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Scholarships FAQs

Answers to your questions about scholarships

  1. Am I eligible to apply for a scholarship through the Community Foundation?
  2. How do I apply?
  3. Is it necessary to have federal income tax returns filed before filling out the financial information?
  4. How do I know what I've applied for and how can I track my status?
  5. Can I make changes to my application once I submit it?
  6. What if I have questions?
  7. What can scholarship awards be used for?
  8. Are scholarship awards taxable?
  9. How are scholarship recipients determined?
  10. How will I know if I have been selected to receive a scholarship?
  11. What documentation is required for my scholarship payment to be made?
  12. Will the check be made to me or to the school which I am attending?
  13. If I am awarded a scholarship, how much will I get?
  14. Are the scholarship awards sufficient to pay the cost of my college education?
  15. Where can I go to school with these scholarships?
  16. May I receive awards from more than one scholarship fund?
  17. Do I have to pay scholarship money back?
  18. If I receive a scholarship one year, will I automatically receive an award for the following year?
  19. If I withdraw from classes, am placed on academic probation or do not attend classes one semester for some reason, what happens to my scholarship?

Am I eligible to apply for a scholarship through the Community Foundation?

Each scholarship fund has specific eligibility criteria defined by the donor when the fund was established. Please read through the specific criteria to see if you are eligible for any of the Foundation's scholarship funds.

Scholarship funds are available for traditional and non-traditional students. “Traditional Students” are generally defined as students who transition straight from high school to college. “Non-Traditional Students” are generally defined as students who take time between high school and college, but can be more narrowly defined by specific scholarship funds.

How do I apply?

Go to www.cfcarroll.org and click on the link to our online scholarship application. Create an account using an e-mail address you check frequently and input a password you will remember. Follow the instructions to complete your profile. You can complete and save your application.

You may begin, save and return to your application at any time. All sections, including requests for recommendations, must be completed in order for you to finalize and submit your application. In order to be considered, scholarship applications must be complete and submitted by the deadline stated on the application.

Is it necessary to have federal income tax returns filed before filling out the financial information?

For the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and general applications, use the income tax information from your most recent filing.

How do I know what I've applied for and how can I track my status?

When you sign into your account, there will be a tab labeled “My Applications.”  Click on this tab to see all of your applications and the percent they are completed.

Can I make changes to my application once I submit it?

No. Once you hit the submit button, your application is final so it is important that your preview your application before submission.  If a change must be made, contact the Community Foundation.

What if I have questions?

If you have questions, or to request an application, see your guidance counselor, or call Emerald Blankenship, Director of Programs, at the Community Foundation (765) 454-7298 or contact us.

What can scholarship awards be used for?

The scholarships are for educational expenses: college or university tuition, fees, required books and equipment. By IRS regulations, we can only cover "qualified educational expenses," which we define as tuition and academic fees.

Are scholarship awards taxable?

For students seeking a degree, any scholarship used for college tuition, fees, and required books and equipment is not taxable. Any portion of a scholarship used for room and board is taxable. For students not enrolled in a degree program, all scholarship funds are taxable. Consult a tax expert for advice. IRS publication 520 may prove informative.

How are scholarship recipients determined?

Each scholarship application is thoughtfully and carefully reviewed by a selection committee of community volunteers. The selection criteria that the committee uses in the selection process is determined by the donor of the scholarship fund at the time the fund was established.

How will I know if I have been selected to receive a scholarship?

You will receive a letter informing you of the scholarship(s) you have received with the total amount of the scholarship(s) and the documentation necessary from you in order that a scholarship payment can be made.

What documentation is required for my scholarship payment to be made?

The documentation necessary for a payment to be made is proof of enrollment (such as a copy of your class schedule, bill from the university, or registration). After we have received the documentation from you, a check for your scholarship(s) amount and a scholarship payment form with your information will be sent to the university/college with instructions on how to apply the scholarship amount.  (Most scholarships will be split equally between semesters.)

Will the check be made to me or to the school which I am attending?

The check will be made payable to the university and mailed with instructions on how to apply the scholarship amount.

If I am awarded a scholarship, how much will I get?

Only a few of the scholarships have set award amounts. Most funds offer varying award amounts, which range from $500 to $3,000. Your award will depend on the size of the particular fund, and the directions given by the donors or fund advisors.

Are the scholarship awards sufficient to pay the cost of my college education?

No, these scholarships are intended to provide partial support. In addition to applying for scholarships through the Community Foundation, you should look into other financial aid resources such as federal Pell grants, work-study programs at the university, and loans. A complete financial aid package can be put together by your university's financial aid office, and may include a portion of each of the above types of assistance. In addition, you may find other scholarships through assistance from your guidance counselor, or at other scholarship websites listed in the Scholarship Resources page of our website.

Where can I go to school with these scholarships?

Most of the scholarships are for students attending any accredited college or university. Some scholarship funds designate that it is for students attending a post-secondary educational institution in Indiana or a particular college or university. See the specific description of each scholarship fund.

May I receive awards from more than one scholarship fund?

Yes, you may apply to all the funds to which you are eligible and therefore could be selected as a recipient for multiple scholarship awards.

Do I have to pay scholarship money back?

No, scholarships are charitable awards that do not have to be paid back. We do ask that you send a "Thank You" note to the donor of the fund c/o Community Foundation so that we can let them know that you appreciate their generosity.

We also ask that once you have completed your education and are working that you consider "paying the generosity forward," by contributing to the same fund or one of our other scholarship funds after you have completed your degree and have your career established.

If I receive a scholarship one year, will I automatically receive an award for the following year?

No. Currently there are a limited number of renewable scholarships. If a scholarship is renewable, you will be informed of the eligibility requirements for the renewals and will be sent a renewal application to be completed in the spring of the year in which you are allowed to re-apply.

If I withdraw from classes, am placed on academic probation or do not attend classes one semester for some reason, what happens to my scholarship?

We request that scholarship recipients inform Emerald Blankenship, Director of Programs, of any changes in their status as students. If you have any extenuating circumstances, we will work with you. If not, the scholarship for that semester would be forfeited.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCE QUESTIONS

  1. I have already collected recommendation letters; can I upload them to my application?

    No. The Community Foundation does not accept recommendation letters submitted by applicants. References must completed and submitted using the online recommendation form. You will be asked to provide e-mail addresses for at least two references. Once you have done this, an e-mail message will be sent directly to them requesting that they complete the form on your behalf. They may choose to accept or decline this request. If they accept, they will be taken directly to the recommendation form. If they decline, you will receive an e-mail notification. Remember to allow these people enough time to fulfill your request.

    We strongly encourage all applicants to speak with their selected references prior to submitting their e-mail addresses in order to inform them of the process and the deadline.

  2. How do I see if my references have completed the on-line form?

    You will receive an e-mail notifying you once a recommendation form has been submitted. You will also receive an e-mail if one of your references declined your request. If this happens, you will have the opportunity to sign back into your account and choose a different reference. Your application will not be considered until ALL of your recommendations are received. The status will show on the application dashboard.

  3. Will I be able to see my reference’s recommendation?

    No, you will not be able to view the completed recommendation forms.

  4. Who should I choose to complete a recommendation form?

    You must provide at least two references. Your references cannot be related to you. We recommend that you choose people who are able to speak about your character and why you deserve a scholarship. Generally, references are teachers, administrators, coaches, employers or pastors. Some scholarships will ask for additional recommendation forms or require that they be from a specific person. Those requirements will be listed under the criteria for each scholarship.

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