Founder’s Merit and Presidential Scholarship FAQs
- Who is eligible for the scholarships?
- Current students at Community Care College, Clary Sage College, or Oklahoma Technical College that meet the following requirements:
- When is the application deadline?
- There are four (4) scholarship rounds every year, and application deadlines are based on the student’s start date.
| Student Start Date | Application Submission Deadline |
|---|
| January 1st – March 31st | April 30th |
| April 1st – June 30th | July 31st |
| July 1st – September 30th | October 31st |
| October 1st – December 31st | January 31st |
- If I miss the deadline, can I still apply for a future scholarship?
- Unfortunately, if a student does not apply by the application deadline of their respective scholarship round, they cannot apply for the Founder’s Merit Scholarship and Brighter Future Presidential Scholarship at a later time.
- Is there a limit on the number of scholarships I can apply for?
- Your application you submit will be for both the Founder’s Merit Scholarship and Brighter Future Presidential Scholarship. The judges will determine who will be the winner for each upon review. You will only submit one application.
- How many scholarships are offered every round?
- One Founder’s Merit and one Brighter Future Presidential Scholarship is offered every quarter, organization-wide. This totals to four Founder’s Merit and four Brighter Future Presidential Scholarships every year. Scholarships are not awarded by campus.
- How many times can I submit an application for the scholarship?
- Until the due date, students can submit, edit, and resubmit documents as needed. If students submit documents early the Scholarship Committee might have a chance to look over the submissions and communicate if there is anything that is missing. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted or saved.
- What start date should I choose?
- You can still start at any one of our start dates; you do not have to delay your education because of your scholarship application. The scholarship is only available to current (enrolled) students.
- What programs are eligible for these two scholarships?
- Master Instructor with Experience, Cosmetology to Barber Crossover, and Barber to Cosmetology Crossover programs are only eligible to receive the Military/Veteran Scholarship.
- What can I do to make sure my overall application is strong?
- Submit all artifacts in a timely manner
- Proofread all written elements
- Invest time and energy in your application, reviewing over a few days, rather than submitting the “first draft”
- Be creative and original in your content, let your personality and motivation shine through, be real, show the selection committee your commitment to your education and future career, and demonstrate a strong passion for your chosen college
- What does a great essay include?
- Shows research of the future job, industry, potential employers, and how well you as a future graduate would fit into this career
- Demonstrates your commitment to excellence, ability to overcome obstacles and passion for the chosen program and college
- Great writing, evidence of effort, proofreading, and investment of time
- Originality and creativity in content
- Exceptional leadership potential and demonstration of character
- How can I create a quality PowerPoint?
- A good PowerPoint presentation (or GooglePresentation) answers the questions visually, with originality and creativity.
- The slideshow should have a natural flow that shows structure and continuity of your thought process.
- What do high-quality volunteer/service hours look like?
- Choose a highly reputable non-profit organization.
- The more positive feedback from the organization the better.
- Exceeding the minimum requirement of 5 hours.
- Hours are easy to verify with an organization.
- What does a great professional letter of recommendation include?
- It is submitted on time, on company letterhead, in PDF format, with the recommender’s signature and contact information at the end of the document
- It is written specifically for this quarter’s scholarship application
- It highlights your character, work ethic, and drive
- It is submitted by someone who knows you in a professional capacity and knows you well (not friends/family) for example co-workers, supervisors, teachers, volunteer supervisor/coordinator
- How are scholarship recipients chosen?
- A numeric grading scale is used to evaluate each scholarship. There is a 2 round process that ends with a personal interview with college leaders to determine the final scholarship recipients.
- If there is anything negative in my background or I don’t have any experience, do I still stand a chance to win the scholarship?
- Yes! No experience is required to submit this application, and negative behavior in the past is not a disqualifying factor. This scholarship application should be focused on future goals and potential and is evaluated accordingly
- What do I need to do to keep the scholarship?
- Students are required to maintain a 90% attendance and 3.5 GPA to qualify and remain eligible for the scholarship.
- What if I don’t maintain the required GPA and attendance standards?
- Student performance will be evaluated at the end of every term and failure to meet required standards will result in reverting to the backup payment plan agreed up prior to enrollment.
- What other tips do I need to know to have a good application?
- Scholarships are assessed holistically, which means every element has a bearing on the final outcome – give each element great thought and pay attention to detail
- Find ways to distinguish yourself (in your content) from all the other candidates that are applying for the same scholarship
- Go the extra mile to make your point clear, paint the best possible picture, and be as original as you can
- Give yourself enough time to complete the application, but “done is better than perfect” – getting it done on time is better than not getting it done at all.
- Are there alternatives to funding if I don’t get the scholarship?
- An ideal scholarship recipient is a go-getter that will not let anything stand in their way of success and a new career. Therefore, an ideal candidate has a backup plan that will ensure academic success whether or not they receive the scholarship.Students applying for scholarships are required to provide Financial Aid with a secondary payment plan (whether private, through federal financial aid, or through other resources, such as tribal funding or external scholarships) that will be effective until the scholarship recipient is announced.If the student is awarded the scholarship, all loans that that cover tuition expenses will be returned to the Department of Education. The scholarship will be applied to all tuition expenses starting from the student’s original start date.If a student does not receive the scholarship, the backup payment plan they elected will remain in effect as usual.
- Can I get other scholarships and/or grants in addition to this scholarship?
- External funding: Yes! All tribal funds, external scholarships, and grants will be applied towards other fees, including books, fees, kits, and other expenses. All external funding will be applied to student balance prior to the application of this scholarship. This scholarship has no cash redemption value.Internal scholarship: Students are only eligible to qualify for one Institutional scholarship; no additional internal scholarship or funding can be combined with these scholarships.
- Can this scholarship be used to receive excess funds?
- No, if an institutional scholarship creates a credit balance on the student account, the amount of the institutional scholarship will be reduced to cover only the tuition amount owed as listed on the enrollment agreement.
- The scholarships are up to 50% or 100% tuition, how will these amounts be determined?
- Scholarship amounts are determined per quarter by the organization’s budget and applications received.
- What fees do these scholarship cover?
- These scholarships cover tuition; all other fees are not included in this scholarship and require a separate payment plan.
- How do I pay for other expenses not covered by the scholarship?
- The Financial Aid Department will assist students to determine whether to use private payments, financial aid, external scholarships, tribal funds or any other source of funding.