Navigating through the scholarship application process can be a challenging task. That is why the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has compiled a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions to help guide students and their applications towards success.
Drawn from decades of community experience, we have provided answers to your questions on eligibility, the application process, and required supporting documents, such as the FAFSA SAR and other important documents. Click on a topic below to view related questions and their corresponding answers.
Scholarships are awarded through a competitive process. Dedicated volunteers on our scholarship committees make their selections based on:
- Financial Need
- Academic Status
- Employment Status
- Life Experience
- Essay
The ideal applicant has demonstrated financial need, earned a 2.5 GPA or better, worked to earn money for school, and expressed well-defined goals and objectives for their education.
Some scholarships are renewable, and some are awarded for one year only. Please read your notification letter carefully as it will detail all the terms of your scholarship award.
Scholarships are not restricted to four-year universities; we consider higher education to be college, vocational or technical school, and accredited courses of study for select career fields. You are eligible for this scholarship program if you are:
- Currently attending or enrolling in an accredited college or vocational school
- A current resident of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, or DeSoto County
- 24 years of age or older as of December 31st of the year in which you apply
Yes, if you are a current resident of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, or DeSoto County.
Yes, although it is in your favor to know what school you want to attend and what career path you want to pursue.
No. Scholarship recipients can attend any accredited college or university, as well as any accredited technical school or vocational school including, but not limited to, cosmetology, car or equipment repair, and all health care and safety professions.
No, scholarship funds may also be used at vocational or technical schools and community colleges.
Scholarship applicants may be asked to attend an interview, but this is not typically the case. Students may be invited to our donor appreciation reception and are expected to attend if invited.
Yes. All students are required to write a general essay explaining their educational goals.
All documents, in their entirety, must be submitted and received by the deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS.
For specific scholarship deadlines, visit Scholarships For Students 24 Years of Age or Older.
All information is kept confidential by our scholarship committee members. Personal information is never shared with the public.
For students who apply for full-year funding between March and April, you will be notified whether or not you were awarded a scholarship in July.
For students who apply for half-year funding between September and October, you will be notified whether or not you were awarded a scholarship in November.
Scholarship awards are sent directly to the school of the student’s choice, on the student’s
behalf. Scholarship funds are never directly mailed directly to the student, but some funds can be released to the student by the school. To have the funds released to you, you will want to
read your award notification email and discuss it with the financial aid department at your school.
All applications are accessed and submitted digitally through our online portal.
Once submitted, all applications are reviewed by a dedicated committee of community volunteers. Depending on the type of scholarship, interviews may be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
After a scholarship decision has been reached, applicants will be promptly notified of their award status. Please keep in mind that once a decision has been reached, it cannot be altered in any way unless under extraordinary circumstances.
FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” and is used to apply for different types of federal, state, and private financial aid for education. FAFSA is often the first step in the financial aid process.
FAFSA may be completed on the web at studentaid.gov, and possibly at your school if they participate in Electronic Data Exchange (contact your school for this information).
FAFSA can also be completed by paper. It may be possible to obtain a hard copy at your school.
Completing the FAFSA online is often the fastest and most accurate way to apply for student aid. To get started, you will need to create a Student Aid Account.
As soon as possible! The FAFSA should be available starting in October of each year as of 2025. The earlier in the year that you apply, the quicker you will get a response. Conversely, the later in the year you apply, the longer it will take to get a response. Depending on the time of year during which you are applying, there may be multiple FAFSA applications available for different academic years. Please ensure that you are applying for the academic year for which your scholarship will be awarded. For instance, if you are applying for a scholarship that will be awarded for funding for the 2025-2026 academic year, you should complete with 2025-2026 FAFSA application.
It is recommended that you have filed your tax return prior to completing your FAFSA, but it is not required. It may take longer if you have not filed your family’s taxes with it.
Please visit the FAFSA website at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa for more information.
FSS stands for the “FAFSA Submission Summary.” It summarizes the information provided on the FAFSA and delivers information about the applicant’s financial need, including the SAI, also known as “Student Aid Index.”
A college aid award letter is provided to the student by the college they will be attending. It lists the cost of attending the college and aid that is available to the student for the upcoming school year, including grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
You will receive the college aid award letter only after you have completed the FAFSA and requested that the results be sent to your chosen college. We may require this for some of our larger scholarship awards.