Overview

The Program Information model entity contains information and attributes of a Scholarship Program.

Contents:

Organization Name

The name of the organization sponsoring the program. The Organization may host many Programs.

Example Value: 

• Organization Name The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Program Name

The formal name of a specific, single NSPA Exchange program record. 

Example Values:

• Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship

• Dell Scholars Program

Usage Notes:

• Contrast with the Organization Name, which is the scholarship provider that may sponsor many programs. 

• Programs names are not unique. There are many instances of programs with the same name, offered by different organizations.

Program Self-Description

A short description of the program as described by the program itself or as shown on the program's listing service. This is analogous to the Blurb but self-reported or based on the original text.

While this element is analogous to the Blurb, its purpose is different. The Blurb is designed to be a brief statement focused on eligibility — with the primary audience being students who are sifting through a list of scholarships, trying to determine whether a particular program is a good fit. The self-description element exists because programs' own descriptions are often too long for use in a listing service, not necessarily focused on readability, and use a different editorial voice (e.g., "Our program was founded in 2004 by...").

Usage Notes:

• Program Self-Descriptions should be copied into the Exchange only if they support our work for entering the programs (i.e., if it contains relevant scholarship information such as eligibility criteria).

• Can include markdown.

• Should not include HTML or markup.

• If the description includes a bulleted list, please make sure to enter them similar to how they appear in the ECD (i.e., a hyphen followed by a space). The Exchange doesn’t recognize bulleted lists copied directly from a website, and the results can appear a bit wonky.

• Implementers who display this field to end-users or students will likely want to note that this is a program's own description. A typical approach is to wrap this value in a distinct UI element, with a header reading something like "From the Dell Scholars Program" or similar. This approach establishes who "we" are in this context, explains why the style may be totally different from other programs, and so forth.

For NSPA Admins:

• NSPA Admins do not add to this field. It’s populated solely by members or data providers who add this information.

• Take a very light touch when editing this element. Only correct obvious typos and formatting issues. Avoid changing anything of substance. By definition, this element should reflect the original text from a program — even if it's not consistent with the editorial style, voice, and conventions used elsewhere.

Data Client Notes:

• Do not publish this field. As noted above, this field is a direct copy of data from the provider, and is not maintained or standardized by NSPA data team members.

Program Website URL

The site (address) referenced should be for the page that introduces the overarching program for one or more scholarships. The web page address for program information. 

Example Values:

• https://www.dellscholars.org

Usage Notes:

• By convention, should be specific to the scholarship program, not a general organization home page. Should be the homepage for the scholarship itself.

Program Application Link URL (Updated 6/7/23)

A web page address for the online application, if any.

Example Values:

• https://www.example.org/apply-now/

Usage Notes:

• The application URL is the page at which an applicant can most directly access an application for a scholarship. This can include the program listing page, a list of programs offered, or the individual program page. If the application window is closed, the address may point to the page most closely associated with the online application.

• “Registration minus one” is a phrase we heard from someone at Scholly that handily describes what we mean. This is often a page that lists eligibility criteria or other information and contains a “click here to apply" link.

For NSPA Admins:

• Avoid entering a link to a context-free signup page.

• For entries where the Application Type is "PDF/Paper," avoid entering a link to a PDF form, even if it contains information about the program. Instead, strongly prefer a link to a web page on the site with detail about the program and how to apply. (Ideally, the linked web page will also make clear that the application requires an offline process, which provides a hint to the applicant that extra work is required.)

• Many programs in the Exchange are from community foundations or other organizations that list multiple scholarships. Those sites vary in their treatment of the application link. Some application links are easily accessible and discernible: on the main menu or sidebar, on its own page, preceding a list of scholarships offered, and so forth. In some cases, the application link will be inaccessible or unavailable. Some foundations may require account registration before accessing the application link, others will not have a live link until the application period opens. Given the lack of standardization, don’t hesitate to reach out to your team lead/manager with questions.

• There are cases when the Application URL field should be left blank. Simply put, if there isn’t an online application or a form posted online that can be directly used, then no Application URL is necessary. A few example cases:

  • Paper/PDF applications, if the application is not posted online.

  • Automatically awarded scholarships.

  • The application process requires students to contact an organization or person to obtain a form.

  • No application is required (e.g. Invitation-only, Nomination-only, or Recommendation-only only programs). “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

• Application URLs that redirect to another organization’s website cannot be entered in the Exchange if they do not allow students to navigate back to the organization’s website.

  URLs including the following below cannot be entered.

  • .pdf links

  • applyists (ISTS)

  • awardspring (AwardSpring)

  • egrant (Bromelkamp)

  • communityforce (Communityforce)

  • grantinterface (Foundant)

  • mykaleidoscope (Kaleidoscope)

  • ngwebsolutions (Nextgen)

  • scholarshipuniverse.com (CampusLogic, powered by Ellucian)

  • scholarsapply (Scholarship America) Unless otherwise approved in the note field by NSPA staff

  • smarterselect (SmarterSelect)

  • smapply (SurveyMonkey)

  • webportalapp (WizeHive)

  URLs including the following below have been found to meet the criteria and can be entered

  • academicworks/opportunities (Blackbaud/Academic Works)

  • scholarshipapps (Constellation Scholarship Partners)

  • submittable (Submittable)
    
    

• Kaleidoscope and Scholarship America are occasionally acceptable when no marketing is offered through the sponsoring website and a link back to the organization is provided.

Common Name 

Optional. A common name, nickname, abbreviated name, or another alternate name for the program.

Example Values:

• Coke Scholars

• Dell Scholars

For NSPA Admins:

• If entering data via the NSPA Admin site, it is not necessary to make up a common name.

Open Date

The open date of the application. By convention, the next open date in the application cycle (or the already passed open date in the current application cycle).

Example Values:

• 2018-06-15

• 2019-01-01

Usage Notes:

• Technically optional, but necessary before verifying the entry.

• If a program has an application cycle open year-round, we'll create a record for each year with an open date on January 1 and a closing date on December 31.

• Typically 30-60 days before a program is scheduled to open, the technical team will auto-update the open/close/announcement dates to reflect the next application cycle for programs whose dates have passed.

Data Client Notes:

• Will always be present in JSON files.

Close Date  

The closing date of the application. By convention, the next closing date in the application cycle (or an already passed closing date in the current application cycle).

Example Values:

• 2019-03-28

Usage Notes:

• Occasionally there is more than one deadline, say for a fall scholarship and a spring scholarship. In such a case, the scholarships should be listed as two separate scholarship program records.

• If a program has an application cycle open year-round, we'll create a record for each year with an open date on January 1 and a closing date on December 31.

Data Client Notes:

• Will always be present in JSON files.

Award Announcement Date

The date scholarship awards are announced. Typically, the date the announcement notification is made to applicants. May be the date recipients are posted on a public website if the notification date is unknown. By convention, the next announcement date in the application cycle (or an already passed announcement date in the current application cycle).

Example Values:

• 2020-05-15

Is Need-Based    

Optional. Indicator of whether or not the scholarship is need-based.

Usage Notes:

• A scholarship may be both need-based and merit-based.

• A scholarship program will usually self-identify as need-based — often using that exact term, or similar formulations such as "Applicants must demonstrate financial need."

• If a program doesn't identify itself as need-based, the value can be inferred. For example, a program can be considered need-based if the program requires:

  • An Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 (based on the U.S. FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR))

  • An Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $50,000 (based on the U.S. FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) or recent U.S. tax return).

