USCS Opportunity Scholars Program

"I want the jambalaya and the rice with gumbo," I said, waiting impatiently for the server to dole out my portion of food for the OSP Mardi Gras celebration. It is free food, courtesy of the Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP). OSP is a fantastic on-campus resource available to most students, providing free food, trips and supplies. In OSP, a student can find a friendly, helpful group of staff and students. Most importantly, in OSP a student can find free tutoring in most subjects, a great resource for improving your university GPA! Like graduating, joining OSP is something every qualified student should do.

As a full time student, I rarely have the time or money to devote to a home-cooked meal, much less a decent shopping run. It is for this reason that I find OSP such a benefit. For a minimal time requirement, I can get a great meal for FREE at OSP. During our biweekly meetings, we are fed fried chicken meals, lasagna feasts, and superb sandwich delicacies! There are always a selection of drinks, from soda to good old southern tea, and a dessert to complement such a fine meal. And it is at no monetary cost to the students. Now imagine getting this meal in WashingtonD.C., again as complements of the OSP.

The OSP regularly treats University students to cultural trips and events at no cost to the student. In addition to the free meals, transportation, accommodations, and entry fees to places of interest are also taken care of by the program. A student taking advantage of the OSP can learn a little, but have a LOT of fun. Cultural events are yet another of the no-cost benefits of membership in the OSP.

Who hasn't lost a pen, or had to make a copy before class? As a member of OSP, a student can get basic supplies for free by simply walking into the lab. Get a free pen, or highlighter, or even a computer disk to save that essay you typed before you realized you had nothing on which to save it. Who hasn't missed a class and needed to make copies of a classmate's notes, but been short the 10 cents per page you need to make copies? Come to OSP, and get your copies made for free on the students' copy machine. Heck, even grab a free cup of coffee before class and get a friendly morning greeting from Lisa Rosdail, the program assistant.

The OSP has an incredibly friendly and helpful group of staff and students that are there on a regular basis. When you walk in the room, you are most likely to be greeted by Lisa, who somehow seems to have the incredible ability to remember every single program member on sight, and always has a few words of greeting and encouragement for everyone. Paul Thomas, Mac Mcloed, and the rest of the tutoring staff maintains frequent office hours making it convenient to consult them for some advice and help in math and English. Additionally, virtually any student with extra time is willing to share their help in subjects in which they excel. OSP very quickly becomes a little University family. Seeing fellow OSP members or staff on campus is always good for a smile and a brief conversation.

Most importantly, OSP is there to help ensure a high GPA for any student in the program. Not only do they have tutors on staff, but they have the best computer lab on campus. The computers are fully stocked with tutoring programs in subjects ranging from computer science to math and programming languages. Do you have a better time learning in a class that is not lecture intensive and contains more book work? Staffers may know the right professors for you. Lisa can direct you towards the right courses, the right professors, and you can watch your scores improve when you have a professor that matches your style of learning!

A lot of students say they can't join OSP because they have no time for it. What most people don't realize is that there really is a minimal time commitment. Simply try to make an ½ hour-long meeting once a month, and get advisement at your convenience from Lisa before signing up for classes and you are entitled to membership, and all the benefits that membership entails, as long as you remain a student.

Some students never even try to sign up because they think they won't qualify because of their income. But financial status is only one way to qualify. If a student is the first in their family to go to college, regardless of income, that student instantly qualifies. OSP is so dedicated to the students they try any means they can to get a student qualified for membership.

So with all the benefits OSP has to offer, a student really has no good reason not to try to join OSP. If you want help maintaining your GPA, OSP is for you. If you want somewhere to hang out between classes, surf the net and grab a free cup of coffee, and enjoy some fun conversation, OSP is for you. If you want to go to Washington, DC, or the Biltmore Estate and not pay a dime, OSP is for you. As for the food- as a poor college student, I say never turn down a free meal!