This section provides detailed data definitions and general usage for the Program Information Exchange data model. Examples of data files and schema are available (for JSON, for XML). 

Contents

General Usage

This section describes general usage and patterns that occur in multiple places in the model.

1. Aggregate programs. Often, there may be more than one scholarship associated with one organization or program. Specifically:

   1. Individual scholarships (e.g., with different eligibility criteria or different amounts and purposes) should have their own NSPA Exchange Program record, even if sponsored by the same organization or leveraging the same online application system.

   2. If one application has more than one end-date, it should be divided into two NSPA Exchange Scholarship Program records.

2. Statewide or other programs in a large geographic area. Sometimes a scholarship is open to a large geographic area, such as for students of every high school in Texas. Instead of entering each school, use the Geographic Criteria to indicate the State of Texas. When this technique is used, do not also enter each of the schools.

3. Criteria for nebulous geographic area. When limiting criteria such as “Central and Appalachia Kentucky” occur, either a group of cities, counties, or states may be used to approximate an area. If this method is not possible or is misleading, list all schools in the area. If it is still not possible to describe the area in question using the structured criteria, describe the area in the Blurb and/or the Eligibility Criteria Description elements.

4. Groups of schools. For scholarship eligibility related to groups of schools such as PAC 10 or HBCU it's okay to use the shorthand version in the Eligibility Criteria Description, but enter each school individually in the Eligibility Criteria coding. However, honor more specific criteria, if explicitly given by the scholarship provider.

5. Test records. When entering or exchange test records within the NSPA Exchange, include TEST in all caps in the title.

Program Information Usage

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

Source

The source for the record, usually the name of the organization or program that originated the record. Records originating from the NSPA Exchange system always read “NSPA Exchange.”

For NSPA Admins:

• For historical reasons neither interesting nor important, "Scholar Snapp" is auto-entered when you create a new record. Please don't change that. (In future versions, the system will enter "NSPA Exchange," of course. But, we will have the system make the switcheroo for us, so don't spend any time on it.)

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 which 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 process. If the PDF document handles the submission without requiring a printout, fax, download-and-e-mail, or similar, then 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.

Application Snapp Enabled

Shorthand for "Scholar Snapp-enabled," meaning that the online application for the scholarship can send and/or receive application profile data from the Scholar Snapp Central system.

Usage Notes:

• The Scholar Snapp data team is the system of authority for this value. The NSPA Exchange system ignores updates to this field from external sources.

For NSPA Admins:

• Unless you are the designated administrator for this value, you won't have edit permissions.

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

Associated Organizations (New in v1.0d)

Secondary, but important, organizations 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)

Reference 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?

Application Cycle (New in v1.0d)

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, 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:

• 2020-2021

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 2020 would have an Application Cycle of 2020-2021.

• 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.

• As of Q1-2020, we only have data for the "current" application cycle (2019-2020).

• We will likely start preserving historical records from the 2020-2021 cycle when it ends.

Program Categories (New in v1.0d)

Programs often have characteristics that indicate high-level categorizations, such as “for first-generation students” or “for families of servicemembers.” 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.

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. 

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.

Program Contact (New in v1.0d)

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 information is only provided if the information is essential application information 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.

• The Name and Department do not need to be contextualized if an organization 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

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 publishing 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.

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.

Award Announcement Date (New in v1.0d)

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

Program URL

The site (address) referenced should be that 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.

Application URL (Updated 12/21/2021)

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.”

Award Amount   

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

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 scholarship only awards one amount, this amount should be populated.

• 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 take care not to enter an average if a maximum and minimum are 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.

Award Duration Type (New in v1.0d)

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.

Award Duration Years (New in v1.0d)

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, 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).

Last Verified On

The most recent date on which the scholarship program information was verified by a human. Optional. 

Usage Notes:

• Null indicates that the information has never been formally verified after initial entry.

For NSPA Admins:

• This should only be entered after a deliberate and reasonably thorough QA pass.

• Should be blank after a record is newly entered. We do QA as a distinct process step.

• Partial updates or changes do not count as formal verification.

Last Verified By

The entity or organization that most recently verified the scholarship program information. May include both an organization name and an identifier for an individual (e.g., "NSPA / JR"). Optional. 

