Students interested in a career in sports information can apply for one of four scholarships presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The association will present two Graduate Scholarships and two Undergraduate Scholarships this spring, marking the 25th consecutive year of the awards program.
The CoSIDA Scholarships Committee is designed to help maintain the future of the profession, helping outstanding students achieve their goal of a sports information career. The committee recognizes potential through its Graduate and Undergraduate scholarships, providing funds for students to continue their education at each level. Currently, two Graduate (each $5,000) and two Undergraduate Scholarships ($2,500 apiece) are awarded each year. These programs also provide instant benefits for the sports information profession, as the award-winners gain experience in a sports information environment by assisting in current-day operations at the respective institutions. Many former scholarship winners currently serve on the committee, representing the success the committee has had over the years.
Eric Braley of the University of Northern Iowa and Indiana University graduate Kristopher Sears received the graduate awards for 2004-05, while Mississippi State University’s Cassie Chance and Colorado State University student Nick Kiger gained Undergraduate Scholarships.
The Graduate Scholarships represent the longest-running and most prestigious awards presented by the committee, dating back to 1981. Eligible applicants must carry a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for all undergraduate (and graduate, if applicable) academic work to date. They must show an intention to pursue a career in sports information and will be required to demonstrate proof of enrollment in the graduate school of the student’s choice before funds will be released. Winners must be college graduates prior to the beginning of the fall, 2005, term, with projected date of completion of graduate work no sooner than the end of the spring, 2006, term (May or June, depending on the respective school’s academic calendar).
Applicants for the Undergraduate Scholarships must be nominated by supervising sports information director, and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for all undergraduate academic work to date. They must have junior or senior status for the 2005-06 school year and express an interest to pursue a career in sports information.
In addition, the committee will award one $10,000 Graduate Internship Grant, to provide assistance for sports information offices that do not have sufficient staffs to accommodate the increasing responsibilities often placed on them. Through the Graduate Internship Grant, CoSIDA provides funds for sports information offices to hire a graduate assistant on a one-year basis, hoping the success of the program can help the schools demonstrate the need for additional assistance in the future. The creation of these positions and internships is another way to help continue the growth of the profession.
For the Graduate Internship Grant, the applying SID must submit the application form, along with a one-page declaration of need outlining the personnel structure of his/her office. The intern selected by the winning school must be a college graduate. It is the hiring SID’s responsibility to see that the intern meets this criteria. An institution may receive a CoSIDA Internship Grant one time in any three-year period. CoSIDA Internship Grants are available only to sports information offices without paid graduate or undergraduate interns.
The deadlines for applications are April 1 for the Scholarships and April 8 for the Graduate Internship Grant. Applications for this year’s awards can be found in the CoSIDA Digest, and also on CoSIDA’s web site (www.cosida.com). On the web, go to the "forms" section and scroll approximately three-quarters of the way down the page to find the appropriate links.
For further information on any of the scholarship programs, please contact the coordinators listed on the respective forms, or committee chair Robert Hester (hesterhuskies@yahoo.com). For a complete history on the awards, log on to http://www.cosida.com/news.asp?id=374.