Who is Eligible for a scholarship?
Scholarship Assistance Fund Dollars for Scholars scholarships are offered to residents of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Mt. Prospect, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows, and Wheeling, Illinois and/or to students that are attending or have graduated from a high school in District 214. If you meet the residency requirement, maintain a GPA equivalent of a B average (C average for Vocational/Trade School scholarships), and are planning to attend a two-year college, four-year college or vocational/trade school the following school year, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Past scholarship recipients and home-schooled students are also eligible to apply.

 

How do I apply for a scholarship?
Go to the Students and Parents Tab of this website to create a login at Scholarship America's Dollars for Scholars Student Center. You will be asked to create your profile which includes demographic, academic and extracurricular information. Click here to download our Scholarship Application Checklist to ensure you have completed your application. 

 

How are Scholarships awarded? 
The criteria for selection of the recipients is determined by the following:

·       Financial Need

·       Academic Achievement

·       Community Involvement, Employment and School Activities

·       Written Essays for Academic Scholarships; questions for Vocational Scholarships

·       Letters of Recommendation

 

All of this information is obtained via our application process, as described above. Finalists are selected by our evaluation committee and then interviewed by Board members.
 

How and when are scholarship awards distributed?
Scholarship recipients are notified of their selection to receive an award by April 30th.  Our awards ceremony is held in mid-June.  Scholarship funds are distributed directly to the student's school, usually in the middle of July. 
 

How are scholarships funded?
Funding for awards comes from several sources: fundraising events, monetary donations, and endowment fund earnings. 

 

Are my donations tax-deductible?

Donations of any amount are appreciated and gratefully accepted. 100% of all donations and fundraising are used for Scholarship Awards. All donations are tax-deductible - our EIN is 46-3339317.

 

What is the endowment fund?

The endowment fund is an investment fund set up by the organization that earns interest and dividends in which regular withdrawals from the invested capital are used for operations and awards. An account can be established in memory of a loved one or in the name of a living individual, a club, an organization, a business or a high school class.

All contributions and fundraising proceeds are used for scholarship awards in the subsequent year.

 

How can I establish or learn more about an endowment fund account?
Any of our Board members can assist you.  Please contact one of us with any questions. 
 

What volunteer opportunities are available?
Help is always welcome, and we can almost certainly make use of whatever time you can give.  Some members serve on our Board that meets monthly to guide our activities, other individuals can help with specific activities such as the scholarship application review committee, awards ceremony, and/or golf outing. 

Student involvement is especially welcome.

Please contact one of our Board members or our Program Specialist if you are interested in learning more about ways you can help.
 

What are Matching Partners?
Matching Partners are institutions already enrolled in the Collegiate Partners program that make further commitments to students by agreeing to match scholarship awards coming to their campuses from Dollars for Scholars community scholarship programs.  These matching funds represent resources dedicated exclusively for this purpose and do not replace previously awarded institutional grants.
 

What are Collegiate Partners?
Collegiate Partners are colleges, universities and other accredited post-secondary institutions that demonstrate their commitment to the development of private sector student aid by supporting the mission of the Dollars for Scholars community scholarships foundations.  All Collegiate Partner institutions have made commitments that Scholarship America and Scholarship America-related scholarships will be used first to fill any unmet need remaining after the institution's initial financial aid package has been calculated.  Institutions further agree that the first $4,000 in Scholarship America and Scholarship America-related scholarships will not be used to reduce institutional grant assistance.

 

Who should I contact if I have additional questions? 
Feel free to e-mail us at info@safdollarsforscholars.org or call 847.460.0700.