Example Value:

• NSPA / JR 

Usage Notes:

• This element represents a verification after the first entry, so it's generally left blank when a record is first created. 

• Organizations sharing data should be consistent about their own name.

For NSPA Admins:

• This should only be entered after a deliberate and reasonably thorough QA pass.

• Should be blank after a record is newly entered. We do QA as a distinct process step.

• Partial updates or changes do not count as formal verification.

Is Need-Based    

Boolean. 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.

• 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).

Is Merit-Based   

Boolean. 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.

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 for 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 have 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 for 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.

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.

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.

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 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 ].

Program Self-Description (New in v1.0d)

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 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, 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:

• 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.

• Descriptions where a program self-identifies as merit-based should be copied into the Exchange. Team members should also enter the following in the Notes section: “Program self-identifies as merit-based.” 

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
- 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 its equivalent")
- GPA between 2.3 - 3.7 (okay to deviate from the standard “minimum GPA” if 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 freshman, 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 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)
- 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 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, 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 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

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 are 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, 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 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

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 physician confirming 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 (New in v1.0d)

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 books

• Housing

• Travel expenses

• Loan repayment

• Internship stipend

• Laptop purchase [ if specified, or Computer purchase ]

• Study abroad

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:

• As of today (Q1-2020):

  • Start entering 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.

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

  • Additional detail and standard examples to come.

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.  

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).

Eligibility Criteria Usage

General Eligibility Criteria Usage

This section outlines general usage for the Eligibility Criteria entity.

• Any eligibility statement or assertion in the narrative Blurb should be expressed in the structured Eligibility Criteria for the program. To be clear, not every individual Eligibility Criterion will appear in the narrative — but any criteria mentioned in the narrative should be in the record’s Eligibility Criteria, at least in some form. The goal is to enable an automated system to filter the program for applicants who are likely eligible, but let the applicant decide from narrative elements such as the Blurb and the Eligibility Criteria Description that visiting this scholarship is worth their precious time.

• Not every element or rule can be expressed in the Eligibility Criteria. Where important criteria cannot be encoded, use the Eligibility Criteria Description element to express the requirement in human-readable form.

• Not every criteria can be expressed exactly using the Eligibility Criteria. So, as a matter of principle, coding should err on the side of inclusivity. For example, if a geographic area spans multiple cities, towns, and counties in a state, it's appropriate to simply use the state as the location Eligibility Criteria. The general idea is to allow a system to filter out the program for applicants who are clearly not eligible, while presenting the opportunity to everyone who is plausibly eligible. 

Academics

Represents academic achievements required for eligibility such as test scores, grade point averages, and so forth. Contains an Academic Eligibility element which defines the test or other achievement and an Academic Eligibility Value that defines a numeric threshold. 

Example Values:

• Academic Eligibility: Minimum GPA, Academic Eligibility Value 3.0

• Academic Eligibility: Maximum GPA, Academic Eligibility Value 3.5

• Academic Eligibility: Minimum Overall SAT, Academic Eligibility Value 1530

• Academic Eligibility: Minimum Class Rank Percentage, Academic Eligibility Value 25 

Usage Notes:

• The values assume greater-than-or-equal-to. Generally, we assume values expressed by program requirements are intended to be greater than or equal to a specific number. But, if program requirements clearly mean greater-than a stated value, we'll translate that into a greater-than-or-equal-to value. So, in the Overall SAT example above, if a program's requirement was explicit about being greater than 1530, it would be listed as 1531 in the NSPA Exchange system.

• Note that with Minimum Class Rank Percentage, 1 is highest. (Therefore, 2% would look awesome, 98% would not.)

• Note the numerical value for class rank in Eligibility Criteria Description (e.g., Top 25% of class) is equal to the value entered in Minimum Class Rank Percentage (e.g., Minimum Class Rank Percentage, Academic Eligibility Value 25). No decimal or percent sign needed. 

• If a program provides a range of values, we enter the minimum and maximum of the range. For example, a scholarship with “GPA between 3.0 - 3.5” should be entered as Minimum GPA, Academic Eligibility Value 3.0 and Maximum GPA, Academic Eligibility Value 3.5.

