SCHOLARSHIP FAQS
Q. CAN A STUDENT RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE SCHOLARSHIP?
A. No. Each student will only receive one scholarship.
Q. HOW MANY STUDENTS APPLY EACH YEAR?
A. While the number of applicants varies somewhat from year to year, approximately 300 students typically apply.
Q. ARE SCHOLARSHIPS ALWAYS BASED ON GPA?
A. No. Most years, less than half are based on GPA. Rather, many donors prefer to consider the student’s composite score. In 2022, the GPA ranges varied from a minimum of 2.75 to a minimum of 3.6. We encourage ALL Eagan high school seniors to review the various scholarships available and apply.
Q. HOW IS THE COMPOSITE SCORE CALCULATED?
A. You might see that many scholarships take the student’s composite score into consideration. This score is a blend of academics (GPA+ACT/SAT), school activities (sports, clubs, performing arts), community activities and volunteering, work (including significant child care for siblings) and the mandatory essay.
Q. WHO REVIEWS THE APPLICATIONS/DECIDES HOW TO AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS?
A. A sub-set of the Foundation Board sits on the Scholarship Selection Committee and reviews the applications.
Q. HOW DO YOU QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL NEED SCHOLARSHIPS?
A. Scholarships based on financial need will require that you submit your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) reported on the front page of your Student Aid Report (SAR). After you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you will receive a SAR. To qualify for any financial need scholarships, a copy of the SAR must be submitted. Reach out if you have an issue. For more information about your SAR and FAFSA please click on this link: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa With the delays in the 2024 process, you can email your SAR and EFC by April 1st. If sending it later, enter “TBD” in Question # 97 where it asks for the EFC.
Q. WHO SEES MY INFO/DO THEY KNOW MY NAME?
A. The Scholarship Selection Committee are the only people who will review applications. All identifying information is removed and a number assigned to each application prior to asking people to review applications. This process ensures no one knows who submitted the application.
Q. IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FAIR?
A. To avoid any conflict of interest, no one on the Board or the Selection Committee is allowed to have a graduating senior of their own applying for a scholarship. No student names are visible to the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee uses criteria set forth by the donors to determine who is in the pool for each scholarship. Scholarships are awarded to the student that best matches the criteria set forth by the donor. Scholarship selection begins with the highest dollar amount. Once a student has been awarded a scholarship, they are removed from the pool.
Q. HOW AND WHEN WILL AWARDEES BE NOTIFIED IF THEY RECEIVE AN AWARD?
A. Students receiving an award will be notified in mid April via phone call and email.
Q. IF I AM MATCHED WITH A SCHOALRSHIP, WHAT’S NEXT? I
A. Students will be honored at an awards ceremony in May at Eagan High School. A parent is invited to share in the event and, in many cases, students will be able to meet and thank their donor.
Q. HOW AND WHEN IS THE SCHOLARSHIP DISTRIBUTED?
A. Students will receive a letter with instructions on how to access their scholarship. When students register for their first semester of post-secondary education, they will submit their fee statement from the college to the Eagan Community Foundation. The Foundation will send payment to the school in the amount of their award.
Q. HOW LONG HAS THE EAGAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BEEN AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS?
A. The Foundation has been awarding scholarships for over 30 years. Since 1991, the Foundation has awarded over 2,300 scholarships totaling over $2,280,000.