The Southeast Community Foundation reviews each application individually with assistance from a panel of education experts. Among the criteria used in the selection process are:

• Exceptional academic ability and achievement: Strong academic record, academic awards and honors, and substantive assessments by educators providing confidential recommendations. We consider:
  • unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above
  • college entrance exam scores (SAT and/or ACT) in the top 15% nationally: SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1200 or above (using the old SAT scoring) or ACT composite score of 26 or above
  • participation in available advanced courses
  • commitment to learning
  • intellectual curiosity
• Unmet financial need: Limited family income and assets in light of educational expenses. Substantial unmet educational costs after taking into account other scholarships and grants students may receive. We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. However, we anticipate that a majority of scholarship recipients will be eligible to receive a Pell grant.
• Persistence: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, ability to set and remain focused on goals and to put in the effort needed to meet those goals in the face of obstacles.
• Leadership: Ability to organize and positively influence others in school and out-of-school areas (family, religious community, sports, arts, etc.).
• Service to Others: Purposeful and meaningful commitment to others which may be evidenced by participation in volunteer/community service activities.

The Southeast Community Foundation College Scholarship Program application requirements will include:

• Demographic information about you and your family.
• Academic information about you, including your cumulative unweighted GPA, course grades, and standardized test scores.
• Self-assessment and multiple choice questions.
• School Profile to be completed by your principal or guidance counselor.
• Two teacher Recommendations to be completed by core subject teachers.
• Financial information including the last three years’ Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for your household.
• Short and long essays.
• Official transcripts, College Entrance Exam score reports and other transcript forms, dual enrollment, online courses, etc. (if applicable).
• Financial Form, including a copy of parent(s)/guardian(s) Federal Tax Return for the last three years. If for any reason Federal Tax forms were not filed, an explanation must be submitted to the Southeast Community Foundation regarding financial circumstances in addition to completing the Financial Form.

No.

We ask you to submit two teacher recommendations.

Two academic recommendations are required, one from an 11th grade teacher in a core academic subject (English/language arts, mathematics, social studies/history, science, or foreign language), and one from another teacher or professor who has worked with you in two of the last four years. Both of the recommenders should be well-acquainted with your performance and character, and should be able to discuss your academic progress through the class curriculum, challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and your overall academic engagement.

If you or your parents do not file federal taxes, we require you to provide estimated financial information in the Financial Form. You must also include an explanation regarding your family’s financial circumstances.

The parent/guardian form is an online form to be completed by the biological or adoptive parents of the applicant. If the parent(s)/guardian(s) live in the same household, they will complete one Parent/Guardian Form together.  If the applicant has only one parent/guardian (the second parent/guardian is deceased, missing or unknown), your parent/guardian will complete one Parent/Guardian Form.  If the parents/guardians live in two separate households, they will each complete a separate Parent/Guardian Form.  Parents/guardians will provide information on employment and education, household members, and financial information including the last three year’s federal tax return forms.

Yes, you must provide an official high school transcript. We understand that once you open your official high school transcript to upload it onto your application it is no longer considered “official.” An unsealed official transcript will be acceptable for the Southeast Community Foundation College Scholarship Program application.

Providing the selection committee with a calculated unweighted GPA in the form of a 4.0 scale assures that your academic data is being considered correctly, and compared consistently with others. Many schools have their own grading systems and processes, so re-calculating assists in clearly considering your academic record.

To calculate your unweighted GPA, you may utilize a number of online resources/tools such as:

• Petersons: http://www.petersons.com/college-search/college-admission-requirements-gpa.aspx
• eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_6367239_convert-school-percentage-grades-gpa.html
• GPA calculator: http://www.back2college.com/gpa.htm

All questions should be directed to our Application Help Desk. You can email or call 800-555-1234. Please allow up to two business days for a reply. The Help Desk is staffed Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. PST.