• If a program lists multiple values, we enter the lowest value provided. For example, a scholarship with “minimum 2.75 GPA for high school seniors, minimum 3.0 GPA for college students” should be entered as Minimum GPA, Academic Eligibility Value 2.75.  

Activity     

This list allows a student to detail their involvement in community service, hobbies, volunteering, and other extracurricular activities. The list contains sports, games, and active recreations. 

Example Values: 

• Acting, Badminton, Riflery, Stamp Collecting

Usage Notes:

• Multiple activities can be chosen.

Affiliation

The list of affiliations, which describe a specific organization, company, or other proper-noun entity. Examples include Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Rent-A-Center, U.S. Postal Service, and the Ute Tribe.

Example Values:

• A scholarship benefitting WalMart employees directly would have the Direct Relation Employee Of and the Affiliation Entity WalMart, while a scholarship benefitting the children of WalMart employees would have the Indirect Relation Child Of, the Direct Relation Employee Of, and the Affiliation Entity WalMart. 

• A scholarship benefitting direct family descendents of members of Knights of Columbus would have Indirect Relation: Descendent Of; Direct Relation: Member Of; Affiliation Entity: Knights of Columbus. 

Usage Note:

• The applicant must describe their Direct Relationship to the entity. (An Indirect Relationship to the Direct Relationship from a similar list is optional.) 

• Note the distinction between affiliation and activity. Membership in organizations such as nonprofits, corporations, national and local unions, Greek letter organizations, associations, and so forth should be coded as an affiliation. Membership in local high school clubs should be coded as an activity. For example, “member of the Saginaw High School football team,” “student council,” or “chess team” are activities. 

Age (new in v1.0d)

An indicator of any age restrictions related to eligibility.

Example Value:

• Aged 18 or older

• Aged 24 or younger

• Aged 21 to 25

Usage Notes:

• Ages are expressed in whole years.

• Ages are inclusive.

• The Age criterion supports minimum and maximum age. If both are present, the criterion indicates a range.

• Age is only present if part of the stated eligibility criteria for a specific program.

  • The majority of programs typically use Current Grade Level as a proxy for age. 

  • The value should not be inferred from grade level, nor from terms of service on an application site.

Application Restriction

A restriction for applying to a scholarship program.

Example Values:

• Restriction: Recommendation Only

Armed Services

The list of the armed services with which an applicant may be associated. More than one entity can be chosen.

Example Values:

• To express a scholarship available to family members of retired Coast Guardians, use Branch: Coast Guard; Status: Retired; Relation: Family

• To express a scholarship available to children of retired or veteran service members of all branches of service, use Status: Retired, Relation: Child Of or Status: Veteran, Relation: Child Of. Of note: in this example, omitting the Branch indicates that any service qualifies.

Usage Notes:

• All elements are optional – though you must include one, of course.

• If no service is chosen, then assume all.

• If no relation is chosen, then assume self.

• If no status is chosen, then assume all.

• Dependent Of includes Child Of (i.e, you wouldn't typically enter both)

• Family Of includes Dependent Of and Child Of and Spouse Of (i.e., you can simply enter Family Of instead of the three included relations)
  
  

• Select Branch: Air Force if program specifies "Space Force."

Citizenship Status

The student's citizenship status at the time of application. 

Example Values:

• Citizenship Status: Conditional Permanent Resident, Current DACA Status

Usage Note:

• This list is based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

• Multiple selections may be chosen.

• Select the following values for legal resident, legal permanent resident, or lawful permanent resident: Permanent Resident, Conditional Permanent Resident

College Attendance

This criteria is for selecting a school or schools that the applicant hopes to attend or has an interest in attending. Does not indicate that future or current enrollment exists. 

Example Values:

• College: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; NCES: 133650; CEEB: 5215

Usage Notes:

• When a school is added to this criteria selection, the School and College entity conveys a CEEB code, which is an organization identifier maintained by The College Board. A 4-digit CEEB code is used to identify colleges.

• The exact and full name of the school must be used in order to obtain a CEEB code. For example, if one types “SMU” for Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, no code is shown. Note: some schools have NCES numbers, some not. Colleges and Universities outside of the U.S. are not listed.

