FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & INFORMATION

Is the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship applicable to tuition in schools outside of the United States?
No. In order to receive the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship, you must be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States. We are unable to award our scholarship to students enrolled in colleges or universities outside of the United States.

Are high school students who are accepted into joint enrollment programs (high school students taking college classes and receiving credit for college courses) eligible for the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship?
No. In order to receive the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship, you must be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university.

If I am selected as a winner of the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship, when will I receive my award?
Winners will be invited but not required to attend a scholarship banquet in their honor and in remembrance of Akash Kuruvilla’s life. The first half of the scholarship award will be applied to your tuition directly through your school’s financial aid office at the beginning of the academic year. If you maintain full-time student status and at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, the second half will be applied to your tuition through your school’s financial aid office at the midpoint of the academic year. If you are chosen as a recipient of the Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship and you do not maintain full-time student status and at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, the second half of the scholarship will not be rewarded.

Why do you request my FAFSA Student Aid Report?
The Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship is a need-based leadership scholarship. We will utilize the information in your FAFSA Student Aid Report to assess your financial need. It will not be used for any other purposes and you are welcome to black out any personal information such as social security numbers.

May I submit application materials separately?
Your application form and all supporting materials as outlined in the scholarship packet should be sent together in one packet. Individuals writing your recommendation letters may protect the confidentiality of their recommendation letters by giving them to you in sealed envelopes marked with your name to be included in your application packet. The only exception to this guideline is the academic transcript since some schools do not allow students to handle these documents.

Can my personal statement and/or American Dream essay exceed the word limit?
The word limits imposed on the personal statements and American Dream essays are estimates on the lengths of these documents. You will not be penalized for personal statements and/or American Dream essays that are shorter or slightly longer than the suggested word limits. However, please keep in mind that the selection committee receives many applications and will need to budget their time in reviewing applications accordingly. Therefore, any essays and/or personal statements that greatly exceed the suggested word limits may not be reviewed as closely as essays that adhere to these suggested word limits.

May I submit documents outside of the requested materials to support my application?
Any additional materials (copies of certificates, extra recommendation letters, etc) outside of the requested documentation SHOULD NOT be included in your application and will be disregarded.

All applications and supporting materials must be postmarked by June 1, 2010. Late applications will not be considered.