Yes. The ACT and/or SAT are required in order to apply for the College Scholarship Program.  You must take the test and receive the following minimum scores to be eligible to apply:

• SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1200 or above (old SAT*)
  OR
• ACT composite score of 26 or above.

All College Scholarship Program applicants are required to have taken the SAT and/or ACT test and have score report(s) available by the application deadline to be uploaded to the application.  The application deadline is April 30, 2018 at 12 p.m. (noon) PST.

*If you took the new SAT, you can convert your scores using the conversion tool: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/understanding-scores/sat-score-converter

To be eligible to apply to the Southeast Community Foundation College Scholarship Program you must:

• Graduate from a US high school in spring 2018
• Intend to enroll full time in an accredited four-year college beginning in fall 2018
• Earn a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above
• Receive standardized test scores in the top 15%: SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1200 or above (using the old SAT scoring) or ACT composite score of 26 or above
• Demonstrate unmet financial need. We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. However, we anticipate that a majority of scholarship recipients will be eligible to receive a Pell grant

Yes. Your application will be most competitive if you are participating in a program in which your parent(s)/guardian(s) are annually required to submit to the state:

• Notification to that you are being homeschooled
• Your state standardized test scores
• And/or a professional evaluation of your performance and progress

Applicants living in states that do not require the above are still eligible to apply; please be prepared to provide documentation to validate your homeschool progress should you make it to the final stages of selection. Staff will contact you if further documentation is needed.

While you will not need to submit the School Profile as part of your application, you will be required to submit grades and a transcript detailing your homeschool curriculum. You will also need to supply two teacher recommendations, preferably from individuals other than your parent(s)/guardian(s).

Yes, if you meet or exceed the other selection criteria, you are eligible to apply.

The ACT and/or SAT are required in order to apply for the College Scholarship Program.  You must take the test and receive scores in the top 15%: SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1200 or above (using the old SAT scoring*) or ACT composite score of 26 or above.

All College Scholarship Program applicants are required to have taken the SAT and/or ACT test and have score report(s) available by the application deadline to be uploaded to the application.

*If you took the new SAT, you can convert your scores using the conversion tool: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/understanding-scores/sat-score-converter

No. If you received a GED diploma, you are not eligible to apply to the Southeast Community Foundation College Scholarship Program.

No. You must, however, reside in the United States or a US territory and attend high school in the United States. At this time, the Southeast Community Foundation is not providing services to students who attend high school outside of the United States.

No, you do not have to attend college in the US, but you must attend a fully accredited four-year institution to pursue a baccalaureate degree.

No. You can pursue a baccalaureate degree in the field of study of your choice. Non-degree programs are not eligible.

Although, the Southeast Community Foundation considers academic excellence first in evaluating candidates, competitive applicants must also show unmet financial need, which has two components:

1. Education costs that are appreciably greater than the total amount of other scholarships or grant awards.
2. Insufficient student and family income to meet educational costs.

Please be aware that:

• Students receiving full funding for their four-year degree will not be competitive for this scholarship, as they have no unmet financial need.
• Non-US citizens may be eligible for the Southeast Community Foundation’s scholarships if they demonstrate unmet financial need, regardless of their eligibility for other types of federal and institutional financial aid.

We receive names and addresses of students who scored highly on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT from the College Board and ACT. Thus, many students receive our mailing because they did exceptionally well on their standardized tests and checked a box on their test form indicating that they would like to receive information about scholarship opportunities. The College Board and ACT do not release information regarding students’ family income. As a result, some of the students who receive our mailing do not qualify financially for the Southeast Community Foundation College Scholarship Program.

Yes, but you must provide, as part of your application, a detailed explanation of the situation and copies of relevant official documents.

No.

No. You must not be enrolled in a bachelor’s program at the time of application. You must be planning to enroll full time in an accredited four-year institution for fall 2018.

No. You must not be enrolled in a bachelor’s program at the time of application. You must be planning to enroll full time in an accredited four-year institution for fall 2018.

You can see a list of other programs and opportunities on our Additional Resources page.