Scholarship Guide Kamehameha Schools Seniors

Transcription

1 Scholarship Guide Kamehameha Schools Seniors

2 Pauahi Foundation The mission of the Pauahi Foundation is to support the mission of Kamehameha Schools by seeking and developing new and diverse sources of income to support the ever-increasing educational needs and goals of people of Hawaiian ancestry. In addition to overseeing several fund-raising programs, the Foundation also manages more than100 scholarships. 1 Awards offered are for undergraduate and graduate work and cover a wide range of academic and cultural disciplines. Many of the funds have been established by Kamehameha Schools alumni and parent groups, school clubs and organizations and individual donors.

3 PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Pauahi Foundation administers scholarships that are available exclusively to Kamehameha Schools seniors. Each of the three campuses offers specific funds which students can apply to for college funding. Before proceeding, please read all Pauahi Foundation Scholarship Online material. The online materials identify the processes you must follow and deadline dates you must comply with in order to be considered for any scholarship. Your failure to follow process instructions and comply with all deadlines will result in your not being considered for any scholarship. The Pauahi Foundation reserves the right to make decisions in its sole discretion, and its decisions in regards to the selection and awarding of scholarship funds is final. The Pauahi Foundation s policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law. 2

4 Online application opens: November 24, 2014 Online application closes: January 16, Letter of Recommendation: January 23, 2015

5 CHECKLIST FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION All documents must be received (not postmarked) at the Foundation office by the stated deadline. Late documents will not be accepted, therefore your application will not be considered for any scholarships. All documents, once submitted will become property of the Foundation and will not be returned. What needs to be submitted? incompleted Online Application Completed and have clicked the Submit button. incompleted incompleted incompleted incompleted Letter of Recommendation From a non-family member who can comment on your character, overall achievement, community involvement, and potential for success. Essay(s) Additional essays as required. See your respective campus Scholarship Listing for individual requirements. Art Portfolio Submit if you are applying to the art scholarship. Only hard-copy photos of artwork will be accepted. The portfolio will remain with the Foundation as part of your application packet and will not be returned. Copy of College Acceptance Letters Although not a requirement to apply, we would appreciate copies of college acceptance letters as the student receives them. 4

6 Timeline 5 Prepare [October] Read all materials posted, prepare personal statements, additional essays, choose scholarship funds. Application [November - January] Access the online application, send electronic requests to letter of recommendation writers, submit copy of college acceptance letters, if available. Selection [February - April] Selection committees meet to review applications and rank student. Notifications [May] Notifications will be made in May through the annual campus Academic Awards Ceremony and through written decision. Distribution [July - August] Funds distributed to institutions. HOW TO APPLY The key to a successful application submittal is reading all of the scholarship material. Our FAQs will help to answer any questions you may have. If, after reading our material, you re still in question, we re here to help! Contact us and we can explain or walk you through the process. Step 1: Read all materials Instructions are contained in this guidebook for your usage An online tutorial is available at Step 2: Prepare Your Personal Statements Answer the four mandatory questions completely and succinctly Limit statements to 3,000 characters (not words) Prepare your statements in a Word document where you can utilize Spell Check and the Character counter Ensure there is thought put into your responses as this may be the only piece of information that review committees will receive to get to know you

7 Personal Statement Questions: a. What career do you see yourself in years and what life experiences have helped you realize this career goal? Step 5: Complete Your Application Validate all entered information Click the Submit button b. Choose a meaningful community service project that you recently participated in or helped organize, and explain what kind of impact it has made on you and how it has helped you recognize your career/life goal. c. Share a challenging event in your life and how you overcame it and grown from the experience. d. List by academic year (Freshmen through Senior years), the extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, community service projects, etc., that you have participated in and what role (if any) you took part in making the event successful. This list will help validate your qualifications for criteria-specific funds you apply for. Step 3: Select Scholarship Funds Your respective campus scholarship listing will be available in November Read the criteria for each of the scholarships being offered to determine if you meet the criteria Make note of any additional documents or essays listed required Step 4: Create Your Login and Password You ll be able to access the link through the from scholarships@pauahi.org, or through our website, Create your account by using address Passwords must be 8-16 characters in length and include a non-alphanumeric token such #, $ Step 6: Request Your Letter of Recommendation (LOR) You must submit one (1) letter of recommendation Recommender cannot be a family member Ensure you have a current address for your writer Send request to writer at least 3 weeks prior to the deadline Writers will have one week beyond your online application deadline to submit their LOR Last day to request LOR is January 16, 2015, 4:15pm HST. Only LORs submitted online will be accepted, no hard copy submittals Check the status of your LOR by logging into the application and clicking on the Manage Letters of Recommendation tab Step 7: Supplemental Documents Art Portfolios for students applying to the art scholarship will only be accepted as a hard copy, no DVDs, CDs or ed submittals will be accepted College Acceptance Letters that applicants have received to-date will be accepted and kept on file. If awarded, you will be asked to notify us of your choice of institution 6

8 Selection Process Completed applications submitted by the deadline are reviewed according to specific fund criteria Completed applications that meet specific fund criteria are sent to committee for review Separate committees are convened for each scholarship fund Committee members read each completed application packet and determine those that most closely match the intent of the scholarship Save your work as you complete sections of the application. Students are ranked and submitted to the Foundation for further processing The Pauahi Foundation has the right to make decisions in its sole discretion and its decision in regards to the selection and awarding of scholarship funds is final 7 OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The Pauahi Foundation administers scholarships that have been created by current and former faculty, staff, alumni classes and spouses of Kamehameha faculty and staff. The Foundation awards scholarships supporting college level areas of study, as well as trade and vocational courses. Many awards may be determined based on merit, while some are restricted for those students applying to specific geographic region institutions. Foundation scholarships are supplemental and may not cover the full cost of education. Students may also apply for educational financial assistance from state, federal and private funds and contribute from their own earnings. Awards are subject to availability of funds. Award Notification Notification letters will be mailed in May to the permanent address provided Those awarded must formally accept the funds by signing and returning a scholarship agreement form within the stated period Unclaimed awards may be re-awarded Use of Award Funds should be used for educational expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board Some awards may be used for other educational expenses designated by the donor

