FAQs About Scholarships

1. How do I apply for a Hampton Roads Community Foundation Scholarship?
   You should download a copy of the application from our website after December 1. Applications may also be available in high school guidance offices.
   
   
2. When is the deadline for submitting an application?
   Unless otherwise noted on the list of available scholarships, the application deadline is March 1. You can mail the application or bring it by our office at 101 W. Main Street, Suite 4500, Norfolk, VA 23510 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are located on the 4th floor of the World Trade Center on the corner of Main Street and Waterside Drive in downtown Norfolk.
   
   
3. Why are most of your scholarships limited to South Hampton Roads recipients?
   There are more than 700 community foundations in the United States and each serves a specific geographic region. The Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s priority is South Hampton Roads. If you are not from South Hampton Roads, you may want to check the Council on Foundation's Community Foundation Locator to search for the community foundation near your hometown.
   
   
4. Are all Foundation scholarships need-based?
   The majority of our scholarships require applicants to demonstrate financial need. The only scholarships that do not require financial need are the Frank Fang Memorial Scholarship, Harry Bramhall Gilbert Memorial Merit Scholarship, Adrian Ryan Kirk, Carrie Biggs Morrison Memorial Scholarship, and Jarrod Camper Smith Memorial Scholarship.
   
   
5. How is financial need determined?
   We consider the number of individuals in the household, number of family members in college, family income and financial resources, cost of attendance at the applicant’s college of choice and the expected family contribution determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
   
   
6. What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)?
   The Student Aid Report summarizes the data you provided on your FAFSA and indicates your Expected Family Contribution -- the amount your family is expected to be able to pay toward your education.  Turn in a copy of your SAR or your parents' tax return with your application.  Click here to see what a SAR looks like.
   
   
7. If most Foundation scholarships require financial need, is it worth applying if my parents' income is above a certain amount or if I have been awarded a large scholarship from my college? 
   If your expected family contribution is more than the cost of attendance at your school of choice, you are typically not going to qualify for any of our need-based scholarships. The same is true if your school of choice has offered you significant aid. If you are selected for a scholarship and it is later determined that you have sufficient aid from your college, your Foundation scholarship award may be withdrawn or reduced.
   
   
8. What other criteria are used in selecting scholarship recipients?
    We consider the following:  demonstrated academic ability, demonstrated concern for school and community through extracurricular activities and volunteer service, life experience as demonstrated by voluntary or paid work experience that supports the students’ goals, unusual circumstances which make the applicant more worthy of consideration and any special requirements set forth by the donor such as city or county of residence, the school to be attended, course of study and other factors. Unless otherwise noted, there is no minimum grade point average required.
   
   
9. Why was a scholarship available last year that is not available this year.
   Since we offer renewable scholarships, we must first set aside enough funds to honor our commitments to those students already receiving assistance. Some years, the available funds are only sufficient to cover renewals and there is no funding remaining to allow new awards. In addition, we have some scholarships that are only offered to one student at a time, which means applications are only solicited every four years.
   
   
10. What is the amount of most scholarship awards?
    Award amounts are based on the amount of funds available, the number of winners selected and individual financial need. Amounts are not predetermined. Recipients receive awards ranging from $500 to $10,600. The average scholarship in the 2011-2012 school year is approximately $2,600.
    
    
11. When will I be notified whether I have received a scholarship?
    We try to send decision letters in mid-April. Occasionally we have to extend the deadline for certain scholarships if we have not received a sufficient pool of applicants. In those situations, we may not be able to send notices until May.
    
    
12. Where can the scholarship be used?
    Scholarship awards can be used at degree-granting, nonprofit, four-year colleges and universities in the United States that participate in the Federal Student Aid Programs (Title IV). Special requests for scholarships to attend community colleges will be reviewed by the foundation on a case-by-case basis. Current scholarship recipients should contact the Foundation to request permission to use funds for study abroad.
    
    
13. What expenses can the scholarship pay?
    Scholarship funds can cover direct educational expenses charged to the student by the college or university including tuition and fees, room and board, books and mandatory equipment.
    
    
14. Will I receive a check for my scholarship?
    Scholarship funds are paid directly to your educational institution. Your school will be instructed to apply the funds to your student account equally between semesters or quarters. Any funds in excess of your remaining need will be returned to us so we can help other students.