Roses really smell like...

The first scholarship for which I applied was that offered by the R.O.S.E. Fund...  I completed the online application, which when submitted, didn't work.  I had my transcripts and two rec letters sent to them, forwarded my private (and embarrassing) financial information.  I completed the short essay questions, and made the application a Word document that I sent as an email attachment.

I was told I'd be notified in December, and that they fund in January.  This made them my first priority, for all other funders focused on the fall.  This was the one that, should I receive the scholarship, could get me the funds in enough time for me to start when I was supposed to - also in January.

There were some issues with this.  I'd be pushing it close to the deadline to pay my bill, and would have to negotiate something around when I paid based on when they announced and exactly when they would fund -  I really was pushing it close.  Also, they did not specify how much they would fund, but my impression is that they give you what you need.  So, I was super psyched about this particular grant.  I felt I had a good chance.

In December, I called to find out when they were announcing.  January, they told me.  

January.

Hmm.....

Well, that changes everything.  I didn't even bother to belabor the fact that he initially, without a doubt told me they would announce in December.  January would have been entirely too late from the giddy up and I would have deferred.  And now that I have been informed that they will not announce until January, guess what I have to do?

Defer.

Bennington had awarded me a $2000.00 scholarship for my January semester.  That has been lost.  I have no funding, and lost my $500.00 deposit.

There are actually a lot of reasons that June is a better time for me to start than January.  My daughter will have graduated from 6th grade and won't be in the middle of school while I start school.  There are five residencies, and so if I start in the Summer, my extra, or fifth residency will be in the summer too.  I don't like winter, and Vermont is colder than Philly, so that is also appealing.  It would give me more time to secure greater funding and rearrange my life so that I would be able to focus most of my time on my academics.  

However, I completed my writing packet, researched and created my reading list, had been reading literature of the faculty, and made my list for choices for my faculty mentor.  I was ready, and so I wanted to go.  But I couldn't, and I didn't.  I'm hoping to report something different for June, but right now, it's looking less promising than I'd care to admit.