For NSPA Admins:

• Some scholarships are limited by attendance at a particular college or group of colleges. For example, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is open to students enrolled or planning to enroll in one of the forty-seven historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the TMCF network. Of note, not all HBCUs are included in the TMCF network. Each school in the network must be selected individually when adding this criteria.

College Readiness Program

The list of common college readiness programs in which the applicant may have participated.

Example Values:

• Program: Noble Network

Usage Notes:

• More than one program may be selected.

Condition

The list of conditions, usually medical in nature, that an applicant may have or have had. 

Example Values:

• Condition: Wheelchair-Bound

Usage Notes:

• The values are not necessarily negative. The list includes items such as left-handedness that are not an affliction but merely a state of being.

• More than one condition may be listed for a program.

• The criteria should be treated as an "or" when multiple conditions are listed. For example, a program that lists the Conditions "Visual Disability" and "Deafness" mean that an applicant with either or both Conditions is eligible to apply.

Current Grade Level

This list represents the current grade at time of application. 

Example Values:

• Level: High School Sophomore

Usage Notes:

• Contrast with Graduation Status, which records past promotions and graduations.
  
  

• Select Graduate Student if program requires applicant be a current graduate student or enrolled in graduate school. Although graduate degree programs include any degree after an undergraduate degree, for our purposes do not select Graduate Student for any of the following as they have their corresponding values: doctoral-level degrees, postgraduate law school, and postgraduate medical school.

• Please note the distinction between “graduate degree” and the broader term “advanced degree.” Select the following values if the program requires applicants to be currently pursuing an advanced degree: Doctoral Candidate, Postgraduate Medical School, Postgraduate Law School, and Graduate Student. 

• Select Postgraduate Law School if a program is open to students currently enrolled in law school. Values like “School of Law,” “JD,” and “College of Law” should use Postgraduate Law School. 

• Select 5th Year College Undergraduate and Nth Year College Undergraduate if a program is open to current college students, provided that the college is not a trade or vocational school, or a 2-year college. Note that Nth Year College Undergraduate refers to students enrolled in a 4-year college or university past their fifth year. 

• Select Not Enrolled if program is open to nontraditional students returning to college. Not all programs will use “nontraditional student.” Many will use similar values such as “adult re-entry,” “previous graduate,” “returning student,” “never attended college,” “past graduates,” and “high school graduate.” 

• Note that “professional degree” often refers to postgraduate degrees preparing students for a career in specific fields. Scholarships mostly use “professional degree” along with “graduate degree” (i.e., "pursuing a graduate or professional degree”), and should be coded as Doctoral Candidate, Postgraduate Medical School, Postgraduate Law School, and Graduate Student. In rare cases, scholarships are open to students pursuing specific professional degrees such as architecture, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, or pastoral ministry. A professional degree in architecture, for example, can include a 5-year undergraduate degree (B.Arch.) and a master’s (M.Arch.) Given the array of diverse options, don’t hesitate to reach out to your team lead/manager with questions.

Current School

Adding the name of the school currently attended calls forth a corresponding NCES and/or CEEB identifying code.

Example Values:

• School: Hawaii Community College; NCES: 383190; CEEB: 1801

Usage Notes:

• The name entered must match NCES or CEEB name exactly or code is not shown.

Demographics    

The list of demographic eligibility and qualification criteria. Student Gender refers to the current biological sex of the applicant. The Gender Detail for a student provides detail about the biological sex of the applicant. Optional. Also includes the student's race or races. Optional.

Example Values:

• Gender Detail: Transgender Male to Female

• Gender Identity: Bisexual

• Race: White

• Race Detail: Swiss

Usage Notes:

• The Race selections align with the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. DoE values.

• In keeping with the Census Bureau approach, the NSPA Exchange data model supports one or multiple selections.

• Similar to the Census Bureau approach, the NSPA Exchange data model does not have a "primary" indicator. If an application supports a primary indicator, simply enter that value first in the Race enumeration. Thus, if an application system that only supports a single selection receives a file with multiple selections, the application should select the first value that appears.

