Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible for this award, you must:

• Be a current eighth grade student at a National Heritage Academies (NHA) school.

When is the application deadline?

April 12, 2018 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone
 

What is the Program timeline?

• Application Opens: March 1, 2018
• Application Deadline: April 12, 2018
• Scholarship Recipients Notified: Week of May 5, 2018
• Scholarship Checks Issued: Summer 2022

What are the selection criteria?

An independent selection committee will evaluate the applications and select the recipients considering:

• Financial need
• Community involvement
• Essay content using the following rubrics:
  • Topic 1
  • Topic 2
  • Topic 3

• Academic achievements and records

Decisions of the selection committees are final and are not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.
 

What are the details of the award?

• A one-time scholarship in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded to six (6) individual students.
• The scholarships will be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for course load at accredited, nonprofit two- or four-year colleges/universities in the United States.
• Students may transfer from one institution to another and retain the award.

Is the scholarship renewable?

No, this scholarship is not renewable.
 

Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?

You should list your first choice on the application.
 

How do I change my college choice?

You may update your final school choice on the My Profile page by clicking here. If you are chosen to receive an award, it will be your responsibility to make sure your college is updated at least 30 days prior to the check issue date stated in the award notification so your check can be issued accordingly. This will not update any application or acceptance forms; however, all awards are issued based on the My Profile page. 
 

How do I know if my application is complete?

Allow five to seven business days after uploading documents for your online status to update. You may monitor your status of your application on your home page by clicking here and logging in to your account.

• Not Started: the form has not been requested or started.
• Started: the form has not been submitted and will not be considered.
• Submitted: the form has been submitted, but is not Complete.
• Complete: all required forms and attachments (if applicable) have been received and your application will be considered for the scholarship.

You may also monitor the status of your attachments and recommendations (if applicable).

• Not received: the attachment has either not been received or has been rejected.
• Requested: the form request has been created, but the form has not been started.
• Processing: the attachment has been received and is being reviewed. 
• Accepted: the attachment has been verified and accepted by ISTS. 

It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor the progress of all application requirements to make sure the application is complete. The status Complete will display on the home page when all forms have been submitted and all documents have been verified. 
 

I uploaded a document that no longer displays on my application. Do I need to submit it again?

Previously uploaded documents that are no longer displayed with a status on the home page have been rejected. The most common reasons for a rejected document are as follows:

• The document uploaded is not one of the accepted file types: .pdf, .tif, .png, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps.
• The document uploaded was not the document requested.
• Not all pages of the document were contained in the file.
• We cannot open the file. The file may be corrupted or password protected.

Refer to the upload section of your application for the details of the required documents and upload a new file that meets the criteria stated.
 

How do I upload more than one file at a time?

You may create a .zip file containing more than one file as long as everything included is in an acceptable format (i.e. .pdf, .tif, .png, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps.)
 

How do I create a .zip file?

To use this format, follow the steps outlined below:

1. Create a new folder on your Desktop, name it the document type you will be uploading. For example, Test Scores, Transcript, or Financial Documentation.
2. Move all the pages you wish to upload into the new folder.
3. Right click on the document from your Desktop:
   • PC Users: select “Send to,” followed by “Compressed (zipped) folder.
   • Mac Users: select “Compress ‘[folder name]’. 
4. Your new .zip file will be located on your Desktop, ready to upload.

What is the difference between Official and Unofficial Transcripts?

Official transcripts must be obtained through your high school administration office, or your college registrar office.  These transcripts are normally printed on official letterhead and/or state that they are official.  These may contain a signature. 

Note:  Your official transcript may come to you in a sealed envelope, stating it will become unofficial if opened.  When scanning or copying your official transcripts, a watermark may appear noting they are now unofficial.  Despite any watermarks or sealed envelopes, you may open the envelope if needed to upload the document.  These documents will still be considered official for our purposes.  When scanning or copying, you do not need to include a copy of the sealed envelope.

Unofficial transcripts may be accessed through your school’s online student portal.  These pages must still be converted to one of the acceptable file formats.  There are free tools available that will allow you to save various documents (including web pages) as a PDF.  Unofficial transcripts must contain your name and the school name and contact information.
 

What are the DO's and DONT's of uploading documents to my application?

DO:

• Upload in the correct file format.
• Only upload the requested documents.
• Black out any Social Security numbers on the documents you are uploading.  This is not required, but advised.
• Return to your Home page by clicking here to verify your documents have been accepted.

DON’T:

• Upload a Microsoft Word™ document (.doc, .docx).
• Upload more than the requested documentation.
• Assume your documents are correct and accepted once you have uploaded them. 
• Upload a document stating you are mailing your documents.
• Assume the required document does not pertain to you.  If the application states the document is required, your application will remain incomplete if you do not provide that document.
• Password protect your uploaded documents.  Password protected documents will be rejected.

Where and when should I send my supporting documents?

The required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may not be considered. Documents that meet the criteria required for the scholarship application, and are uploaded by the deadline, will be processed and considered on time.
 

How and when will I receive notification?

Notifications are sent to recipients and applicants not selected to receive an award via email in May. For recipients, an Acceptance link will be displayed on the home page following the notification.

• Add donotreply@applyISTS.com and contactus@applyISTS.com to your email address book or “safe senders list” to ensure these important emails are not sent to your junk mail folder.
• Do not ‘opt out’ of any email sent from donotreply@applyISTS.com or contactus@applyISTS.com. You may not receive vital information regarding your scholarship applications.

Note:  Your email address will only be used to communicate with you about your scholarship applications or other opportunities administered by ISTS for which you may be eligible to apply. We will not provide your email address to any third parties. 
 

What are my responsibilities if I am chosen as a recipient?

You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student once high school has been completed in approximately four years. Until your graduation, you must complete an award acceptance form each year updating your contact information and your college plans. Acceptance forms will be emailed to the email address used to create your account.
 

How and when are checks issued?

Checks will be issued in to each recipient’s mailing address and made payable to the institution on the profile page.
 

Are scholarships taxable?

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against his or her scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance. You may also click here to consult IRS Publication 970 for further information.
 

Who administers this program

To ensure complete impartiality in selection of recipients and to maintain a high level of professionalism, the program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc., a firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs.
 

Who do I contact if I have other questions?

For additional information regarding the scholarship program click here or call toll free (855) 670-ISTS (4787).  Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central.