Scholarship Program Information

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The Scholarship application for 2009 awards is now available. Applications may be submitted from October 15, 2008 through January 15, 2009 and scholars receive notice in May, 2009. For detailed guidelines and application information, please refer to the frequently asked questions below.

Frequently asked scholarship program questions:

Will scholarships be given out every year?

This is an annual program. The program opens Oct. 15 and closes Jan. 15. Your application will be reviewed using your current transcript.

Is there an application fee?

No, we do not charge students to apply for this scholarship.

Who is eligible?

High school seniors who have a parent with MS who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.
High school seniors who have MS and will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.
High school (or GED) graduates of any age who have MS and who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.
High school (or GED) graduates of any age who have a parent with MS and who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.
Applicants must be United States citizens or legal residents living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or any other U.S. territory and plan to enroll in an undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school located in the U.S., PR, VI, Guam or any other U.S. territory. Applicants must be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester in course work leading to a degree, license, or certificate.

Why don’t you expand the eligibility guidelines?

While we know that there are many qualified and worthy candidates for the scholarship, the expense of running an open-ended program is prohibitive. There are costs associated with collecting and reviewing each application. A larger number of applications mean larger administrative costs. By restricting the eligibility, we are able to contain the administrative costs and award more scholarships. A committee of volunteers and National MS Society staff determine the eligibility criteria.

I live outside the United States. Can I apply?

This scholarship is only for individuals who are United States citizens or legal residents living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or any other U.S. territory. People who live outside the country who are or whose parents are in the U.S. military, government service or other U.S. corporate employees are eligible as long as they meet the basic eligibility requirements.

Where can I get an application form?

The application form will be available on our website at www.nationalmssociety.org/scholarship by October 1st. It will remain posted until the closing date, January 15, 2009. National MS Society chapters will also have the applications available. Contact your chapter by calling 1-800-344-4867. You may also request an application from Scholarship America at 1-800-537-4180, ext 471.

What’s the deadline?

Your application must be postmarked by Jan. 15. Applications will be accepted between Oct. 15 and Jan. 15. Please do not send your application before Oct. 15.

I missed the deadline. Can I still apply?

Unfortunately, late applications will not be accepted. Please plan to get your application in early to avoid unexpected delays. There will be no exceptions.

Can I apply again next year?

An individual may apply for the scholarship as long as he/she meets the eligibility criteria, i.e., a person with MS or a high school senior or high school (or GED) graduate who is the child of a person with MS who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time. If you applied previously for the scholarship and didn’t receive an award and subsequently attended postsecondary school, then you would not be eligible. If you received a National MS Society scholarship, you are not eligible to apply again.

I have some questions about how to fill out the form. Whom do I ask?

This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a program of Scholarship America. Scholarship America is dedicated to improving access to postsecondary education for students through scholarships and educational support. You may contact Scholarship America at 800-537-4180, extension 471.

How much money is given to each individual?

The minimum scholarship award is $1,000 with a maximum award of $3,000, although a limited number of awards may exceed this amount.

How much money is given overall?

The awards each year will depend on available funding. Last year, 422 scholarships were awarded for a total of $868,250.

Why do I have to send the application to Scholarship America and not to my chapter?

Scholarship America is a national nonprofit educational support and student aid service organization that receives and evaluates all of the applications. They send the top candidates to the National MS Society for a final review and final award decisions. Scholarship America also handles the distribution of award checks and monitors student enrollment. All checks are made payable to the student’s school for the student’s account. The award checks are mailed to the student’s home address on Aug. 15.

What are the criteria for selecting finalists?

All applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria, fully complete the application, and meet the deadline of Jan. 15. Scholarship America will select scholarship finalists on the basis of demonstrated financial need, academic record, leadership and participation in school or community activities, work experience, an outside appraisal, goals and aspirations, special circumstances, and an essay regarding the impact of MS on their life. Decisions are not affected by a person’s race, color, creed, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation.

Who selects the recipients?

The National MS Society convenes a special panel that consists of people with MS, chapter and home office volunteers and staff, and national board members. This panel reviews applications and makes final scholarship decisions.

Must I plan to be a full-time student?

We understand that full-time study is not possible for everyone due to health concerns or family care responsibilities. You must be enrolled for at least six credit hours per academic term to be eligible as a part-time student. The scholarship is intended for students who are pursuing a degree, license, or certificate and is not for those who want to take an occasional personal enrichment class.

What will be required of me if I am selected to receive a scholarship?

We will ask you to verify that one of your parents or you have multiple sclerosis. A note from your family doctor written on prescription pad or letterhead is acceptable. We will ask you to write a thank you note to one or more of our donors. You will be asked to sign a media release form giving us permission to use your photo and reference your application materials in media releases.

Where does the money for scholarships come from?

There have been a wide variety of donors to this fund and include people with MS and other individuals affected by MS, corporate donors, foundations, individual National MS Society chapters, and staff and volunteers of the National MS Society.

What if I don’t know where I will attend school?

List the schools to which you have applied on your application in order of preference. Upon acceptance, you will need to make a final decision and notify Scholarship America of your school choice by early July.

I want to go to a technical school and not to college. Can I apply?

Any postsecondary, undergraduate school is fine as long as it meets national, state, or professional accreditation standards. You must plan to attend school at least part-time—six credit hours per school term.

How and when will I be notified if I receive a scholarship?

Initially, you will be sent a postcard from Scholarship America acknowledging receipt of your application. You will be notified by late May/early June if you have been selected to receive a scholarship. Communication with applicants is done both by paper mail and by email. If you have listed an email address on your application, please be sure to check your email regularly.

If I don’t meet the criteria for the National MS Society Scholarship program, are there are other resources available?

Yes there are. Although not an exhaustive list, below are resources that you may want to research.

Federal Assistance

studentaid.ed.gov
The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are the largest source of student aid in America.
Fafsa.ed.gov
Free application for federal student aid
Federal Student Aid Information Center
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
This is a toll-free number.

Other Resources

www.advocacy-net.com/scholarmks.htm—More than 1,500 scholarships on the Internet.
www.salliemae.com/ —SallieMae, the nation’s leading provider of student loans.
www.fastweb.com/ —Each day, more than 20,000 people access this free scholarship search database containing 400,000 scholarships.
www.ronbrown.org/ —Ron Brown Scholar Program (major scholarships).
www.truman.gov/ —The Harry S. Truman scholarship site.
www.jackierobinson.org/ —The Jackie Robinson Foundation scholarships.
www.marine-scholars.org —Marine Corps scholarships.
www.uncf.org/merck/program.htm —United Negro College Fund Merck Science Initiative.
www.collegeanswer.com - College planning assistance.
www.scholarships.com/ —Free service... database of more than 600,000 scholarships from about 8,000 sources, worth more than $1.4 billion.
www.collegenet.com/ —Offers 10,000 scholarships for applying for college on-line.
www.internationalscholarships.com —Searchable database of scholarships all around the world.
www.collegelink.com - Free scholarship and search information.
www.collegeboard.com/ —The College Board’s free scholarship search program.
www.freschinfo.com —A frequently updated database of scholarships which currently lists 1,817 scholarship sources offering 130,000 awards.
www.petersons.com —Very respected name in college search information.
www.gocollege.com —Claims to be the largest free scholarship database in the country.
www.scholarshipamerica.org —The nation’s largest nonprofit, private sector scholarship and educational support organization.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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