• If the term “minority” has been used by the scholarship provider but the ethnicity or race has not been defined, select the following values for Race: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. 

For NSPA Admins:

• The omission of a particular category only means that it has not yet been encountered among scholarships amassed.

Fields of Study

The NCES/IPEDS Classification of Instructional programs (CIP) code for the field of study. Currently aligned with the 2010 CIP Code list.

Example Values:

• Name: Engineering, General; CIP: 14.01

• Name: Engineering Acoustics; CIP: 29.0303 

• Name: Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians; CIP: 15.01

Usage Notes:

• Broad categories such as Biology are broken down into subcategories. For example, Biology, General (26.01) contains Biology/Biological Sciences, General (26.0101) and Biomedical Sciences (26.0102). It's generally understood that a program coded at a general level is inclusive of itself and all levels contained underneath.

• Unfortunately, there's not a brief list of STEM codes. At a minimum, a STEM-related scholarship should be inclusive of Engineering (14), Biological and Biomedical Sciences (26), Mathematics and Statistics (27), and Physical Sciences (40) fields of study. However, for appropriately complete coverage, many fields in other categories should be included, such as Soil Chemistry and Physics (01.1202) and Computer Science (11.0701). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides a lengthy and not-unreasonable list of what it considers to be STEM fields.

For NSPA Admins:

• Select the highest level that describes the area to be studied. It’s better to include too broad a category rather than too narrow a category.

• It's often appropriate to add a broad category (such as Engineering, 14) along with related specific categories from other areas (such as Combat Engineering, 29.0301). 

• For the present, we take a broad definition of STEM, including all top-level categories that contain STEM elements. These are:

  • Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences (01)

  • Natural Resources and Conservation (03)

  • Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology (04.0902)

  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia (09.0702)

  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects (10.0304)

  • Computer and Information Sciences And Support Services (11)

  • Education (13)

  • Engineering (14)

  • Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields (15)

  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences (26)

  • Mathematics and Statistics (27)

  • Military Science, Leadership and Operational Art (28)

  • Military Technologies and Applied Sciences (29)

  • Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (30)

  • Physical Sciences (40)

  • Science Technologies/Technicians (41)

  • Psychology (42)

  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services (43)

  • Social Sciences (45)

  • Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General (49.0101)

  • Health Professions and Related Programs (51)

  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (52)

Financial Information

Financial information used to determine scholarship eligibility or qualification.

Example Values:

• Type: Maximum EFC; Financial Eligibility Amount: 4700

Usage Notes:

• AGI in the Financial Eligibility Criteria stands for Adjusted Gross Income. EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution.

• The financial eligibility should be defined as their U.S. FAFSA equivalents if possible, but can be used more generally if the program is not specific.

• The Financial Eligibility Amount should represent U.S. Dollars. Although FAFSA fields are expressed in USD rounded to the nearest dollars, the amount is a decimal. 

For NSPA Admins:

• The amount entered must be numerical. Don't include the dollar sign, for example.

Graduation Status

The list of graduation status eligibility and qualification criteria.

Example Values:

• Graduation Status: High School; Community College Sophomore

Usage Notes:

• Graduation Status is intended to reflect a graduation event that has already happened.

• Although a GED is equivalent to a high school diploma, we do not automatically select GED or High School Equivalency in conjunction with High School. We only code GED or High School Equivalency when noted by the scholarship. 

Interests

These values imply study, appreciation, or future intent.

Example Values:

• Interest: Healthy Living

Usage Notes:

• Contrast with Activity Criteria, which imply active participation or current involvement.

• More than one interest may be chosen.

Location

Consists of city, county, state, and country.

Example Values:

• To indicate the city of Effingham, IL, one would enter City: Effingham, County: Effingham, State: Illinois.

• To enter the entire state of IL, simply enter the State: Illinois.

• The system will default to coding Country: United States for newly entered programs.

Usage Notes:

• Location may be used to describe the current location of the applicant; for example, scholarships for students living in Rhode Island. Location may also be used to describe all colleges in a particular state.

• An entire state can be indicated by selecting just a State value. 

• City and County are optional.

• Note that when Country is set to Canada, additional eligibility coding options will appear under Academics & Citizenship.