9 Scholarship Application Questions Can I apply for more than one Foundation scholarship? Yes, as long as you fulfill the eligibility requirements for all scholarships you apply for. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS General Foundation Questions How many Foundation scholarships are available this year? The number of available scholarship funds is specific to each of the campuses. Please check the Scholarship Listing handout provided to you. Do I have to be a state of Hawai`i resident and/or attend a college/university in Hawai`i to apply? No, not necessarily. A majority of scholarships are not restricted to Hawai`i residents. However, there are some scholarships that do require applicants to be Hawai`i residents or require you to attend a college/university in Hawai`i. Refer to the Scholarship Listing for specific criteria. Is there a difference between the Pauahi Foundation scholarship program and the Kamehameha Schools Post-High Financial Aid Nā Ho okama a Pauahi Program? Yes, there is and you may want to consider applying for both. Foundation scholarships are funded by private donors and are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or donor specified criteria. Kamehameha Schools scholarships are funded annually by the Kamehameha Schools endowment through the Kamehameha Schools budgeting process, which is separate from the Foundation s funds. Therefore, the programs are different as is the application process. We advise that you review both programs and if you are eligible, apply for both. Visit Kamehameha Schools Financial Aid web site at for details or call I ve tried to login, but the system isn t letting me proceed. What do I do? The online system has certain checks and balances to ensure that you are a registered Kamehameha Schools senior. Make sure that you: Are using address to register Are creating a valid password, to include 6-8 characters and are using one non-alpha/nonnumeric character, such #, $, %, ^, &, *, etc. I m writing my essays, but the system is cutting off my entry. What do I do? All essay entries have a limitation of 3,000 characters which includes characters spaces and returns. The counter at the bottom of the entry block indicates the number of characters you have remaining and will display a negative number if you are over the 3,000 character limit. You will need to edit your entry down to the 3,000 character limit. Why can t I click on the Review Documentations tab? The Review Documentations tab will only become clickable after you ve submitted your online application, i.e. you will need to have clicked the Submit button at the end of the online application. How can I retrieve my forgotten password? If you ve forgotten your password, click on the Forgot your password? phrase on the bottom of the login page. It will allow you to reset your password through address. 8

10 9 Processing Questions May I make changes to my online application once it has been submitted? No, once your online application is submitted request for changes must be submitted in writing to the Foundation. This request must be received by the deadline and may be sent via mail, fax or (scholarships@pauahi.org). How do I add another scholarship fund if I ve already clicked the Submit button? Only scholarship funds that do not require an additional essay may be added by notifying us prior to the deadline via mail, fax or (scholarships@pauahi.org). Who selects the scholarship recipients? From February through April, scholarship committees established by the Foundation will evaluate all qualified applicants for each scholarship and select the awardees based on the requirements established by donors. When will I know if I have been selected to receive a scholarship? Notification letters will be mailed in May. If I am applying for an art scholarship requiring samples of work, how should I submit my portfolio? Only hardcopy portfolios with high quality color prints and/or copies of work will be accepted for review. CDs and digital copies of your work will not be accepted. Include a cover page with your full name, contact information and Pauahi Foundation applicant I.D. number. Portfolios will not be returned and will be retained as part of our records once submitted. I will also be applying for the scholarships offered to the general public, will I need to submit another official transcript? No. If you applied to Foundation scholarships for Kamehameha seniors and checked the box within the online application stating that you are giving us authority to ask for your transcripts on your behalf, you will not need to submit another official transcript.

11 Letters of Recommendation What if I don t have any community person that is able to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf? The requirement of submitting a letter of recommendation is to gain insight on your character, who you are as a person and to gauge your potential for a successful educational career. Anyone who you ve come in contact with that is able to comment on your character, overall achievement, community service and potential for success can be asked to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Can a family member write a letter of recommendation (LOR) on my behalf? No. Letters of recommendation from family members are not accepted. If an LOR is found to be from a family member and you are awarded a scholarship, the scholarship will be rescinded and awarded to the next eligible ranked student. What if my writer misses the deadline to submit my letter of recommendation? If your letter writer misses the deadline for submission of your letter of recommendation your application will be deemed incomplete and not considered for any scholarship. We highly suggest you monitor the status of all requests for letters of recommendation through the Manage Letters of Recommendation tab on your online application. If Selected As A Recipient If selected to receive a scholarship, when will I receive the check? The dual-party checks will be disbursed in July to the designated institution listed on your signed Agreement Form. Check with your institution for their disbursement policy. If I am awarded a scholarship and decide to change institutions from the stated institution on my application, am I still eligible? Awards are based on the information provided from the applicant and according to the criteria set forth by the donors. A re-evaluation of the new information will be made and you will be notified of the decision. If selected, can I defer the awarding of my scholarship? No. The Foundation has a strict spend policy that we adhere to. If you are unable to utilize the funds for the academic year it is being awarded for, you will forfeit the scholarship. If I am awarded a scholarship from The Pauahi Foundation and the Kamehameha Schools Nā Ho`okama a Pauahi Scholarship Program, am I eligible to receive both? Yes. The funding sources for the two programs are as diverse as our selections. If you are offered both, you are eligible to receive both. 10

12 Pauahi Foundation 567 South King Street, Suite 160 Honolulu, Hawai i Phone: (808) Fax: (808) scholarships@pauahi.org