For the second consecutive year, business students will be able to compete for a $200 scholarship offered by the DeKalb County Personnel Association.

This year the scholarship has been extended to include Kishwaukee Community College students as well as NIU students, said DCPA President Suzanne Sedlacek.

The scholarship can help pay for tuition, books or fees, NIU Financial Aid Counselor Cheryl Schaffer said. She said the scholarship could be helpful with the increased tuition next semester.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.0 or above grade point average and have completed two semesters in the business curriculum, Schaffer said. “One thing that should be emphasized is a student must be a resident of DeKalb County.”

An interest in personnel administration or labor/employee relations is another requirement, Schaffer said. She said a brief statement must be attached to the back of applications explaining students’ short- and long-term goals.

Sedlacek said the association will judge students on their desires and goals in the personnel administration field. Judges will look at students’ prior work experiences and what they have done to help further their careers, she said.

The association is funding the scholarship from membership fees, Sedlacek said. She said the association is a local chapter of the American Society of Personnel Administration.

She said the membership consists of 34 companies in the DeKalb area including NIU, Commonwealth Edison, Contel and Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

Applications, which are available in the financial aid office located in Swen Parson Hall, must be returned by Dec. 7, Schaffers said.

Applications for other scholarships can be obtained from the financial aid office as well, Schaffers said. She said between now and Christmas many students will be applying to various scholarships.