• If applicants must be graduates of a particular school or schools, then the Location may be optional (useful, e.g., when the area enclosing the schools would be particularly difficult to define). Note that if the requirements directly state (or strongly imply) that the applicant must also be from the specific location containing the school(s), then we typically add a location as well.

Miscellaneous

An extended list of criteria not fitting in other structures.

Example Values:

• Misc.: Role in Potato Industry

Usage Notes:

• The non-'Other' values are generally from existing scholarships found by the NSPA Exchange data team or its partners.

Profession (updated 12/21/2021)

An NSPA-maintained list of careers and occupations relevant to scholarship programs. This list is more colloquial than the statistical U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics SOC and European ISOC lists and represents how eligibility criteria are typically phrased.

The system allows for a way to indicate requirements for a planned profession (i.e., a profession related to an applicant’s college major or field of study) and a current profession (i.e., the profession in which an applicant is currently employed or for which an applicant has a qualification such as a degree).

The system also allows for a SOC code.

Example Values:

• For a scholar who is studying to be a teacher:

  • Profession: Teacher

  • Current Profession: No

• For a scholar who is currently employed or qualified to be a registered nurse: 

  • Profession: Registered Nurse

  • Current Profession: Yes

• For a scholar who is studying for, or is currently in the advertising trade: 

  • Profession: Advertising Professional

  • Current Profession: [None] (displayed as Unknown in the NSPA Admin site)

Usage Notes:

• If a qualifying occupation is not in the NSPA-defined list, use the Other description accompanied by a SOC code as a fallback.

• If an applicant can either be studying for or currently employed in a profession, omit the Current Profession value.

For NSPA Admins:

• If a profession can be either a current profession or a profession for which the applicant is studying, use Current Profession: Unknown. We’ll change the display to something more sensible like “Either” in the future. Behind the scenes, the site does the right thing, which is to simply omit the Current Profession value from the data.

• Don’t enter a SOC Code — even if you’re entering an “Other” value. The Data Team Lead and/or the system will enter these codes for you.

Seeking Degree

The list of degrees being sought.

Example Values: 

• Seeking Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Usage Notes:

• More than one degree may be chosen.

• Generally refers to current degree being sought, not a future plan to go to graduate school for example.

• Values like "2-year college" or "Community college" should be coded with Associate degree.

• Values like "4-year college," "4-year university," "BA," "Bachelor's in a STEM field," and similar should use Bachelor's degree.

• Values like “undergraduate degree” should be coded with Associate degree and Bachelor's degree if no context is provided (i.e., a scholarship does not specify whether it is for a 2- or 4-year undergraduate degree).

• Values like "postgraduate degree" and “advanced degree” should be coded as Graduate Degree, Doctor of Medicine, Law Degree, MBA, MFA, and PhD.

• Values like “professional degree” should be coded as Doctor of Medicine, Law Degree, and MBA unless further context is provided. For example, a “professional law degree” should (obviously) be coded as Law Degree, while a “professional degree in pharmacy” should (not obviously) be coded as PhD. When faced with the unobvious, do not hesitate to reach out to your team lead/manager. 

• Values like "technical program" should include Professional certification and also 1-year certificate. In addition, include Associate degree unless is specifically excluded or clear from the context that the program is a professional certification and not a general college degree.

• While graduate school, trade or vocational schools, and certificate programs fall under the broad umbrella of colleges and universities, most programs will only provide scholarships for these if specifically mentioned. In other words, do not select Professional certification, 1-year certificate, or Graduate degree unless noted in the program description or a provider’s FAQ.

• Do not enter any values if we cannot infer from the program description and/or scholarship FAQs what type of degree is being sought (usually applies to Associate degree and Bachelor’s degree). 

Situation

The list of situations served by a program. An applicant's situation qualifying the applicant for a scholarship. 

Example Values:

• Situation: Breadwinner in Family

Usage Notes:

• Some situations are generally happy circumstances (e.g., Mother, Married), and some are not (Accident Survivor, Victim of Crime). 

• Do not code a Situation for nontraditional students, previous graduates, students who never attended college, or similar. This notion is captured elsewhere via Current Grade Level and other criteria.