Scholarship

What are the selection criteria?
An independent selection committee will evaluate the Complete applications and select recipients considering:

• Financial Need
• Academic achievements and records
• Community involvement
• Volunteerism
• Essay content
• Recommendation

Decisions of the selection committee are final and are not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.

What are the details of the award?

• Twelve (12) awards of up to $5,000 will be awarded annually and are renewable for up to three (3) additional years. Final award amounts are based on student financial need.
• Scholarships will be applied to tuition, fees, books and supplies required for course work at accredited institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico. These institutions include: two-year colleges, four-year colleges, vocational schools, technical schools.
• Students may transfer from one institution to another and retain the award.

What are the renewal details?
Each year you will receive an email notification with instructions to complete the online renewal application. You will need to provide a transcript showing your cumulative GPA. You must meet the following criteria to be considered for renewal:

• Minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Full-time enrollment at an accredited college/university

What are my responsibilities if I am chosen as a recipient?
You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded. You must continue the entire academic year without interruption unless approved by the scholarship sponsor. You are responsible for delivering your scholarship check(s) to the proper office at your institution with its attached instructions. You should notify ISTS should your check not arrive within 30 days of the issue date. You will receive an email notification when your funds are issued.

How and when are funds issued?
Your funds will be issued via one (1) check in early August. Your check will be made payable to your institution listed on your My Profile page only. Your scholarship check cannot be made payable to you, the applicant. The check will be mailed to your home address so that you may deliver it to the correct office at your institution. You will receive an email notification once your funds have been issued.

How do I change my college choice?
Make sure your My Profile page indicates your final college choice. It is your responsibility to make sure your My Profile page is correct at least 30 days prior to the check issue date listed above. If your scholarship check needs to be reissued for any reason, a reissue fee may apply.

Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?
You should list your first-choice school on the application. You can change your college choice any time prior to the application deadline. If selected as a recipient, you will be asked to confirm your final school choice. If your school changes after the acceptance deadline, you will be able to update this information on your My Profile page.

What are the differences between official and unofficial transcripts?

Official transcripts must be obtained through your high school administration office, or your college registrar office. Transcripts are normally printed on official letterhead and/or state that they are official. Transcripts may contain or require a signature.

Note: Your official transcript may come to you in a sealed envelope, stating it will become unofficial if opened. When scanning or copying your official transcripts, a watermark may appear noting that they are now unofficial. Despite any watermarks or sealed envelopes, you may open the envelope if needed to upload the document. These documents will be considered official for our purposes. Acceptable file types are .pdf, .tif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps. When scanning or copying, you do not need to include a copy of the sealed envelope.

Unofficial transcripts may be accessed through your school’s online student portal. These pages must still be converted to one of the acceptable file formats. Unofficial transcripts must contain your name.

Should I submit all of my information before I request a recommendation?
You should request your recommendation as early as possible to ensure there is sufficient time for the recommendation to be submitted by the recommendation deadline. You do not have to wait until all other portions of your application are complete before requesting your recommendation.

What supporting documentation is required for this application?

• High School Transcript
• 2023-24 FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR)

Where and when should I send my supporting documents?
All required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may remain incomplete. Documents that meet the criteria required for this application that are uploaded by the deadline will be processed and considered on time.

How will I be notified about the status of my application?
Notifications are sent primarily via email to the email you used to create your account. Some programs offer text and voice notifications. Ultimately, it is your responsibility as the applicant to verify your application status on your Home page is Complete.

What notifications will be sent to me?

• Deadline reminders: Deadline reminder emails are typically sent two (2) weeks and one (1) week prior to the application deadline.
• Recommendation deadline reminder: You may receive a notification after the application deadline but prior to the recommendation deadline if your recommendation is still incomplete.
• Selection results: Selection results notifications are sent to all Complete applicants.
• Renewal instructions: If awarded, you will be sent a notification when it is time to renew your award.
• Funds disbursed: Once your funds have been issued, you will be notified.
• Other scholarships: Occasionally, if you meet the requirements for another scholarship administered by ISTS, you will be notified. These notifications are not guaranteed.

Your information is never sold to any third party for marketing purposes.

Who will notifications be sent from?
You will receive notifications from two (2) possible ISTS email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]. You should add both of these email addresses to your “safe senders list” to ensure important emails are not sent to your spam or junk folder.

Can I opt out of notifications?
While you can opt out of notifications, this is not advised. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure your application is Complete. If you opt out of notifications, you will not receive deadline reminders, selection results or renewal instructions. Your information is never sold to any third party. The only emails you will receive from ISTS are directly related to your application and, possibly, other scholarship opportunities.

