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Scholarship Program Information

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Enrollment for the 2012 Scholarship Program is closed. All applicants were mailed notification letters in April 2012. Please check back in October to apply for the 2013 program. The National MS Society Scholarship Program is for first-time college freshmen (of any age) only. For more detailed information, please refer to the frequently asked questions and other scholarship resources below.

Frequently asked scholarship program questions:

Will scholarships be given out every year?

Yes, this is an annual program. The program opens October 1 and closes mid-January 2013.

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Is there an application fee?

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

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Who is eligible?

  • High school seniors who have a parent with MS who will be attending an accredited post secondary school for the first time.
  • High school seniors who have MS and will be attending an accredited post secondary school for the first time.
  • High School (or GED) graduates of any age who have MS and who will be attending an accredited post secondary 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 post secondary 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.

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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.

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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.

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Where can I get an application?

The application will be available on this site (see green box above) on October 1st. It will remain posted until the mid-January 2013 closing date. Applications are accepted online only.

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What’s the deadline?

Your application must be submitted online by mid-January 2013 (check back after October for exact deadline), and your supporting documents mailed and postmarked by mid-January 2013 to the address listed on the application instructions.  

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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.

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Can I apply again next year?

An individual may apply for the scholarship as long as he/she meets the eligibility criteria. If you applied previously for the scholarship and didn’t receive an award and subsequently attended post secondary school, then you would not be eligible. If you received a National MS Society scholarship, you are not eligible to apply again.

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I have some questions about how to fill out the form – whom do I ask?

Contact information will be provided here once the application is posted.

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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.

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How much money is given overall?

The awards each year will depend on available funding. In 2012, over $1 million was awarded to 646 scholars.

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What are the criteria for selecting finalists?

All applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria, fully complete the online application, and meet the application deadline by mid-January 2013. Scholarship finalists will be selected 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 (written by the applicant) 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.

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Why am I not able to send the application to my chapter?

All applications must be submitted online and cannot be sent to your chapter. The top candidates (based on the criteria above) are submitted to the National MS Society for final review and final award decisions. The National MS Society has contracted with an outside vendor that will handle the distribution of award checks and monitoring of 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 school in mid-August.

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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.

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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.

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

We will request that you email a current photo and that you to write a thank you note to one or more of our donors.

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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.

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

List the school that you plan to attend. If you are applying to more than one institution, indicate only your first choice. If chosen as a scholar, you will have the opportunity to change your school information on the scholarship acceptance form that you receive with your notification letter. If your school information changes after you have returned your acceptance form, you will need to notify us by mid-July in order for your disbursement to be mailed to the correct school in August. Otherwise, you may expect delays in receiving your check.

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

Any post secondary, 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. You can verify a school's accreditation status by accessing the U.S. Dept of Education's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs at www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx. 

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

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation acknowledging receipt of your application. You will be notified by late-April 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 your email address changes, please notify us at nmss@act.org.

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When will scholarship checks be mailed?

Checks will be mailed in mid-August to your school. Checks are made payable to the institution.  

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

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

Federal Assistance
  • http://studentaid.ed.gov
    The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are the largest source of student aid in America.
     
  • http://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

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