Who Can Apply | How to Apply | Application News | Application FAQ
Scholarship Foundation Applications - Important Deadlines for Class of 2024 Applicants
Part One: Profile and Eligibility Screen by January 31, 2024
Part Two: Full Application by February 9, 2024 and Zoom Intake Interview by February 14, 2024
Must be resident of Indian River County
Must have financial need and desire and ability to succeed
Applicant News and Events
The FAFSA is Changing - Get Ready Now
The 2024-2025 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the form that all students applying for financial aid this year must complete. The FAFSA is undergoing major changes, and this year it will not be available until sometime in December. Going forward the system will use SAI (Student Aid Index) as the measure of your financial need, replacing EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Although the final version of this year's FAFSA formula is not yet published, there is a DRAFT 2024-2025 FAFSA available that is likely to be very close to the final form. We encourage you to review it now and gather the information you will need to complete it. (Note: You will never submit a paper form. It is fastest and easiest to submit your application online, so we never recommend students apply using a paper form.)
The FAFSA website now has some helpful information on what you can do to get ready to apply. This page includes links to some videos that provide more guidance on what you can do to prepare to apply when the system opens.
Whether you’re a student or parent, you’ll need to create your own FSA-ID account to apply to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you don’t already have one, click here to sign up for your account. If you already have an Id, log in to make sure you’ve remembered your correct password or reset it.
The new FAFSA will require that one or more of your parents (and sometimes step-parent if they do not file a joint tax return with the parent) will need to have their own FSA-ID and means of contact (either email or mobile phone). Each of the contributors (student, parent, step-parent) will need to follow a link to input their own information. Get ready for this now, by getting your IDs in place.
FAFSA has released a Federal Student Aid Estimator. Use this to get a early look at your Student Aid Index (SAI) and eligiblity for aid before the FAFSA system opens in December. It will show you if you qualify for a Pell Grant and how much With you SAI, we could help you understand how much other aid you might qualify for at various types of colleges.
The new FAFSA formula provides a way for student's to quickly see if they qualify for a Pell Grant based on the 2022 Adjusted Gross Income of their parent that provides most of their financial support. Here's a chart we've put together that shows who will qualify for a MAXIMUM PELL ($7,395 last year, likely to go up a bit) or a MINIMUM PELL. Colleges will use this along with your SAI to determine your financial aid eligibility.
Here's a another link to an article on the web about the new FAFSA and how to get ready. 2024-2025 FAFSA Overview for Students. It covers important terms, who will need to have a system account (FSA ID), tax info required, etc.
Class of 2024 Application Update...Process and Deadlines
- The Scholarship Foundation Application process has THREE parts. Full details are available at Who Can Apply and How to Apply.
- Applicants need to complete and submit Part One: Profile and Eligibility Screen via our Application Portal by Friday, January 31, 2024. We will screen your information against our residency, prior application and minimum academic standards. We will try to make an early assessment of whether you are likely to have financial need, but since unmet need depends on the school you will attend, we will not be able to fully judge at this time. We want everyone who qualifies who MIGHT have need to apply.
- All those who meet our minimum standards and may have need will be invited to complete a Part Two: Full Application by February 9, 2024 and a short Intake Interview via Zoom by February 14, 2024. To complete the Full Application, you will need to provide information about your HS academic performance, your college goals and plans, your information about your family and financial situation (similar to that which you provide for the FAFSA) and a HS counselor's report. College students will need to provide an unofficial transcript and those applying for the Richardson Scholar award will provide supplemental essays and two recommendations.
- In Part Three, which will take place in late March and early April, we will invite applicants to provide their school choice information, either their FINAL school or the schools they are considering. We will then schedule each applicant for a brief Student and Parent Interview to be conducted via Zoom.
Quick Links
SFIRC Applications FAQ
Bright Futures Requirements
Financial Aid FAQ
Want More Info? Need help with the FAFSA? Contact our office if you have questions or need help!
Application Calendar: Class of 2024
NOTE: The FAFSA system will not open until December this year, due time needed to implement changes that will take effect this year.
Aug - Sept: Create your FSA ID. You and your parent (and step-parent, in some cases) will need to have an account with the FAFSA system in order to apply. Get these now.
Oct 1: CSS Profile system opens. Complete these applications ASAP. They will use your "Prior prior" year tax returns, so there's no reason to wait. Example: The 2024-2025 FAFSA will use information from your 2022 tax returns.
December TBD: FAFSA system opens. Complete your application ASAP. It will use your "Prior prior" year tax returns, so there's no reason to wait. Example: The 2024-2025 FAFSA will use information from your 2022 tax returns.
October - March: Priority financial aid deadlines for many Florida schools. These have gotten earlier, so check with your schools. Because of this year's FAFSA opening change, schools may be changing previously set deadlines. Check with each school.
Nov 1: Scholarship Foundation Part One Application opens.
Nov 2: Registration deadline for December 2nd SAT (November 21 late registration deadline)
Nov 3: Registration deadline for December 9th ACT (November 17 late registration deadline)
Dec 1: Bright Futures registration opens
Jan 5: Registration deadline for February 10th ACT (January 19 late registration deadline). If you wish to use scores from this test to qualify for a Scholarship Foundation award, you must present registration for this test with your Full Application.
January 31: Scholarship Foundation Eligibility Screen due. Only those who meet this deadline can proceed with their Full Application.
February 9: Scholarship Foundation Part Two: Full Application Deadline
February 14: Scholarship Foundation Part Two: Intake Interview appointments must be completed.
March: Scholarship Foundation Student and Parent interviews will be scheduled by email for eligible applicants. Applicants will receive an email with scheduled date and must confirm or request a change via our Application Portal.
March TBD: Scholarship Foundation Student and Parent interviews; Part Three: School Decision documents must be submitted via our Application Portal by this time
April TBD: Interviews for Richardson finalists
Early-May: Invitations to Scholarship Foundation Awards Ceremony emailed and mailed
May 14: Scholarship Foundation Awards Ceremony at St. Edward's School (attendance required for invited recipients)