What should be visible on my documents?
All uploaded documents must show your name. If you are using an online portal to access your required documentation and all that is visible is the salutation and your first name (Example: Welcome Joe!), this will meet the name requirement.

What are the acceptable file types?
The only acceptable file types are .pdf, .tif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps. Any other formats will not be reviewed, and your application will remain incomplete. You may upload multiple files within a .zip file. All files within a .zip file must be in one of the acceptable file types listed above.

Why can’t I upload a Word document?
ISTS does not accept any file format that is editable.

One of the documents I uploaded has a status of Rejected. What do I do now?
Review the reason your document was rejected. Once you have corrected that issue, upload a new copy of your document.

How do I upload more than one file at a time?
You may create a .zip file containing more than one file as long as everything included is in an acceptable file type of .pdf, .tif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps. Do not upload additional documentation that is not requested. It will not be reviewed.

How do I create a .zip file?
To use this format, follow the steps outlined below:

1. Create a new folder on your Desktop, name it the document type you will be uploading. For example, Test Scores, Transcript or Financial Documentation.
2. Move all the files you wish to upload into the new folder.
3. Right click on the folder from your Desktop:
   PC Users: select “Send to,” followed by “Compressed (zipped) folder.”
   Mac Users: select “Compress [folder name].”
4. Your new .zip file will be located on your Desktop, ready to upload.

How long does it take to process my uploaded documents?
Documents are processed daily. Your document will be processed within three (3) business days. If your document was uploaded prior to the deadline, it will be considered. However, it is your responsibility to monitor your Home page to ensure your document is Accepted.

The deadline has passed and my documents are still Processing, what does that mean?
All documents must be reviewed for the required information and for accuracy. All documents uploaded prior to the application deadline will be reviewed and considered. It is your responsibility to monitor your Home page to ensure your document is Accepted and that your application status reads Complete.

What are the DOs and DON’Ts of uploading documents to my application?

DO:

• Upload one of the accepted file types.
• Only upload the requested and required documents.
• Black out any Social Security Numbers. This is not required, but highly advised.
• Return to your Home page to verify your documents have been Accepted.

DON'T:

• Upload a Microsoft® Word document (.doc, .docx) or any other format we don’t accept.
• Upload more than the requested documentation.
• Assume your documents are correct and accepted once you have uploaded them.
• Upload a document stating you are mailing your documents.
• Assume the required document does not pertain to you. If the application states the document is required, your application will remain incomplete if you do not provide that document. Contact us if you are having trouble providing a required document.
• Password protect your uploaded documents. Password protected documents will be rejected.
• Upload any file that has a viewing expiration date.

How do I know if my application is Complete?
Complete applications will have a green COMPLETE button.

If your application status has a grey or orange STARTED button as shown below, click the button to view the status of each individual requirement.

As the applicant, what are my responsibilities?
It is your responsibility to make sure your application is Complete. Your online application form must be Submitted, all required documents uploaded and Accepted and all required supplements must be Complete.

How do I use my Home page to verify my application status?
When you log in to your Home page, you will see all applications listed. Each application will have an overall status button visible to you.

A grey STARTED button means you have not submitted your online form. An orange STARTED button means you have submitted the online form but you are either missing required items for the application, or your documents are still processing.

When you click the status button, you will see the more detailed status. This will show you the status of each individual required portion of the application. For more details on your Home page, review the Home Page Tutorial section.

The deadline is tomorrow and it takes three (3) days to process. Will I make it?
As long as your documents were uploaded prior to the application deadline, they are considered. You should continue to monitor your Home page until you see the status update to ACCEPTED. If the status updates to REJECTED, contact us immediately.

The deadline has passed and my application status is Started, what do I do?
If your STARTED button is grey, you have unfortunately missed the deadline and your application is now read only. If your STARTED button is orange, click the button to view what is missing. Your required documents may be PROCESSING. As long as your documents were uploaded prior to the application deadline, they are considered. You should continue to monitor your Home page until you see the status update to ACCEPTED. If the status updates to REJECTED, contact us immediately.

Are scholarships taxable?
Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition and textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against his or her scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax adviser for more guidance. You may also consult IRS Publication 970 for additional information.

ISTS Self-Help Portal
For more helpful information about scholarships plus answers to common inquiries related to ISTS’ technology and processes, visit our Self-Help Portal at ISTSprogramsupport.com.

Contact Information
ISTS office hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time. Program Support Representatives are available via live chat and email during these hours. Use the green Help button at the bottom right corner of your screen to contact us.