  • That the applicant is eligible for a Pell Grant.

  • Or other clear statements about the financial situation of the applicants (e.g. ‘Needy student’, “recipient of free and reduced lunch”).

• Absent other criteria above, a program is not necessarily considered need-based if financial need is purely conditional or not a qualification for application. A few related points:

  • A requirement for the submission of financial documents such as a FAFSA or SAR does not automatically make a program need-based.

  • A scholarship is not need-based if financial need is listed as a preference instead of a requirement (e.g., "Preference is given to students with financial need" or "Financial need will be considered if all else is equal" or "Financial need will be considered in the event of a tie" or similar).

  • A scholarship is not necessarily need-based if it requires the student to have an “unmet need”. Unmet need is the amount that’s left to be paid after financial aid is awarded or the amount that the student can actually afford to pay.

Is Merit-Based   

Optional. Indicator of whether or not the scholarship is based on academic merit. A scholarship may be both need-based and merit-based.

Usage Notes:

• True if the scholarship self-identifies itself as merit-based — often using the term "merit" in relation to academics.

• False if the scholarship hints at academics without providing a quantifiable minimum bar. In other words, if the academic requirement is open to interpretation (e.g., "GPA is considered," "academic achievement," "good grades," "above average grades," and so forth) the program is not merit-based.

• By convention, marked as true if the minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 or the minimum class rank percentage is 10%, even if the program doesn't self-describe as being merit-based.

• True if the scholarship program described itself as merit-based, but minimum GPA requirement is less than 3.0 or the minimum class rank percentage is less than 10%. In other words, we honor self-description over academic requirements.

• True if the scholarship program is designated for class valedictorian and/or salutatorian, which refer to the first and second in class rank, respectively.

• True if the scholarship program is designated for high school honor students, as the minimum GPA for membership in the National Honor Society is 3.0.

• If the scholarship lists multiple GPA requirements (e.g., minimum 3.0 GPA for high school seniors and a minimum 2.5 GPA for college students), the lower GPA determines whether the program is merit-based. So, in the example above, 2.5 is the lower GPA, making the program not merit-based. Note that this does not apply to multiple GPA requirements if one is a renewal. For example, a program with “Minimum 3.0 GPA (2.5 for renewals)” should be marked as merit-based. 

• False if the scholarship program describes itself as not merit-based.

• False if the scholarship lists a maximum GPA.

• By convention, false if the scholarship program describes itself as need-based and does not specify academic criteria.

• By convention, false if the scholarship program is solely based on an activity, interest, or other criteria that does not include academics.

Is Contest

Boolean. Optional. Indicator of whether or not the scholarship award is based on a contest or prize. 

Usage Notes:

• Typical examples include "Essay Contest" scholarships and random drawings.

• These often, but not always, have few eligibility criteria other than the contest element. However, even programs with rigorous academic criteria can be considered a contest if the primary selection criteria is "the best essay" or "the most likes on social media" or similar.

• If true, contest or prize details should appear in the Blurb or Eligibility Criteria Description elements.

For NSPA Admins:

• Some contests are perfectly honorable and some are bogus. If in doubt, err on the side of bogus. In other words, if the contest or scholarship seems at all suspicious, treat it accordingly.

Award Amount

Optional. The amount of the scholarship awarded to an individual student.

Values:

• One-Time: A one-time award with no option for the recipient to receive continued funds from this scholarship.

• Multiyear: When the award is a fixed amount that is guaranteed to be paid over a period of time, consider this a multiyear award. When Multiyear is selected, enter a value in Duration Years to indicate the total number of years the award will be paid. e.g.: “$5,000 will be paid to the student’s institution each year for 4 years.” In this case, the award amount is $20,000 and the Duration Years is '4'.

• Renewable: If a program allows or requires previous recipients to reapply, consider this a renewable award. When Renewable is selected, enter a value in Duration Years to indicate the total number of years the applicant may be eligible to receive the award. e.g.: “Freshman recipients may renew their application for the $2,000 award as long as they are a full-time Sophomore, Junior, and Senior.” In this case, the award amount is $8,000 and the Duration Years is ‘3' since the applicant would only be 'renewing’ their application for up to 3 years. If the applicant must re-submit the entire application to be considered in future application cycles,

Usage Notes:

• Use the award amount for an individual, not the total of all scholarships to all students.

• If the scholarship is awarded a certain amount each year, the sum of the award each year should be used. This is true even if the award recipient must reapply each year.

• If the award amount is clearly listed, the sum of the award for each year should be used. For example, if the program lists "the award will vary up to $12,000 per academic year for a maximum of four years" then the amount listed should be $48,000. This is only true for multiyear awards, not renewable awards.

• If the scholarship awards a range, enter the maximum of the range.

• If the scholarship only publishes an average award, it's okay to enter that as the Award Amount. Do not enter an average if a maximum is available.

• If no value is present, and no value is present in the minimum award, that indicates the amount may vary dependent on a variety of factors. Many client solutions display "Varies" when this value is not present.

• Don't calculate or otherwise infer an award amount for entry. Several program owners actively object to this practice. But, even if that wasn't the case, calculating an amount would require some judgment calls, documentation on how the result was calculated, and additional time to do the above. So, as a matter of practice, the Award Amount field should reflect only what a program directly or indirectly reports.

For NSPA Admins:

• From time to time, a program will request that we not list an award amount — even when the amount is discoverable online. We'll honor that direction and typically note the request in the "Notes" field for the program.

Minimum Award

Optional. The minimum amount if the scholarship has a range of award amounts.

Usage Notes:

• If the scholarship provides a range, the minimum of the range.

• By convention, not present if the scholarship awards a single amount. Will typically be ignored by listing system display if this value is present without a companion Award Amount.

Number of Scholarships Awarded

The number of scholarships awarded by a program in a given cycle (generally between the open date and close date). Optional.

Usage Notes:

• If no date range is specified, the NSPA Exchange assumes this means the number of scholarships awarded for this program during a 12-month cycle.

• Okay to enter estimates or approximations so long as the number is from a trusted source. Use published round numbers if provided. For example, if a program notes that it typically awards "over 100 scholarships every year" then use "100" even though the note implies that more will be awarded.

• This will always be an integer.

• Many programs change year-on-year. Generally speaking, this is updated to be accurate for the time period between the open and close dates for the specific program record.

Data Clients Notes:

• If this value is missing, it is safe to assume that the value is 1.

Award Duration Type

The award duration type notes whether a program is a single-year program or a program that can be used across multiple years.

Example Values:

• One-Time

• Multiyear

• Renewable

Usage Notes:

• A value should only be entered if clearly stated by the program. Do not infer "One-Time" if unstated. 

• A program that describes itself as a ”One-Time” award but allows for previous recipients to reapply should be entered as a “Renewable” award.

For NSPA Admins:

• If an award states that the scholarship is for "the awarded academic year," we infer a One-Time value.

Duration Years

The number of years a multiyear program provides or the number of academic years for which a renewable award may be renewed.

Example Value:

• 4

Usage Notes:

• For One-Time awards, the system will not offer the option to select Award Duration Years. 

• For renewals or multiyear awards, this value is the number of academic years (not, say, the number of times a single semester award may be renewed).

• For Multiyear awards, enter the span of years the scholarship is provided.

  • Enter multiple years including the initial award year.

  • If the program is for an associate degree, enter 2 years.

  • If the program is for a bachelor’s degree, enter 4 years.

