Multiple ASU freshmen were wrongly invited to apply for a scholarship earlier this month when they were encouraged to apply for the Medallion Scholarship, an award only high school seniors are eligible for.
On January 5, the ASU Alumni Association sent out an invitation to a group of ASU freshmen asking them to apply for the Medallion Scholarship, a annual, renewable $3,500 scholarship, the Medallion Scholarship, that amounted to $3,500.
According to the Alumni Association’s website, "eligibility is limited to recipients of ASU's Dean's Scholarship, which is awarded to Arizona high school seniors based on academic performance.”
However, current ASU freshman students received a letter through the mail stating that they were eligible as well.
Vice president of Programs and Constituent Relations of the Alumni Association Alissa Pierson, explained that the mistake was made by ASU's Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, not exactly by the Alumni Association.
“They (Financial Aid and Scholarship Services) sent existing students the invitation,” Pierson said. “Which is separate from the Alumni Association. The scholarship offices apologized and did let us know that it won’t happen again.”
Dominique Ziegler, a current freshman journalism student at ASU who was wrongly sent the invitation to the scholarship, was looking forward to applying.
“I so would’ve applied,” Ziegler said. “It could have really helped out because even though I have the Dean’s Scholarship already, that only goes so far."
Ziegler was at first confused when she received the email four days later by the Alumni Association explaining that their mistake.
“I really didn't understand what was going on when I received the email at first,” Ziegler said. “But then I realized that I wouldn’t be able to even apply let alone have a chance to even get the scholarship. It just really just got my hopes up.”
Ziegler said the scholarship money would have greatly helped her family pay for her education.
“I could have used the money to help my family pay for my tuition and housing,” Ziegler said. "Even though it wouldn’t cover everything, it would still help out.”
The email stated that, “Over the weekend it was discovered that the letters were inadvertently mailed to the wrong list of recipients. The letters should have been mailed to high schools seniors who will be freshmen at ASU beginning Fall 2017 (not current ASU freshmen).”
A current Parks and Recreation student, Ryanne Mueller, who was awarded a different scholarship by the Alumni Association at the beginning of this school year, the Legacy Scholarship, has felt the benefit of the association’s financial assistance. She said that without it, she couldn't afford school.
“The whole reason why I chose ASU was because of the scholarship and this program because it is so much money that helps,” Mueller said. “It pays for the dorms, it pays for a lot you know. It’s awesome. I would not be here without it.”
However, Mueller did feel that Alumni Association and Financial Aid and Scholarships Services made an error.
“I feel like it’s kind of crazy and a big mistake to miss on,” Mueller said. “But I mean mistakes happen. You can’t really blame them as long as they know they’ve corrected it.”
Reach the reporter at mmbaiett@asu.edu or follow @marcellabaietto on Twitter.
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