Scholarship FAQs

Each scholarship fund has specific eligibility criteria defined by the donor when the fund was established. Please read through the specific criteria to see if you are eligible for any of the Foundation's scholarship funds.

Scholarship funds are available for traditional and non-traditional students. “Traditional Students” are generally defined as students who transition straight from high school to college. “Non-Traditional Students” are generally defined as students who take time between high school and college, but can be more narrowly defined by specific scholarship funds.

Go to www.cfhoward.org and click on the link to our online scholarship application.

https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cfhinscholarship

Create an account using an e-mail address you check frequently and input a password you will remember.

Follow the instructions to complete your profile. You can complete and save your application.

You may begin, save and return to your application at any time. All sections, including requests for recommendations, must be completed in order for you to finalize and submit your application. In order to be considered, scholarship applications must be complete and submitted by the deadline stated on the application.

For the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and general applications, use the income tax information from your most recent filing.

When you sign into your account, there will be a tab labeled “Active Requests” on the Applicant Dashboard. Click on this tab to see all of your applications and their status.

No. Once you hit the submit button, your application is final so it is important that you preview your application before submission. If a change must be made, contact the Community Foundation.

If you have questions, or to request an application, see your guidance counselor, or call Emerald Blankenship, Senior Vice President, at the Community Foundation (765) 454-7298 or contact us.

The scholarships are for educational expenses: college or university tuition, fees, required books and equipment. By IRS regulations, we can only cover "qualified educational expenses," which we define as tuition and academic fees.

For students seeking a degree, any scholarship used for college tuition, fees, and required books and equipment is not taxable. Any portion of a scholarship used for room and board is taxable. For students not enrolled in a degree program, all scholarship funds are taxable. Consult a tax expert for advice. IRS publication 520 may prove informative.

Each scholarship application is thoughtfully and carefully reviewed by a selection committee of community volunteers. The selection criteria that the committee uses in the selection process is determined by the donor of the scholarship fund at the time the fund was established.

You will receive a letter informing you of the scholarship(s) you have received with the total amount of the scholarship(s) and the documentation necessary from you in order that a scholarship payment can be made.

The documentation necessary for a payment to be made is proof of enrollment (such as a copy of your class schedule, bill from the university, or registration). After we have received the documentation from you, a check for your scholarship(s) amount and a scholarship payment form with your information will be sent to the university/college with instructions on how to apply the scholarship amount. (Most scholarships will be split equally between semesters.)

The check will be made payable to the university and mailed with instructions on how to apply the scholarship amount to your bill.

Only a few of the scholarships have set award amounts. Most funds offer varying award amounts, which range from $500 to $6,000. Your award will depend on the size of the particular fund, and the directions given by the donors or fund advisors.

No, these scholarships are intended to provide partial support. In addition to applying for scholarships through the Community Foundation, you should look into other financial aid resources such as federal Pell grants, work-study programs at the university, and loans. A complete financial aid package can be put together by your university's financial aid office, and may include a portion of each of the above types of assistance. In addition, you may find other scholarships through assistance from your guidance counselor, or at other scholarship websites listed in the Scholarship Resources page of our website.

Most of the scholarships are for students attending any accredited college or university. Some scholarship funds designate that it is for students attending a post-secondary educational institution in Indiana or a particular college or university. See the specific description of each scholarship fund.

Yes, you may apply to all the funds to which you are eligible and therefore could be selected as a recipient for multiple scholarship awards.

No, scholarships are charitable awards that do not have to be paid back. We do ask that you send a "Thank You" note to the donor of the fund c/o Community Foundation so that we can let them know that you appreciate their generosity.

We also ask that once you have completed your education and are working that you consider "paying the generosity forward," by contributing to the same fund or one of our other scholarship funds after you have completed your degree and have your career established.

No. Currently there are a limited number of renewable scholarships. If a scholarship is renewable, you will be informed of the eligibility requirements for the renewals and will be assigned follow-up forms for subsequent years in which your scholarship may be renewed. Renewals are subject to funding availability and maintaining eligibility criteria as defined by the donor of that scholarship.

We request that scholarship recipients inform Emerald Blankenship, Scholarships Officer, of any changes in their status as students. If you have any extenuating circumstances, we will work with you. If not, the scholarship for that semester would be forfeited.