• For Renewable awards, the student must meet certain criteria (e.g., maintain GPA, stay enrolled full-time) to remain eligible for the scholarship. Enter the number of years a student could re-apply for the scholarship.

  • Enter multiple years excluding the initial award year.

  • For associate degrees, enter 1 year for renewing (meaning the student would be able to apply 1 additional time after the initial award).

  • For bachelor’s degrees, enter 3 years for renewing (meaning the student would be able to reapply 3 additional times after the initial award)

Award Amount Description

The Award Amount Description offers three options for types of scholarship awards. In some cases, organizations or schools will offer scholarships noted as a “Free Ride” meaning no or minimal cost is passed on to the student. “Free Ride” is at times described as a “Full Ride”. Other programs will offer a “Full” or “Partial” tuition scholarship.

Usage Notes:

• Admins should only mark these options when the organization specifies an amount that is only allocated for “Full” or “Partial” tuition.

• “Full” or “Partial” tuition allocations by the organization are not the same as when the scholarship “can be used for tuition”.

Program Contact

Many scholarship providers publish contact information for a program. Occasionally, that information is essential for applicants. For example, some community foundations administer and list programs that have deadlines or eligibility criteria available by contact only (e.g., "Contact info@example.edu for a login and deadline information"). The Program Contact entity provides data fields to hold this information.

The entity contains:

• Contact Name or Department. Often, the contact information doesn’t provide a human name, but rather a department (e.g., “Financial Aid Office”).

• E-mail. Usually, a general information inbox (e.g., “programs@example.edu”).

• Phone. Seldom, but occasionally, listed.

Usage Notes:

• Program contact is only provided if the information is essential to the specific program being offered. For example, if an applicant must e-mail a specific person to apply, then an e-mail address and contact name would be provided. 

• Program contact information is NOT provided for general informational purposes or questions. This entity is not intended to store a general e-mail inbox or phone number for an organization. In other words, the information should be specific to a scholarship offering or program, not, say, the main phone number of a multinational corporation.

• By definition, this is intended to convey public information. Any information should be provided by the program organization.

• Conversely, private or unpublished contact information should not be included, even if known by the data entry personnel or organization.

• The specific + public information requirement means that many programs will not have this information, which is by design. In fact, most fields will NOT have this information.

• The Name and Department do not need to be contextualized if an organization's name is present. That is, if the organization is “Acme University,” then the NameOrDepartment element may simply say, “Financial Aid Office” (as opposed to “Acme University Financial Aid Office”).

• All elements are optional. The most common scenario we've seen to date is a simple e-mail address.

• Phone number formatting examples:

  • (512) 555-1138

  • (512) 555-7274

Is Automatic Application and Is Automatic Award

In field use with previous versions, adopters of the standard have run across a few programs with “automatic” criteria, which have some importance to data exchange use cases.

The first “automatic” criterion is a set of programs for which students are automatically enrolled (i.e., that do not require students to apply). An indicator for this type of program would be useful because these programs would typically not be presented to students in scholarship listing, searching, and matching systems. By definition, students need not apply. However, the programs are of interest to analysts, program designers, and those modeling financial aid scenarios.

The second “automatic” criterion is a set of programs for which all eligible applicants are automatically awarded a scholarship or benefit. An indicator for this type of program is useful because any eligible student should be encouraged to apply. This can be a useful piece of information for, say, search ranking algorithms that positively weighted programs where a scholar was most likely to win an award.

Usage Notes:

• Both elements are optional. For both elements, receiving systems can treat a missing value as the equivalent of false. These types of programs are currently rare enough in observed data that an explicit false is not necessary.

• The Is Automatic Award flag does not mean anyone who applies is awarded without verification, of course. This flag should be assumed to mean that any eligible applicant will receive an award only after the program staff verifies an applicant’s eligibility.

Application Type

The means by which an application is submitted (e.g., Online, PDF/Paper).

Usage Notes:

• An Application Type of "Online" means that the solution has an online form that an applicant submits via a browser or similar. By definition, if an application requires printing out, faxing, mailing, or other real-world action, the Application Type is not "Online."

• Worth noting is that PDF documents can contain form elements that allow data entry online, and some are set up to send information directly to a database or other processes. If the PDF document handles the submission without requiring a printout, fax, download-and-e-mail, or similar, it can be considered "Online." If not, then the program is considered "PDF/Paper."

For NSPA Admins:

• The NSPA administration site auto-populates "Online" when a new record is created.

• During the QA process, be mindful to verify the application type during a review — particularly on reviews done near the application open date. Often, changes to application type go live at the last minute.

Associated Organizations 

Secondary but important organizations are associated with a program, such as the organization funding the program, the community foundation that lists and administers the program, and so forth. 

Example Value:

• Associated Organizations American Association of University Women (AAUW)

• Associated Organizations Texas A&M University

For NSPA Admins:

• Programs like these are inconsistently populated. No action is required from the Data Team.

Noteworthy Application Characteristics

Some implementers, including NSPA, have a few types of programs that it wishes to have in a datastore, but that have properties making the program unsuitable for certain uses or specific purposes.

Examples include "Scams" (which can be used for a blacklist) and concerning factors that include "Application Fee" (i.e., programs that charge applicants to apply, which the NSPA community feels is not awesome), “Insecure Application” (i.e., for online applications that are not secure, or applications that require scholars to send Social Security Numbers over email, or similar).

Additionally, some valid programs have characteristics that exclude them from listing services. For example, applications that contain inconsistencies, applications that require a product purchase, or applications that require referrals or others' contact information are often excluded from listing services.

We’re taking care regarding the nomenclature. Not all “concerning” characteristics are necessarily scams or even unambiguously negative in all contexts.

This set of changes adds support for several new data points that indicate concerning or noteworthy aspects of a program and its program application.

The entity contains:

• Added a RequiresApplicationFee and an ApplicationFeeAmount.

• Added a new ApplicationAppearsInsecure. Indicates that an online application is not sent over an encrypted connection, or a downloadable form with personal information must be sent via email with no provisions for data protection or similar security and privacy issues.

• Added a ListingFlags, containing an array of noteworthy listing characteristics. These flags do not necessarily indicate that a program is problematic, simply that it has characteristics that may exclude it from being listed on certain services. Contrast this with the Legitimacy Concern entity discussed next, which has characteristics most providers would see as unambiguously negative.

• Added a LegitimacyConcern, containing a HasLegitimacyConcerns flag, a LegitimacyConcernType array of possible concerns (e.g., No Contact Information, No Evidence of Past Winners), and a LegitimacyConcernNotes text element to provide any details.

For NSPA Admins:

• When a program requires part of or the entire Social Security Number (SSN), select:

  • Legitimacy Concerns, “Yes”,

  • Add Legitimacy Concern (will populate once “Yes” is selected under Legitimacy Concerns.

  • Select “Add Record” and select “Application Requires Inappropriate Data”.

  • Legitimacy Concern Notes: enter “6/30/22 (DW) Requires SSN.”

• For programs requiring a fee to apply for the scholarship select:

  • Requires Application Fee, “Yes”.

  • Application Fee Amount, enter the dollar amount if provided.

