Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES

One application, hundreds of scholarship opportunities. Simply fill out the application, and you will be matched with the scholarships you are most likely to earn.

Please read all guidelines on this page before beginning your application. A link to the online application is provided at the bottom of this page.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be considered for the Midland Area Community Foundation scholarships, you must be a resident of the appropriate county(ies) the scholarship serves. NOTE: some specific company and member organization
scholarships are exempt from this requirement.

RESIDENCY DEFINITION

For purposes of the Midland Area Community Foundation scholarship program, you are considered a resident of either Midland or Gladwin County if you are a United States citizen and one of the following additional conditions apply:

• Applicant has been a legal resident of either Midland or Gladwin County for at least a year
• Applicant is a current high school senior graduating from a Midland or Gladwin County high school
• Applicant is a college student who is a Midland or Gladwin County resident and moved out of the county only for the specific purpose of going away to college

For purposes of the Midland Area Community Foundation scholarship program, you are ineligible if you are:

• An individual who moved to the area for the specific purpose of attending college here
• An individual who moved away from Midland/Gladwin County for a purpose other than going away to college
• An individual who has never lived in Midland/Gladwin County
• Not a United States citizen

SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS

An applicant who is nominated for more than one scholarship will be awarded the two highest-valued scholarships, or, if the total value of those two scholarships is less than $2,000, the minimum number of remaining scholarships, if any, for which the student was nominated shall be awarded, in decreasing order of value, until either a) all remaining scholarships are awarded, or b) the sum of all scholarships awarded equals or exceeds $2,000.

NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

In order to be considered for any need-based scholarships, applicants will need to include the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) information from their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The information you report on your FAFSA is used to calculate your EFC. Schools use the EFC to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial aid award.

The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law. Your family’s taxed and untaxed income assets, and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security) are all considered in the formula. Also considered are your family size and the number of family members who will attend college during the year.

There are two forms of EFC confirmation that will be accepted for need-based scholarships: the page displayed immediately after FAFSA submission (save electronically) or the e-mail sent to you after FAFSA submission.

COMPLETING THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a government program that provides money for post-secondary education to qualifying students with financial need. All the information you’ll need is available on the FAFSA website.  Here’s some information to help get you started:

• The process of completing the application will be much simpler if you complete your taxes one week in advance, enabling you to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
• If unable to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will need the following items to complete the FAFSA:
  • Social security numbers for parents and student
  • W-2 forms for parents and student
  • Most recent federal income tax return for parents and student
  • Current bank statements and records of stocks, bonds, and other investments
  • Records of other untaxed income received such as social security, TANF, welfare, or veterans benefits
  • Business or farm records, if applicable
  • Alien registration number if you are not a US citizen

INFORMATION THAT MAY BE NEEDED FOR GOAPPLY FORM

There are a number of items that are required to fill out the GoApply form. Use the following check-off list to ensure you have the information you need. (Not every piece of information you will need is on this list, such as name, address, etc, but we have included the information that we feel you may not know from memory.) We offer a wide range of scholarships to people from all walks of life; therefore, all information may not apply to you. If something does not apply to you, please skip the question and continue.

• County of Residence
• The last Four Digits of Social Security Number
• Unweighted High School Grade Point Average
• Number of College Semesters Completed by Aug. of This Year
• College Grade Point Average
• Anticipated Expenses (tuition, room/board, books for the coming college year)
• Total Value of Any Other Scholarships you have received
• Amount of Eligible Student Loans Available