Taking the time to apply for undergraduate scholarships pays off for Paul Klein.

As the end of another academic year draws near, Paul Klein has a lot on his mind. It is a time teeming with tests and term papers, but there is one deadline the third-year Anthropology major always meets – the May 1 Undergraduate Awards application deadline.

"I try not to forget the deadline because the application process is simplified to the point that it's basically a series of clicks that takes around five minutes to complete," says the Lethbridge native. "You have to invest such an insignificant portion of your time and the potential payoff is huge."

Undergraduate student Paul Klein has taken advantage of the many scholarship opportunities offered by the University.

Taking the time to fill out the online Undergraduate Awards Application certainly has paid off for Klein as he has received $3,000 over the last two years form the U of L Awards program. He seeks to become a lawyer, and through answering a question about future aspirations, received a scholarship sponsored by the Lethbridge Bar Association in 2011.

While he appreciates the recognition, he points out that scholarships and awards also have a real impact on his bottom line.

"I find they provide a nice supplement to my student loans and it helps to limit my overall debt as I can factor them in to my yearly budget," he says.

Klein also finds time to get involved with the campus community and holds down a part-time job as a student marker with the Anthropology Department. Balancing time between his job and being a faculty representative for the Students' Union, while achieving academic success, exerts considerable demands on Klein's time - which can induce stress. Here too, he finds the monies he has earned from scholarships helpful.

"Scholarships have provided me with some extra disposable income that I can spend on my social life when I'm looking to unwind. So I don't have to worry as much about fiscal stress – I can just concentrate on my academic stress," he says with a chuckle.

In 2011, 1,087 continuing U of L students shared over $1.1 million in undergraduate awards. The 2012 Undergraduate Awards application is currently open on The Bridge and will close on May 1. The U of L guarantees a scholarship to students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher in eight semester courses (24.0 credit hours) over the preceding Fall and Spring semesters. Awards and bursaries are also available. In 2011, one third of all awards recipients had a GPA lower than 3.5.