• For programs requiring a vocational commitment upon graduation (e.g., “Work in a Federal Executive Agency post-graduation for the number of years of the scholarship award”):

  • Add Listing Flag, select Conditional Repayment Requirements

  • Add clarifying details in the Notes section

  • Visibility - Yes

• For programs requiring financial repayment of a scholarship in the event the student does not fulfill obligation select:

  • Legitimacy Concern - Yes

  • Legitimacy Concern Type - Requires repayment

  • Visibility - No

Program Categories

Programs often have characteristics that indicate high-level categorizations, such as “for first-generation students” or “for families of service members.” These characteristics can typically be inferred from eligibility criteria or other properties of a program record — but there’s no convenient, universal method to indicate a broad category of "who this program is for" or "what general type of program is this?" The Program Categories indicate one or more broad types of a given scholarship program (e.g., Academic, Contest, First-Generation).

Example Values:

• Academic

• Contest

• First-Generation Student

• Transfer Student

Usage Notes:

• The Program Category indicator is not intended to indicate everything about a program, just a few select, high-level categorizations. Generally speaking, data administrators will restrict indicators to the most significant one or two on any given program, up to a maximum of four categories.

• The Program Category indicator is often inferable from eligibility criteria or other properties of a given program. This element is not intended to replace those other properties, which typically convey additional detail.

• Not every data provider will find it useful to maintain this element since it can be considered duplicative of other elements. Where common sense dictates, those receiving data may make inferences about categories not present. For example, a program with eligibility criteria indicating that an applicant must be a child of an active duty army servicemember can be safely assumed to be categorizable as a program for armed service family members — even if the category “Armed Service Family Member” is not present.

• Generally speaking, the “Other” element should be infrequently used. Exchange data entry teams will consult program leads before adding an “Other” value.

For NSPA Admins:

• DO NOT MODIFY THE PROGRAM CATEGORIES unless requested. We intend for the system to auto-populate this value for records in the NSPA Exchange.

Application Cycle

The scholarship application cycle during which this program was accepting applications. The application cycle is analogous to an academic year; accordingly, it's formatted as a school academic year (e.g., 2019-2020). Usually precedes the academic year in which the award will be used (e.g., awards in the 2019-2020 application cycle will be used in the 2020-2021 academic year).

The core purpose is to support data storage, sharing, and analysis of historical records. Many programs have slowly changing aspects. For example, amounts increase but typically not every year, and program eligibility criteria change over time, and so forth. This allows the various stakeholders in the space to see trends over time at a fine-grained, detailed level.

Example Value:

• 2022-2023

Usage Notes:

• The application cycle is currently defined as running July through July.

• Inclusion in a cycle based on a program's Open Date. So, a program opening in October 2022 would have an Application Cycle of 2022-2023.

• Long-running, year-round programs will have two entries in a calendar year, one that "closed" in July of the previous cycle and one that opened in July.

• Records from past cycles are typically represented with data as of the previous year's close date.

For NSPA Admins:

• The system will maintain this value.

• We started preserving historical records, beginning with the 2021-2022 cycle. During the rollover in July each year, we will preserve history by making a copy of these programs.

Lists

The purpose of the NSPA-SPE-LIST list is to define and standardize values used to name lists of scholarship programs. The Lists currently maintained by NSPA are here.

We realize the name is goofy, but it sounded better than “the List List.”

Illustrative examples from this list:

• New in 2021-2022

• NSPA Member Programs

• Programs for Hispanic Americans

• Programs for Disabled Persons

• Programs for Families of Military Personnel

NSPA ID

A globally unique reference number that identifies this particular scholarship program record. Records originating from the NSPA Exchange will have a Program Reference ID formatted as a GUID.

Example Value: 

• 4c3ee7bc-408e-480e-9090-ed0388c84195

Usage Notes:

• Although the NSPA Exchange recommends GUID or equivalent IDs, there are no restrictions on the format of this ID. Records originating outside of the NSPA Exchange should use a GUID or UUID. But systems may supply any unique ID, so long as the number is unique and stable in the supplying organization's context. The NSPA Exchange will combine a value with a Source to establish uniqueness.

• When the NSPA Exchange receives records from external sources, if the reference ID matches one previously supplied by this organization, the existing data will be updated (replaced by) the new information. 

For NSPA Admins:

• A fresh GUID is auto-entered for you when you create a new record. You probably could change the assigned GUID and still land on a unique value. But why?

Source

The source for the record, is usually the name of the organization or program that originated the record. Records originating from the NSPA Exchange system always read “NSPA Exchange.” Records that came over from Reference Service Press read “RSP Records”.

For NSPA Admins:

• The system will enter “NSPA Exchange when you create a new record. Please don't change that.

Blurb

A short description of the scholarship program. Generally based on public information from the provider or other system host, but rewritten to adhere to NSPA Exchange style and editorial policies.

Here's an example of a well-respected national program:

The Dell Scholars program, an initiative of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, recognizes students who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue their education. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and the drive to succeed despite personal obstacles, displaying the qualities of grit, potential, and ambition. Graduating high school seniors who have participated in a college readiness program are welcome to apply.

Here's another real-world example:

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation program awards academic achievement-based scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Recipients are selected for leadership, service, and the potential impact they offer in their schools and local community.

Here's a fictional example of a program that someone should totally do in real life: 

The Bonny Bunny scholarship for high school seniors from Iowa intending to study rabbits: their biology, behavior, and environmental impact. Selection criteria include scholastic ability, evidence of leadership and involvement, service to community and school, and outstanding character. Of particular interest: applicants must have prior experience working with rabbits, either in a farm, zoo, or home setting. 

Although not required, it’s okay to add a bit of color to a Blurb by including a program’s narrative self-description. Here’s another animal-themed fictional example : 

The Iñigo Schroeder Society of Feline Practitioners Scholarship is available to graduating seniors from the San Francisco Unified School District who has demonstrated a love for tuxedo cats. Mr. Schroeder’s long and storied career as the West Coast’s preeminent cat fancier provided the basis for this scholarship.

Here are some examples of programs open to residents of specific boroughs (units of local government below the level of the state, usually found in Alaska, Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia): 

The Estelle Martin Cartledge Memorial Scholarship is available to high school graduates of the Monongahela Valley in Pennsylvania, specifically the boroughs of Braddock, Duquesne, Homestead, Monongahela, North Braddock, Rankin, Turtle Creek, or West Mifflin.

The Edna Blum Scholarship for NY Residents is available to African American students whose permanent residence is within the 5 boroughs of New York City: Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens in New York.

The Brenna and Mikaela Griffith Memorial Scholarship is for high school graduates from Plum Senior High in Plum Borough, Pennsylvania.

Usage Notes:

• The Blurb should focus on what's unique, interesting, or particular to this program — and offer a tantalizing hint as to why a scholar might apply for this particular program.

• The Blurb can contain and/or paraphrase eligibility criteria and scholarship amount information if that's what makes the program distinctive, but the Blurb is not intended to recap all eligibility information. 

• We generally avoid entering opening date, closing date, scholarship amount, GPA, and number of scholarships awarded information — unless there's a compelling reason to include it. That information features prominently in most scholarship listings, so it doesn't need recapping. Also, it helps keep the Blurb evergreen from year to year.

• When including location information referencing a state or province, use the state name (e.g., "Texas," not "TX").

• We generally use phrases like "...are welcome to apply..." or "...are encouraged to apply..." and not "...should apply..." or "...must apply..."

• Can include markdown.

• Should not include HTML or markup.

• To maintain privacy and keep the Blurb evergreen, we generally avoid listing names and contact information, even if some scholarship providers do so. A statement at the end of the Blurb such as “Please contact the school’s guidance office for additional information” is an acceptable substitute. Contact information such as names, departments, phone numbers, and e-mail can instead be entered in the Program Contact field.

