2024 Scholarship Application

• Be a Polk County public or charter high school senior
• Be on track to graduate and have passed FSA Reading, AND, the Algebra I EOC, or, the Geometry EOC.
  The concordant scores below are accepted.
  
  For the Algebra 1 EOC or Geometry EOC, seniors could earn a concordant score of:
  PERT Math 97 (only available for students that entered grade nine after the 2018-19 school year)
  ACT Math 16
  SAT Math 420
  PSAT/NMSQT Math 430
  
  For the FSA Reading, seniors could earn a concordant score of:
  For students who entered grade 9 in 2010-11 and beyond:
  ACT English and Reading subtests 18
  SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing 480
  
  
• Have your parent's 2022 or 2023 income tax forms to share.
  We are looking for the page with the Adjusted Gross Income noted.
  
  Minimum qualifications for East and West Area Adult Students to apply
  All Adult Students can Apply.
  
  Minimum qualifications for Ridge and Travis Vocational Students to apply
  Any student who has missed less than 20 hours of their program can apply.
  
  
  

• Gather all required information before you start. You'll need to have:
  
  • Your parent's 2022 or 2023 income tax report.
    
  • dates of work history (if applicable) and types of community service (if applicable)
    
  • list of scholarships, grants or financial aid you have already been awarded and
    
  • a prepared essay that has been spellchecked.
    
    
• To BEGIN a NEW application, after you've checked all four checkboxes, click on the "WORK ON APPLICATION NOW" button at the bottom of the instruction page. Then, use the "Start New Application" section , to enter your student ID and date of birth then click the "Start New Application" button. If your information is good, you'll be on your way and can follow the instructions from that point on.
  
  
• After you have successfully completed the previous "BEGIN New Application" step applicable information will be pulled from your permanent record and displayed on the initial application page and cannot be changed.
  
  Name
  School
  Weighted GPA
  Passage of Alg 1 EOC or Geometry EOC and FSA Reading
  SAT and or ACT scores
  Volunteer hours
  The following two items will also be pulled from your permanent records, but you can make changes to update these fields:
  mailing address
  phone number
  
  If any of the "non-changeable" information is incorrect, please contact your counselor and ensure that the information is updated BEFORE you SUBMIT your application on the final page. The application will pull your records each time you login to it, but after you have submitted it, it will no longer check for updates.
  
  (It is very important your contact information is correct, if you are a scholarship recipient, it is used to communicate with you. Email addresses may be used to communicate with you on questions during the application process, or to set an interview.)
  
  You will be able to set a password to login at a later time to access your saved application. An email address is required for the password recovery feature. The PEF may also use this email address to contact you with questions or interview requests.
  
  
• To RETURN to an application at a later time, after you've checked all four checkboxes, click on the "WORK ON APPLICATION NOW" button at the bottom of the instruction page. Then, use the "Login to Saved Application" section , to enter your student ID and password, then click the "Login to Saved Application" button.
  
  If you forget your password can be emailed to the address you provided when you started your application using the 'forgotten your password' link at the bottom of the Login page.
  HINT: The website will not allow you to start a second application once a student ID is in use, you must go back and make changes to the first saved application. If you get the message "student ID already in use", you must enter as a returning applicant.
  
  
• Complete Your Application.
  You should have already reviewed the scholarship list posted on the PEF website to know what you qualify to apply for.
  • As you finish each page hit the "save application" button at the bottom of the page to ensure you do not lose data, then hit "continue" to move forward to a new page. (The page will not save unless all on that page is complete.)
    
  • Run out of time to complete it all? Click "save application" then "quit & close session" and you can return at a later time using the directions above.
    
  • Read the criteria for each award carefully. If you do not meet ALL the requirements, do not apply for that award. DO NOT check every award without first seeing if you qualify!
    
  • Once you have completed all sections of the application, then and only then should you hit the "submit" button on the final screen of the application. Once you hit "submit" you cannot go back and make any changes to your application. You should print your application at time of submission. You however may return to a submitted application to print or view it, but changes cannot be made. .
    
    
• Even though the application is submitted electronically, YOU MUST additionally print out your completed application, have it signed by student (and parent / guardian if the student is not 18), attach your parent's 2022 or 2023 income tax report and submit the pack to your school's scholarship contact by a date they set. Applications without the proper signatures or attachments cannot be accepted!
  
  

All scholarship recipients will be announced at their high school's senior award ceremonies; no letters of regret will be sent and no early notifications made unless done by a donor (some invite their recipients to club meetings).

Recipients will receive letters of congratulations and instruction from the Polk Education Foundation (PEF) after all senior award ceremonies are complete. They will be given the name and address of their scholarship sponsor, and will be required to send the sponsor a thank you letter. A copy of that note along with a completed "College Information Sheet" (this will be enclosed with the award letter) must be submitted to the PEF for funds to be disbursed to the school of the students' choice. Funds are not disbursed until all requirements are met.

It is the student's responsibility to follow up each year, IF REQUIRED by the donor, with any information to renew (usually a transcript). That requirement would be noted in the award package. No reminders are given, students must comply to receive further funding.

Scholarship funds are held at the Polk Education Foundation for students use for up to five years, and then if unused, they are returned to the donor fund. Do not wait to request them until after you have graduated college / post-secondary training, they cannot be used to make student loan payments after you have graduated! Please note: Scholarships administered by the PEF are paid out only after receipt of funds from a donor. This also stands for multiple year awards with annual renewable payments.