Students: Scholarship Reference Requests
KB0010038
The way that requests for references currently work in the AcademicWorks system relies heavily upon the information that students provide to FSCJ. Because we want to ensure that students can request recommendations from anyone (not just FSCJ faculty with FSCJ email addresses and campus passwords), the current process works as follows:
The student types in a name (ex: John Doe) and an email address (ex: John.A.Doe@fscj.edu) into an application to request a reference.
AcademicWorks establishes an account for John.A.Doe@fscj.edu. (Any time a student types in that email address as a reference request, the request will be gathered into the existing account for John.A.Doe@fscj.edu.)
Any time a student does type in John.A.Doe@fscj.edu, an email will be sent to that email address letting the individual know they have been asked to provide a reference. (The first time this occurs, when they click on the link in the email they will have the opportunity to set up a password associated with that email address.)
If the same person has two email addresses (ex: John.A.Doe@fscj.edu and Jdoe@fscj.edu), the system recognizes this as two completely separate accounts. If a student types in John.A.Doe@fscj.edu, that's where the request is sent and to that account only. If the student types in Jdoe@fscj.edu, the request is sent to that account only.
Example Situation: A following situation happened with one professor for future reference:
In the case of Professor Doe, it looks as though students are under the assumption that he uses his John.A.Doe@fscj.edu (posted on the “people finder link) email address primarily, and that's the address they are using for their reference requests.
It looks as though Jane Citizen requested a reference from Professor Doe on April 26, which Professor Doe successfully received an email for, logged into the system and set a password, and successfully completed the request. He then received a second request on May 6th from Mickey Mouse, which triggered an email to be sent to him. Because following emails take the reference provider to the log-in page (and not the password-set page), Professor Doe would need to type in the correct email address under which students submitted the reference request (John.A.Doe@fscj.edu). Even if he did create an account for his alternate jdoe@fscj.edu address, he would need to inform these students to re-request their references using his preferred email address.
It's possible that in many cases these reference providers have two or more FSCJ email addresses, all of which are forwarding to one email account (and that reference providers are not noticing which email that students have used for their requests.) We will place some instructional text on the "References and Reviewers" tab informing reference providers that students may have used an alternate email address to request a reference, and that if their preferred email address does not work please try using an alternate email address (that students might have mistakenly entered.)
In the case of Professor Doe, I would recommend sending him the following instructions:
Look in the upper right corner and click on the green Sign In button.
Ensure you are viewing the References and Reviewers tab (not the "Students and Administrators" tab.)
Please try copying and pasting John.A.Doe@fscj.edu in for "Email Address."
Additionally, type in the password you initially established for your AcademicWorks account.
Click on the small green Sign In button at the bottom of the box.
If you do not remember your password, please click on the small "Trouble signing in?" link in the lower left corner of the Sign-In box. This will walk you through the necessary steps to re-set your password. All communication will be provided through your John.A.Doe@fscj.edu email address.
If other reference providers do contact you with trouble logging in, one of the first steps we take in AcademicWorks Customer Support is to verify that the user has an confirmed account with a password set by following the steps found here: https://support.academicworks.com/entries/21096211-how-can-i-help-one-of-my-users-log-in
Additionally, any and all calls regarding issues with the Scholarship website that are not answered above, should be directed to contact the Scholarship Manager at 904-632-5003This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to request a scholarship reference through myFSCJ, using the Scholarship Universe platform. This will allow you to ask for a recommendation letter necessary for your scholarship applications.
Steps to Request a Scholarship Reference
Log in to myFSCJ
Use your student credentials to log in to the myFSCJ portal.
Access Financial Aid
Click on the ‘Financial Aid’ tile on your dashboard.
Open Scholarship Universe
In the left-hand menu, select ‘Scholarship Universe’.
This action will open a new window or tab displaying your Scholarship Universe Dashboard.
Navigate to My Documents
Click on ‘My Docs’ to view your document management section.
Add a New Document Request
Click on the ‘Add +’ button located at the top-right corner of the page.
Select Document Type
From the ‘Document Type’ drop-down menu, choose ‘Recommendation Letter’.
Submit a Request for a Recommendation Letter
Click the ‘Request’ button to proceed.
Fill in the Recommendation Request Form
In the ‘Letter of Recommendation’ window:
Enter the Requestee information. This is the person you are asking to write the letter (e.g., a professor or mentor).
Ensure all fields are correctly filled out, identifying yourself as the Requester.
Additional Information and Support
For more detailed information about the scholarship process, you can visit the https://www.fscj.edu/financial-aid/scholarships section of the myFSCJ website.
If you have questions or need further assistance, consult the https://www.fscj.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/scholarshipuniverse-faqs? or reach out to your financial aid office by submitting a ticket at help.fscj.edu.