Merit scholarship applications now availableUMass Boston students looking for extra cash towards tuition are now open to apply for merit-based scholarships. Students must be a Mass. resident, working towards their first bachelor’s degree, enrolled full time, have 24 or more credits earned at UMass Boston and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. The scholarship awards, which can range from $50 to $2,000, are for the Spring 2008 semester, and applications are held for review for one year. Any questions can be directed to the Office for Merit-Based Scholarships, on the fourth floor of the Campus Center. The application, which is due Nov. 16, can be found on the UMass Boston Web site.

UMass system advertising campaign feat. governorOn Oct. 15, the UMass system launched its newest television ad campaign featuring Governor Deval Patrick. Patrick praises the transformative power of education and talks about the success of UMass graduates in the ad, aptly titled “Transform.” The ad is the successor of an Emmy-winning ad called “Something to be Proud of,” and will be aired in the Boston and Springfield television markets during the fall when many students are making their college application decisions. The ad can be found on the system’s Web site, www.massachusetts.edu.

Resource for high school students looking for college volunteersAsk Before College, an information network created by two California college students, is geared towards helping high school students make the right decisions about their higher education. The Web site is looking for college students to sign up and share their experiences at their school. The site has logged representatives from more than 100 college campuses, all of whom are looking to answer questions in return for the college students to raise awareness and funds for a charity or student organization of their choice. To get involved (and maybe even promote UMass Boston), visit www.askbeforecollege.com.

ONE Campus Challenge aims to raise awareness of global povertyONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History started a Campus Challenge on Oct. 5, with a goal of recruiting 100,000 new ONE members on 1,000 college campuses. The challenge tracks schools’ progress, and certain milestones earn schools rewards to keep students motivated. For more information visit www.one.org/campus, and to join UMass Boston’s ONE Campus Challenge, text UMAB to 62523.