Scholarship Recipient Selection Process

Each year, Trojan Junior Auxiliary awards scholarships to outstanding junior and senior women at USC. In the last five years alone, TJA has awarded close to $40,000 in scholarships. The selection of the recipients and allocation of the scholarship funds is a detailed operation, but an incredibly rewarding experience. The Scholarship Committee of TJA conducts the entire process between the months of January and April.

Late in the fall semester, students apply for the General Alumni Association (GAA) scholarships at Widney Alumni House. The application is a standard form providing information on students’ grades and their activities, both at USC and in the community. It also highlights awards and honors students have already received.

In early January, the Alumni House makes the consolidated volumes of applications available to the alumni group for review. TJA sends several members of its Scholarship Committee to the requirements: a residence in Southern California and a specified grade point average. Beyond these, the Scholarship Committee looks for women who have excelled in their studies and contributed to both the community and the life of USC.

They pare the qualified applicants down to 12-18 and begin the interview process. Each of these candidates meets with the members of the Scholarship Committee over the course of two or three afternoons at the Alumni House. This is the committee’s opportunity to evaluate the candidates for ability, potential, and enterprise.

After the conclusion of the interviews, the entire Scholarship Committee meets to discuss the candidates and make the final decisions on recipients and financial awards. In all but a few select instances, the GAA will match the funds granted by TJA. In effect, this enables us to double the money we have raised.

The Scholarship Committee then submits its final list to the GAA. The GAA compiles the results of each alumni group’s decisions and either approves or rejects the request according to USC’s financial aid guidelines.

Serving on the Scholarship Committee is an uplifting, revitalizing experience. The opportunity to meet the admirable, exciting young women making their way through USC is one that revives faith in the possibilities for the future and our own ability to contribute to that transformation.