Data Client Notes:

• This field will always be present in the JSON. We recommend using this field for a concise program description (rather than the Program Self-Description, for reasons noted in the Program Self-Description section).

Special Note Regarding Community Foundations

Community foundations are charities that support people who live in a specific geographic area. In the U.S., there are community foundations that support entire states, counties, cities, neighborhoods, general areas, and other geographies.

While most community foundations have specific restrictions for applicants to reside in a particular state or area, some specific scholarship programs offered by the foundation will not. For example, some community foundations administer scholarship programs for local residents or companies, but the scholarship is available to any student who meets the academic or other criteria. When it’s not obvious, please refer to the eligibility criteria listed on the organization’s program page.

In our Blurb, the program description follows the usual usage rules but will have a tagline at the end that notes that the program is affiliated with a particular community foundation. Here's an example of what that looks like:

The Adam Carroll Scholarship program awards need-based scholarships to students who are graduating seniors from Grand Saline High School and who reside in Van Zandt, Wood, or Smith counties in Texas. Students who have participated in athletics or cheerleading are encouraged to apply.

This program is offered through the East Texas Communities Foundation.

Here's another community foundation example:

The Alexander Brown Memorial Scholarship seeks students who have received a solid organ transplant. Graduating high school seniors planning to attend a technical, 2-year, or 4-year institution are welcome to apply.

This program is offered through The Denver Foundation.

Note the second paragraph in each example. By convention, we use the phrase "offered through," which is intended to cover concepts like "administered by" and "listed by" and "available through" and "applied for on the website of" and similar related ideas.

Tagline Update: As of August 2022, taglines are no longer visible, and team members should not add them to the Blurb. In the future, these will be added at the organizational level.

When a tagline should be included:

• Community Foundations and organizations like UNCF that administer numerous programs

• When it is not obvious, an organization offers the program

When a tagline is not needed:

• Single or a small number of programs are offered (Examples: Dell Scholars Program, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation)

• Colleges/universities (covered in the criteria to attend the school)

• When it is not obvious from the logo or program name who administers/sponsors the program 

Special Note Regarding Preferences

“Preferences” should be listed in the Eligibility Criteria Description (as outlined in Special Note Regarding Preferences Given vs. Required Criteria) and the Blurb, although they will function differently.

Preferences listed in the ECD should be complete and comprehensive. Preferences in the Blurb should be a succinct preview of interesting and notable preferences, with less emphasis on listing every preference. Though not prescriptive, here are general guidelines on how to list preferences:

• We SHOULD discuss the primary Preference Criteria in the Blurb when there are few Eligibility Criteria and when the program is otherwise indistinguishable from other programs offered by the same organization. In other words, discuss the preference criteria if the program is particularly lean. For example, a program with few eligibility criteria and a generic one- or two-sentence Blurb will benefit from discussing preference criteria. Conversely, a rich and detailed five-sentence Blurb may not require a long-ish list of preference criteria at the end of it. 

• Preference criteria that are central and notable to the program SHOULD be discussed in the Blurb. What criteria are considered central or notable may be subjective, and team members are empowered to use their own judgment, but a few rules of thumb include:

  • If a preference is included in the title of the program, that preference should be considered central. For example, "The Grappler" Bob Burmeister Wrestling Scholarship should mention the program’s preference for applicants who are considering wrestling at the collegiate level. 

  • Preference criteria expressed in proper nouns should generally be considered notable. These include, but are not limited to, schools, institutions, companies, cities, and so forth. 

• We SHOULD NOT enter broad preference criteria. These include preference criteria such as extracurricular activities, students planning to attend colleges in the U.S., and the like.  

• We SHOULD NOT enter the preference criteria exactly as it is listed in the ECD. This is done to avoid distracting repetition and to give texture and variety to our written descriptions. It can be as simple as:

  • Replace “Preference is given…” with “Special consideration is given…” or a similar formulation  For example:

    • Special consideration is given to applicants with financial need.

    • Extra consideration is given to applicants pursuing a degree in education.

    • Additional consideration is given to students attending the University of Miami.

    • Members of the Kiwanis Club will be given additional consideration.

  • In the same sentence, list the eligibility criteria, followed by preference (especially if they are related). For example:

    • All students who fit this description are welcome to apply, though preference will be given to English majors.

    • Students who are in foster care and first-generation college students are encouraged to apply, and preference will be given to applicants who have dependents.

    • Students who are seeking a degree in accounting, business, transportation, or management are encouraged to apply, with preference given to students attending The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Special Note Regarding Scholarship Aggregators

Scholarship aggregators are those organizations that host or promote multiple applications from a single system. Some may be companies that don't sponsor scholarships themselves but simply provide application services. Others are community foundations or other single entities that provide many different scholarship programs under one umbrella application.

This raises a challenge for the NSPA Exchange data team on how to describe these organizations. Generally speaking, we aim to make clear that the organization or system is an aggregator of scholarships and speak to the organizing principle and general criteria.

We have a few suggested patterns for describing these organizations in the Blurb. The suggested patterns below are just a starting point, and there’s no requirement that a particular pattern be used in a given scenario. Pick whatever sounds natural — as long as it's essentially correct. Also, look at how the organization/company/whatever describes themselves. Don’t copy-and-paste their description, but sometimes paraphrasing their description will be the best approach.

• The [ organization name ] hosts an online application for many scholarships awarded to [ students | high-school seniors | graduate students | children of U.S. armed servicemembers ] [ in the Boston area | pursuing a degree in science | who are interested in cubism ].

• The [ program name ] offers several scholarships for [ students | high-school seniors | graduate students | children of U.S. armed servicemembers ] [ in the Boston area | pursuing a degree in science | who are interested in cubism ]. Students can use a single form to apply for multiple scholarships.

• [ Super Scholar | The Paisley Provider | Roxxon, Inc. | The Example.com website ] hosts the online application for [ over 200 | hundreds | several | a myriad of ] scholarship programs [ around the U. S. | in the Bay Area | in Marin County | in the great state of Texas ]. The eligibility criteria for each program are different, but most scholarships are awarded to [ graduating high-school seniors | students interested in a career in robotics | bronies ].

Eligibility Criteria Description

An optional, human-readable Eligibility Criteria for the program. 

Example Values:

A typical list with a note looks something like the following:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA

• Resident of Texas

• Graduating high school senior

• Seeking an associate or bachelor's degree in agriculture

• Planning to attend George Washington University

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident

• Hispanic

• Participate in extracurricular activities or community service

• Demonstrate financial need

Preference is given to students whose parents are involved in agriculture production.

Detailed Example Values (listed in the order in which they should typically appear):

List any entries related to primary criteria or purpose first:

• Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis

• Currently being treated for cancer

• Currently a tournament chess player with a ranking of international grandmaster
  
  

List entries related to membership, relation, or employee status:

• Phi Theta Kappa member

• Dependent of a Walmart employee

• Child of a U.S. service member on active duty

• Child of a Marine or Navy Corpsman 
  
  

Note on membership: Church membership is listed separately. See the entry below on criteria related to religion and faith and belief systems.

List entries related to GPA and test scores:

• Minimum 3.2 GPA

• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

(okay to leave off "or it's equivalent")

• GPA between 2.3 - 3.7

(okay to deviate from the standard “minimum GPA” if the program explicitly specifies a range)

• Minimum SAT composite score of 1200

(list test scores on a separate line from GPA if both are present)

• Minimum SAT composite score of 1000 or an ACT composite score of 21

• Maximum 3.3 GPA (some programs require that an applicant's GPA not exceed or be higher than a specific value). Note that programs listing a maximum GPA should be entered as "not merit-based."

