Adult Scholarship Timeline

The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation (HICF) online scholarship application portal for the Adult Scholarship Program for Spring Semester 2025 opens September 1, 2024. The portal will remain open to receive applications for Spring Semester 2025 awards until November 1, 2024 (11:59 PM). Here are your step-by-step details on how to apply for 2025 Adult Scholarship awards.

Before You Apply – Gather Your Materials

FINANCES

If you plan to apply for student aid, please complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Earlier this year there were delays with FAFSA processing, so if you have not completed it, we recommend doing so as soon as possible. Visit studentaid.gov/articles/filling-out-fafsa/ to read about how to prepare and complete the FAFSA.

NOTE: You will need the Student Aid Report (SAR) in PDF form to upload to the financial information section of the application. Once your FAFSA is processed, you (the student) can log into your FAFSA, select the correct year, then click on View or Print your FAFSA Submission Summary. The next screen gives the option to print it or view the FAFSA as a pdf. At this point, you may save the pdf to have it ready to upload it onto the online scholarship application when you complete it. The FAFSA Student Aid Report document is approximately 5 to 8 pages or more in length. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is located on the first page of your FAFSA.

If you have applied or are working on a scholarship application, but your FAFSA Submission Summary is not yet available, you should complete the remaining parts of your scholarship application and use your most recent income tax documents to meet this requirement.

Adult scholarship applicants not utilizing FAFSA should submit their most recent income tax return to meet the requirement. Be sure to have a copy (pdf preferred) to upload into the Financial section of the application.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Before you begin your application, you will want to secure your letters of recommendation – you will need two letters that meet the following criteria to apply:

• One letter of recommendation from a current or past teacher/instructor or faculty member (high school, GED, college/university), or your employer

• One letter of recommendation from a community member, apprenticeship instructor, clergy, mentor, etc. Letters from relatives are not accepted.

Don’t delay your application process - be sure to ask early to allow your references to complete the letters of recommendation in a timely manner. You will need to upload these letters in a DOC or PDF form into the application.

PREPARE YOUR DOCUMENTS

Before you begin your application, we recommend you also gather your other pieces of needed documentation –Proof of Residency and Academic Information.

Residency Requirements

You will need to show Proof of County Residency (Macon, Piatt, or Moultrie) for the past 12 (consecutive) months to complete this section of the application.

Accepted documentation includes:

• Housing receipts (from 12 months ago)
• Utility bill (from 12 months ago)
• Tax Forms
• Voter's Registration Card

Academic Information

You will need to gather the following information to complete the Academic Information section of the application:

• High School, GED, or College transcript
• Cumulative GPA (When awarded the scholarship, student must maintain a 3.0 GPA)
• Name of College/University or apprenticeship program you will attend.
• Your major/field of study or apprenticeship program you plan to pursue.
• Estimated graduation/completion date.

DRAFT YOUR ESSAY RESPONSE

The scholarship application requires an essay to be written. This One-Page Essay should address and answer the following questions (at least one paragraph addressing each question within the overall essay):

• What are your educational goals and how do you hope to achieve them while attending college?
• What are your long-term or career goals/plans and what steps will you take to achieve them?
• What personal characteristics or experiences qualify you to receive a scholarship?

Ready to Apply – Completing Your Scholarship Application Online

STEP ONE: ACCESS THE SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL

Ready to get started? First, go to heartofillinois.org/adult-scholarships and click the link for the Scholarship Application Portal. If you are a first-time applicant, on the login page click the Create New Account button and complete the required fields to create your account and login/password. If you have applied before, please login to the portal using your account information (email + password) – if you do not remember your password, click the Forgot Your Password link to reset it.

STEP TWO: BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

Once you are logged in, you will be able to begin completing the application for the Adult Scholarship Program. Please be sure to fully complete all sections of the application and required fields, also uploading DOC/PDF files for requested documentation (no screenshots or image files please).

• Complete the Personal Information & Eligibility Acceptance section – you will also upload your Proof of Residency information in this section. (Responses on the eligibility form help determine if you qualify for a scholarship.)
• Complete the Academic Information section of the application (Enter the required academic information and upload your academic documentation in this section.)
• Complete the Financial Information section of the application. (You will upload your FAFSA Submission Summary into the application and enter your Student Aid Index (SAI) number here – if not utilizing FAFSA, please upload your Tax Return here.)
• Complete the essay response. Upload your essay response into the application.
• Upload Letters of Recommendation. Upload your letters of recommendation where indicated.
• Complete the Photo Release Waiver (accept or deny).

STEP THREE: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

After reviewing all items on your application for completion and accuracy, complete the Electronic Signature, select the date, and click SUBMIT.

The Adult Scholarship Program application deadline (for Spring Semester 2025 awards) is November 1, 2024 by 11:59 PM. You must submit a completed application by that deadline to be considered. Late applications will NOT be accepted.

Prior to the deadline, once we have received your submitted application, it will be briefly reviewed. We will contact you if there are concerns (incorrect file type or documentation). Additionally, if you have questions regarding your application during the process, please contact Andrea Gerhard, HICF Director of Scholarships & Grant Administration at agerhard@heartofillinois.org or by calling 217-429-3000.

Next Steps – What to expect after submitting your application

WHILE YOU WAIT

After the application deadline (November 1 at 11:59 PM), our scholarship committees and reviewers get to work – they evaluate and review all applications received by the deadline, reading and scoring the applications based on the criteria during the review process. The committee members will submit their reviews of each application by mid-November.

NOTIFICATION PROCESS

Once all applications have been reviewed, awards will be determined for those receiving a scholarship. Applicants will be notified of their status by the end of November via email. Scholarship recipients will additionally be notified of their total award via email along with additional instruction about award acceptance.

AWARD ACCEPTANCE FOR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Those who receive a scholarship award will need to complete the assigned Award Acceptance and Follow-Up Forms in the scholarship portal by the specified due date for this particular process, due dates will be set in early December. For this you will need your Proof of Enrollment, Student ID, contact information for the Financial Aid department of your institution/program, and a formal Thank You letter.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD DISTRIBUTION

Once the assigned Award Acceptance and Follow-Up Form has been fully completed by the recipient by the specified due date and approved by HICF, the scholarship award check will be processed (on the 1^st/15^th of the month) and HICF will mail it directly to the specified college/university/program (mid-December or early January).

ADDITIONAL NOTES

We encourage you to do your research also - Visit your Institution’s website (University or College) or connect with their Foundation or Student Services office to learn about their available scholarships. Take time to also talk with your current employer to see if they offer scholarships or tuition reimbursement programs.

QUESTIONS? Contact the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation at 217.429.3000.