Independent & Dependent Student Applications
HOW TO SUBMIT THE ELECTRONIC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Only one application is required to be considered for the many scholarships we administer.
It must be submitted by the
April 30th, 2013 deadline
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year.
If you have already submitted an application by the deadline, but are uncertain if it's complete, please read on to see what's required to complete it. You may also call the office of the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation at (513)345-6701 or email us with your questions.
The following documents are required to complete your application:
We understand that the SAR and the Financial Aid Notification may not be available by the April 30th deadline. You may submit the application without these documents. However, your application will be considered incomplete until they are received and will only be reviewed once all required documents have been received.
You may mail, email, or fax your SAR and financial aid documents as well as your resume' to:
Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation
602 Main St., Suite 1000
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Email: scholarship@fuse.net
Fax: (513)345-6705
ABOUT THE AWARDING PROCESS
No application will be reviewed until it is completed , i.e, the transcript, the Student Aid Report (SAR) and the Financial Aid Notification have been submitted.
Most scholarships are renewable. All of them have specific criteria. Students receiving renewable scholarships need to continue meeting the criteria of the award they are receiving in order to be renewed. Therefore those students must re-apply each year and submit the necessary documentation proving their continued eligibility. Once these students have been renewed (or not), the Foundation will know what is available for distribution to new applicants.
Obtaining the documents needed to complete the application, either new or renewal, can take time. Filing taxes, submitting the FAFSA, waiting for the schools to “package” a student’s financial aid or a busy summer schedule of work and vacation can all delay the process. That is why the awarding of our scholarships takes place from mid-summer to well after the school year begins.
Thank you for your patience and understanding!
INDEPENDENT STUDENT
Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must meet certain criteria to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA:
- Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year;
- Be an orphan (both parents deceased), ward of the court, in foster care or was a ward of the court when 13 years or older;
- Be a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or serving on active duty for other than training purposes;
- Be a graduate or professional student;
- Be a married individual;
- Have legal dependents other than a spouse;
- Be an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship;
- Be a homeless youth;
- Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances.
DEPENDENT STUDENT
You are a dependent student if you do not meet the criteria of an independent student, which are:
- Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year;
- Be an orphan (both parents deceased), ward of the court, in foster care or was a ward of the court when 13 years or older;
- Be a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or serving on active duty for other than training purposes;
- Be a graduate or professional student;
- Be a married individual;
- Have legal dependents other than a spouse;
- Be an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship;
- Be a homeless youth;
- Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances.
STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR)
The SAR summarizes the information you included on the FAFSA, and if your information is complete, it will provide you with the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) that colleges use to determine your financial aid package. Assuming you completed the FAFSA on-line at www.fafsa.gov, you wil receive your resulting SAR immediately.
FINANCIAL AID LETTER OR NOTICE
After you submit your FAFSA, your school will receive a copy of you SAR as well. The Financial Aid Office will prepare a financial aid award letter, typically in early to mid-April. This letter spells out the details of your financial aid package. A financial aid package is a collection of different types of financial aid from multiple sources. It is intended to help you fill the gap between your ability to pay (your expected family contribution or EFC) and college costs (the cost of attendance or COA). It is based on your financial need, the difference between COA and EFC.