• A note regarding converting a percentage grade to a 4.0 scale: Some programs list GPA requirements as a percentage. In this case, please refer to the following table to convert the value to a 4.0 GPA scale. For example, a “minimum GPA of 90% on a 100% scale” would convert to “minimum 3.7 GPA.”   

Note on multiple GPA requirements: When possible, combine multiple GPA requirements into one statement:

• Minimum 3.5 GPA for high school seniors, minimum 3.0 GPA for college students

• Minimum 3.0 GPA for high school seniors, minimum 2.5 GPA for college freshmen, minimum 2.75 GPA for college sophomores, minimum 3.0 GPA for college juniors

• Minimum 3.5 GPA (3.0 for renewals)

Okay to separate more elaborate multiple GPA requirements into individual entries:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA for students attending or planning to attend a 4-year college or university

• Minimum 2.75 GPA for students attending or planning to attend a community college

List entries related to class rank:

• Top 25% of class (note that programs may indicate class rank in different ways, including “minimum class rank percentage” and “class percentage”)   

• Top 50% of class (use if a program specifies that a student must graduate in the top half of their class)

List entries related to location and residence:

• Resident of Colorado

• Resident of Austin, Texas

• Resident of Travis County, Texas

• Resident of Maui Island, Hawaii

• Bay Area resident (okay to list a general "area" or place if that's how the program describes the criteria; also okay to break from the "Resident of" formulation if it reads more clearly)

• Resident of New York City, New York

• Reside and attend school in South Florida (okay to combine this kind of location criteria)

• Resident of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Liberty, or Waller counties in Texas (okay to create a longish specific list if there's no better description for the geographical area; note the Oxford comma)

• Resident of the Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania in the boroughs of Braddock, Duquesne, Homestead, Monongahela, North Braddock, Rankin, Turtle Creek, or West Mifflin 

• Resident of Plum Borough, Pennsylvania

• Reside in the Austin Independent School District

List entries related to attendance at or graduation from a specific high school or alma mater (if not included above):

• Attending Sacramento High School

• Graduating senior from Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas (note the addition of city due to numerous schools in the state with the same name)

• Graduating senior from Nucla, Ouray, Ridgway, and Silverton high schools, Colorado

• Graduating senior of Cashmere, Eastmont, River Academy, Wenatchee, or Westside high schools, Washington or a homeschooled student from those districts

• Attending high school in Arlington or Alexandria counties, Virginia, or Montgomery County, Maryland (note that we list the name of each state if the scholarship is offered in multiple states) 

• Graduate of Harvard Medical School, UCSF School of Medicine, or Hollywood Upstairs Medical College (again, note the Oxford comma)

List entries related to current grade or graduation status:

• Graduating high school senior

• Currently attending a 2-year college

• Currently enrolled in or has completed an AP computer science course (okay to use AP abbreviation, okay to go long on criteria if necessary; list current grade or graduation statuses like "graduating high school senior" on a separate line)

List entries related to the degree being sought or field of study or career intentions:

• Seeking a bachelor's degree (use "bachelor's degree" if you see generally equivalent phrases like "planning to attend a 4-year college" or "four-year degree" or "BA")

• Seeking a bachelor's degree in geology

• Seeking a bachelor's degree in a STEM field

• Seeking an associate degree (use "associate degree" if you see generally equivalent phrases like "2-year degree"; also, note that it's neither possessive or plural — similar to graduate degree)

• Seeking an associate or bachelor's degree

• Seeking a graduate degree in public policy

• Seeking a doctoral degree in nursing

• Seeking a technical certification in electrical engineering

• Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor's degree (formulation is okay for programs serving students seeking a postsecondary degree or education, unless, of course, a postsecondary graduate degree is specified)

• Seeking a professional certification, associate, bachelor's, or graduate degree (though once you get to this wide a range of degrees being sought, consider simply leaving it off if the context makes it clear enough)

• Seeking a professional micro-credential or professional badge

• Studying computer science (for scholarships directed at graduating high school seniors, we generally say "studying" instead of "planning to study" since the meaning is clear; for transfer students or in other situations where it's not clear, it's okay to use "Planning to study computer science" or similar)

• Studying for a degree in agriculture (this formulation is okay if it's easier to read than the alternatives such as "Seeking a...")

• Currently enrolled in a computer science program

• Planning to pursue a career in education or a health-related field ("Planning to pursue..." reads a little funny, but this formulation is okay for programs serving high school seniors who aren't already in college or otherwise actively "Pursuing a career...")
  - A note regarding capitalization: As the examples above indicate, the degree name is typically not capitalized (e.g., it's "Seeking a bachelor's degree in geology"). But, if the degree contains a proper noun, it should, of course, be capitalized. Examples include languages (e.g., Seeking a bachelor's degree in Middle English) and cultural studies (e.g., Seeking a bachelor's degree in Slavic studies).

Note regarding "majoring": For clarity and consistency, don't use the phrase "Majoring in..." or "Seeking a major in..." These are equivalent to "Studying for a degree in..." and "Seeking a bachelor's degree in..." or other degree-related formulations above.

Note regarding the distinction between “Seeking a bachelor’s degree” vs. “Planning to attend a 2- or 4-year college or university”: Though both phrases are in common use by scholarship providers, we prefer Seeking a bachelor’s degree. 

Typically, when we see “Planning to attend a 2- or 4-year college or university,” it’s from a provider who also lists scholarships that can be used at a trade school or for a technical certificate. The distinction is important in the provider’s context, especially if the eligibility text is the primary way for applicants to sift through listing options. For most viewers of our listings, attending a 2- or 4-year institution is the default assumption for those seeking an associate or bachelor’s degree.

List entries related to school attendance:

• Planning to attend the University of California Los Angeles

• Planning to attend a historically Black college or university as a full-time student

• Planning to attend a 4-year college or university (see note below regarding 4-year college or university)

• Planning to attend a postsecondary institution

• Planning to attend a public college or university in Texas (for programs that require attendance at a “public” or “state-supported” school)

• Attending a not-for-profit institution within the U.S. (an option if particularly specified — but usually paired with a specific degree being sought)

Note that unlike high schools, when a college or university is listed, we do not include the name of the state: For example, - Attending Cornell University in Ithaca, New York should be entered as - Attending Cornell University; - Attending Stanford University in California should be entered as - Attending Stanford University; and so forth. Although some colleges and universities in the U.S. can have similar names, they will not have the same name. As long as college and university names are entered accurately, there is no need to enter the state name. For example, “Miami University” is in Ohio, and “The University of Miami” is in Florida. 

Note regarding the requirement that applicants be planning to attend a 4-year college or university and not a community college: Some programs specifically require that applicants attend a 4-year college or university — and not a 2-year community college. In those cases, use - Planning to attend a 4-year college or university. This requirement will often be used in tandem with “Seeking a bachelor’s degree.” Consider reiterating the 4-year college or university requirement in the Blurb.

List entries related to condition:

• Cancer survivor or diagnosed with cancer

• Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes

• Deaf or hard of hearing (avoid using “hearing-impaired”)

• Wheelchair user (avoid using terms that describe people only in relation to a piece of equipment such as “confined to a wheelchair” or “wheelchair-bound”)

• HIV positive

• Students with physical disabilities (avoid using “victim” or “sufferer” when referring to people who have a disability or disease as this is dehumanizing and implies powerlessness)

Note regarding disability language: The guidance provided is taken from the disability language style guide published by The National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ), which is used by journalists and other communicators to determine how to refer to people with disabilities. If you’re unsure about the language used in a scholarship program, please refer to this document.

