students, staff, and faculty. The experiences you have in the Scholarship Service Program may help you

þ     determine the direction your educational path takes.

þ     make connections with people who can assist you in meeting your academic and career goals.

þ     build skills and abilities for your future career.

þ     enhance your résumé and find a job in your chosen field after graduation.

Scholarship Service Program Placements

If you are the recipient of an academic scholarship of $2600 or more per year, you will be assigned to an MTSU academic or administrative department to complete your service hours. Please click here for a list of departments which participate in the Scholarship Service Program.

You may request up to three specific departments by emailing the scholarship department at bmccarty@mtsu.edu by June 1 of each year. We will make every effort to place you in one of your top three choices; we were able to approve more than 90% of the requests for the 2006-2007 academic year. In early August, you will receive notification of the department to which you have been assigned; unless you or your supervisor requested a transfer, you will return to the same department each year.

If you do not submit your request by June 1 and wish to transfer to a different department, you may submit a Scholarship Service Transfer Request form, available at http://financialaid.web.mtsu.edu/Forms/Transferform.doc. Transfer requests will be accepted after the second week of each semester and must be signed by both your current supervisor and the supervisor of your requested department.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I complete service hours?

• Most departments are open between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm and will schedule you during those hours. They will work with you to schedule around classes and other conflicts.  Please be flexible!
• Service hours may be completed on evenings and weekends, if both you and your supervisor agree to the schedule.
• Service hours may be completed in the week before the semester starts or during mid-semester holidays (such as Spring Break), if both you and your supervisor agree to the schedule.

Can I work for pay in the same department that I complete my service hours?

• You may work for pay during the same semester, either through the Federal Work-Study Program or through the departmental budget. The first five hours worked per week will be unpaid and will count toward your service requirement. Please contact your supervisor to determine whether paid student positions are available in your department.

What are the rules?

• You will be expected to follow general courtesies, such as following the office dress code, completing tasks as assigned, maintaining a professional attitude, reporting for scheduled hours, and calling if you are unable to report for any reason.
• Please show up on time, at the times scheduled.  If you are not able to come at scheduled times because of illness or other issues, you should notify your supervisor as soon as possible.  You will also need to make up the missed service hours. 
• Please remember that your requirement is to provide service to MTSU.  That is, you need to spend your time completing assigned tasks rather than spending the time studying or chatting with friends.
• Your service hours will be academic or administrative work, such as filing, answering phones, helping with research, grading papers, shelving books in the library, or monitoring a computer lab.  Please perform the tasks you are asked to perform.  Even Directors of entire departments sometimes have to complete work that seems boring!
• If you have a conflict with your supervisor or a coworker, please work with the person to resolve the conflict.  While we can transfer you to another department if you are unable to settle the issue, keep in mind that you cannot switch jobs in the “real world” every time you have an argument.  This is a great chance to build conflict resolution skills!

What should I do if I can’t complete the service requirement for a semester?

• If you are serving as an officer in an MTSU club or organization, participating in a Study Abroad program, or completing student teaching or nursing clinicals, you may request a service waiver for that semester.  You must request the waiver again each semester.  Please email the scholarship department at bmccarty@mtsu.edu if you believe you may qualify for a service waiver.
• If you are reported during a semester as not completing the service hours, your scholarship for the current term will be cancelled. You will have an opportunity to resume working and regain the scholarship, if all missed hours are made up.
• If you are reported at the end of a semester as not completing the service hours, your scholarship for the upcoming term will be cancelled. You will have an opportunity to appeal to regain the scholarship if you were unable to complete the hours due to extenuating circumstances.
• If you find that you will not be able to complete the requirement due to extenuating circumstances, you may file an appeal during the semester to request that your hours be reduced.  You can find the applicable appeal form at http://financialaid.web.mtsu.edu/Forms/Scholarship Appeal Form.doc.