Additionally, some scholarship programs designate a “preference” for applicants with disabilities. In some situations, the use of the word “preference” may come across as insensitive (e.g., “Preference is given to applicants who have lost a parent to cancer”). In such instances, consider substituting “preference” with “special consideration” (e.g., “Special consideration is given to applicants who have lost a parent to cancer”). 

List entries related to citizenship:

• U.S. citizen

• U.S. citizen or a non-U.S. citizen eligible for federal financial aid

• U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or conditional permanent resident

• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident

• DACA status or meet the eligibility criteria for immigration

• DREAMer (generally refers to young undocumented immigrants impacted by the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act)

• AB-540 student

(generally refers to undocumented students in California who are eligible to pay the lower resident fees at California’s public colleges and universities, provided they meet certain qualifications)

List entries related to ethnicity, race, and gender:

• Black or African American (we capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense; the lowercase black is a color, not a person)

• Hispanic (generally refers to individuals whose cultural heritage is a Spanish-speaking country, in contrast with "Latino or Latina")

• Latino or Latina (generally refers to males and females, respectively, whose cultural heritage is a Latin American country; note that among younger people in the U.S., the usage of the gender-neutral “Latinx” is increasingly prevalent; for the moment, we're using “Latino or Latina,” but are actively researching a change, at least for U.S.-based programs)  

• American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, First Nation, or other Indigenous peoples of North American heritage

• Female

• Identify as female (contrast with above)

Note regarding "minority": The term “minority” is increasingly being substituted for terminology that reflects contemporary social realities (e.g., historically underserved populations, underrepresented students, first-generation students). In addition, some college and university systems actively discourage or forbid the use of “minority” in their publications.

However, the term remains in common use among scholarship providers, but it’s not always clear whether “minority” is being used in the sense of socioeconomic status, underserved populations, or simply nonwhite. So, to avoid confusion, we do mirror a scholarship provider’s use of the word “minority” when no other context or clarification is provided. 

A notable exception is when a scholarship provider uses “minority” as shorthand for subsequently defined criteria. For example, a scholarship will use the term “minority” but go on to list demographics it considers “minority” for purposes of scholarship eligibility: “African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American.” In this case, use the list in Eligibility Criteria Description rather than “minority.”

Use of “minority” is rapidly evolving. We’ll periodically check for the use of substitutes or alternatives for “minority” among scholarship providers and adjust this entry accordingly.

List entries related to religion and faith and belief systems:

• Agnostic

• Baha'i faith

• Buddhist

• Member of the Greek Orthodox Church

• Member of the Roman Catholic Church

• Member of the Southern Baptist Convention

Note regarding religion, faith, and belief system criteria: Where we don't have established guidance, consider using verbiage that mirrors the program's own description. If no obvious construction is present, consult Wikipedia for an example formulation. Typically, those entries have been reviewed by scholars and members, so should be both immediately recognizable and free from unintended offense. 

List entries related to religious titles and styles:

• Credentialed Assemblies of God minister

• Studying to become an imam or Muslim cleric

• Seminarian pursuing a pastoral experience outside of the required seminary training or as part of their pastoral year

Note regarding religious titles and styles: Consider using verbiage that mirrors the program's own description, which will often include additional conditions. For example, rather than a program eligibility criteria for “ministers”, you’ll likely see more specificity, such as “Credentialed Assemblies of God minister” or “Preparing for full-time Christian ministry.” In addition, religious titles should be capitalized when before the names of individuals (e.g., Rabbi Ezra), and should be lowercase when they stand alone (e.g., imam). 

List entries related to extracurricular activities and community service:

• Participate in community service

• Participate in extracurricular activities

• Volunteer at a local shelter or food bank

• Participate in extracurricular activities and community service (it's okay to string together a few activities)

• Demonstrate leadership through extracurricular activities and community service (it's okay to include a purpose or value such as "leadership" for an activity; but contrast with the example in the miscellaneous conditions below, where the "demonstrate" is a mixed bag of academics and activities; that kind of all-encompassing note reads better at the end of the list)

List entries related to program participation:

• Participate in the AVID college readiness program

• Participate in a program-approved college readiness program in grades 11 and 12

List entries related to financial situation:

• Demonstrate financial need

• Eligible for Pell Grant

List entries related to age:

• Aged 18 or older

• Aged 24 or younger

• Aged 18 to 24

• Age 20

List important-but-general miscellaneous conditions last:

• Independent student status

(in the U.S. context, typically aligning with the FAFSA dependency status of "independent student," about which useful detail can be found here; list thusly if unspecified or explicitly bound to the FAFSA definition, but it's okay to add detail or variations if the program has its own definition)

• Non-smoker

(same deal: important, but likely not what the scholarship is "about")

• Demonstrate academic commitment and promise

• Demonstrate merit through academic standing, leadership skills, extracurricular activities, and service (it's okay to string together a bunch of desirable characteristics such as this at the end of the list, just don't cover anything already explicitly said; in this example, if it's a "leadership" scholarship, you've probably already said something about that at the top of the list — so "leadership skills" wouldn't also belong at the end)

Usage Notes:

• Eligibility Criteria Description are listed as bullet points (vs. a narrative). Use the "markdown" style of bullets, meaning a hyphen, followed by a space, followed by a brief summary of the criteria.

• Do not put a period at the end of items in the bullet-point list.

• It's okay to separate long entries using a semicolon. 

• Enter the most important or most distinctive criteria for a program first (and don't repeat below). Some are a judgment call: for example, ethnicity is often a criterion — but if the program is, say, a STEM-focused scholarship but also for the benefit of a certain population, then list the STEM element first and the population in its usual order (as shown in the list above).

• The examples and default ordering above are just that: examples and default ordering. It's okay to change the phrasing for better readability or to change the ordering to group areas of primary interest to a program. For example, the Phi Theta Kappa scholarships often list "Phi Theta Kappa member" and "Currently attending a 2-year college" together at the top of the list — because those are the defining characteristics of the vast majority of Phi Theta Kappa programs. 

• Enter any selective, unusual criteria or criteria not expressed in the structured Eligibility Criteria at or near the top of the list. The goal is to call attention to criteria that an automated search or filter isn't capable of processing that is a major applicant filter.

• Typically includes all criteria. Individual criteria may be omitted if uninformative or where the meaning is unclear and unlikely to be clear to others.

• When possible, combine related criteria to help keep the list brief. For example, Graduating high school senior and Attending Roosevelt High School, Iowa can be Graduating senior from Roosevelt High School, Iowa.

• Field of study should where known, and make clear whether the student is expected to work toward a degree in a particular field or whether the student should just study or attend classes in a particular subject. For example, there's a meaningful distinction between Studying for a degree in agriculture and Studying agriculture. 

• Financial data criteria should be general. We usually don't include an exact numerical value. For example, Demonstrate financial need vs. "Adjusted Gross Income no greater than $50,000."

• Criteria defined by well-known groups or lists should be indicated by their general name only. For example, use Attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) vs. listing individual colleges. As another example, use Studying chemistry or chemical engineering vs. listing all professions and SOC codes.

• Minimum GPA number should be noted.

• For scholarship aggregators (see explanation under Blurb information above), list any criteria that clearly apply to all of the scholarships under the aggregator's umbrella. For example, if the scholarships shepherded by an organization apply only to students living in Tarrant County, Texas, and some surrounding areas, it is safe to say that the criteria of Location would be Texas. Another example might be an organization that sponsors scholarships devoted to ophthalmology and associated careers. This could be addressed in part by the criteria Fields of Study: Ophthalmology, CIP: 60.0241.

Special Note Regarding Preferences Given vs. Required Criteria

Many scholarship programs provide special consideration or a "preference" for applicants that meet certain criteria, meaning that those criteria are not required but are nevertheless useful to convey to an applicant. To call attention to the idea that the preference differs from the required criteria, we'll typically add those preferences at the end of the criteria list, without a bullet point, separated by a paragraph break, and prefixed with "Preference is given...". A typical example:

• Graduate of a Raleigh County, West Virginia high school

• African American

• Demonstrate financial need

• Seeking an associate or bachelor's degree

Preference is given to descendants of American Legion Post 70 members.

Occasionally, a program will have several "preference" criteria. Where you can do so, add all to a single statement, such as:

• Graduate of a Raleigh County, West Virginia high school

• African American

• Demonstrate financial need

• Seeking an associate or bachelor's degree

Preference is given to descendants of American Legion Post 70 members, graduates of Liberty High School, and first-generation students.

Where required for readability, it's okay to split into multiple preference items or phrase as a sentence.

Note regarding tie-breaker: Some programs will provide a “preference” in the event of a tie. In this case, we’ll start the sentence with “Preference may be given to…” and end with “...in the event of a tie.” A typical example:

Preference may be given to students with financial need in the event of a tie.

Additionally, some programs will have an ordered list of preferences. Where you can do so, add all to a single statement, such as:

Preference is given to applicants in the following order: students who have participated in the Hawai’i Youth Symphony as a performer and/or volunteer, students engaged in any academic cancer research, and previous recipients.

Preference is given to students from Jacksonville ISD, followed by Cherokee County, and then students from surrounding counties.

In some cases, a program will have an ordered list of preferences that may be long or complex. It’s okay to split these into multiple sentences for readability:

First preference is given to alumni of a UNCF member university who are enrolled in the master's program at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Second preference is given to alumni of a UNCF member university who are enrolled in any graduate program at the University of Minnesota. Third preference is given to African American students who are residents of Minnesota and enrolled in a master's program at the Carlson School of Management. Fourth preference is given to African American students who are residents of Minnesota and enrolled in any graduate program at the University of Minnesota.

For NSPA Admins:

• Phrase each item in the list as if there’s a header reading “Eligible applicants must be or must have.” (This header is currently imaginary. It's just a good way to think about how to phrase bullets.)

• If you must phrase something as a sentence, that’s okay — just don’t use a bullet. If it’s essential, add it before the list begins, and phrase it however best conveys the point. If it’s incidental, conditional, or clarifying, add it after the list. See the example above.

• Put a space between the hyphen and the first character of the criteria: - Demonstrate financial need

Special Note Regarding Ineligibility for Scholarships

Some scholarships may include stipulations as to who is not eligible to receive or apply for a scholarship. This often applies to board members, senior management, employees, or individuals affiliated with the scholarship provider or administrator. This information should not be entered in the Blurb but should be entered in the Eligibility Criteria Description, similar to how we enter “preferences,” that is, towards the end of the criteria list, without a bullet point, separated by a paragraph break: 

• Resident of the geographic area covered by the Carlynton and Chartiers Valley school districts, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

• Minimum 2.5 GPA 

• Graduating high school senior or previous recipient of this scholarship

• Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor's degree

Relatives of current members of the Carnegie-Collier Rotary Club are not eligible to apply.

Preference is given to female applicants. 

Award Verification Criteria Description

An optional list of verifications (e.g., proof of citizenship, tax return, Student Aid Report) required for the scholarship program. 

Example Values:

• ACT or SAT scores

• SAR

• FAFSA

• Essay or Essays (okay to categorize written requirements such as “personal statement” or “response to questions” as an essay)

• Official transcript

• Unofficial transcript

• Transcript

• First page of most recent federal tax return

• Financial aid award letter

• Letter of recommendation (okay to use “letter of recommendation” and “letter of reference” interchangeably)

• Two letters of recommendation

• Photo

• Personal interview

• Income verification

• Two academic references (teacher, professor, or counselor)

• Letter from a physician confirming the diagnosis, on letterhead

• Proof of...(enrollment, membership, employment, citizenship, and so forth) 

Usage Notes:

• Typically entered if publicly available or supplied by program staff.

• These verifications may be requested at different times during the application process: accompanying the application, when the applicant field is narrowed, at the time the award is bestowed. 

• Although the example values provided are common and can be used without much modification, teams will likely have to make judgment calls in some cases where providing more information would be useful to prospective applicants. For example, “Three letters of recommendation: one from a Bishop stating that the applicant is in good standing and; one from the Diocese or other charitable institution with whom the pastoral experience will be performed, and; one recommendation from the rector or faculty member who supports this experience.”

Allowed Funding Use

Most scholarships have some restrictions on the purposes for which the award can be used. Uses are often restricted to tuition and books. However, the allowed uses sometimes include interesting values such as travel, tutoring, and similar. The Allowed Funding Use element provides that value.

Example Values:

• Tuition and fees

• Books

• Housing

• Room and board

• On-campus housing

• Travel expenses

• Loan repayment

• Internship stipend

• Laptop purchase [ if specified, or Computer purchase ]

• Study abroad

• Health insurance

• School-related fees

Usage Notes:

• Accepts markdown. Do not enter HTML.

• Phrase items as if they're under a header reading "Allowable Uses of Funding for This Program." 

• The style guidance generally follows the Eligibility Criteria Description (e.g., don't end lines with a period, it's okay to separate long lists with a semicolon, and so forth). Consult that entry for relevant style guidelines.

For NSPA Admins:

• Enter values when present on a program record or obviously stated in public information.

• Do NOT assume a default value if no information is present. Do NOT exhaust yourself, mentally or physically, looking for this information if not easily found.

• Be consistent within your own records, and ask your team lead for guidance with oddball entries.

• Additional detail and standard examples to come.

Award Selection Criteria Description

Some scholarships will provide an outline to applicants offering the value placed on key criteria.

Example Values:

• Academic Merit (15%)

• Extracurricular Activities/Community Service (15%)

• Past and potential leadership (10%)

• Personal Statement (5%)

• Letter of Recommendation (5%)

• Financial need (50%)

For Admins:

• This outline is not always available, so admins should not spend time searching for details if not readily available.

Logo File

An image of a logo file in MIME base64 encoding. The file should be no larger than 100k. The file dimensions should be no greater than 300 pixels by 300 pixels. 

Usage Notes:

• By convention, constrained to PNG, JPG, GIF file types.

• Logo image files do not need to be square. So, for example, a 300 pixel by 150 pixel image is fine.

• Although logo files do not have to be square, images that are much larger on one dimension than the other tend not to display well at small sizes. Where there are multiple logo options, prefer ones that have a more equal height-to-width ratio.  

For Admins:

• Logos will be entered by the team lead or a designated team member at the organization level.

• Alert the team lead should a logo need updating.

Logo File Name

A file name for the logo. 

Usage Notes:

• The name should include the file extension indicating type (e.g., .png, .jpg, .gif).