FAQs

Eligibility

• Can I receive a scholarship if I’m a graduate student?
  No. Our scholarships are currently only available to undergraduate students.
• Does Capture the Dream, Inc. offer any scholarships for graduate students?
  Unfortunately, no. Capture the Dream, Inc.’s scholarships are not currently open to graduate level students; however, new scholarships may be offered in the future that will be available for graduate studies. By subscribing to the Capture the Dream, Inc. Newsletter, applicants can be sure to be kept up to date if we offer any new scholarship opportunities.
• Do I qualify for this scholarship if I am a senior in college but have one more year left in school to complete my bachelors degree?
  If you will be enrolled in school full time in the Fall term to complete your undergraduate degree program, you are eligible for our scholarship. If you are enrolled in a five year program that will award you a graduate level degree, you are not eligible.
• Can I apply for both scholarships? Will applying for both have any kind of negative impact on being awarded either?
  Yes, applicants may apply for both scholarships. However, Capture the Dream, Inc. will not award both scholarships to the same applicant. Applying for both does not increase or decrease chances of being awarded either scholarship. An applicant planning to apply for both scholarships must submit two separate applications and essays, and separate letters of recommendation (which may be written by the same person), each tailored to the specific requirements of each scholarship.

Household Income

• How should Total Household Income be counted?
  Total household income is the total amount of all wages and earnings received by all members of the applicant’s household during the last calendar year. This is the equivalent to Total Income as reported on the student’s U.S. federal tax return before any deductions or credits have been applied. A student who is claimed as a dependent on his or her parents’ U.S. federal tax return should include the parents’ annual income as well as the student’s.
• My family has recently lost our source of income. How should I report this on my application?

  In order to verify your household income, we must rely upon information that can be verified by government documents. This means that we will require a copy of your federal income tax return and documented sources of income if you are an independent student, or a copy of your parents’ federal income tax return if you are a dependent student, before you can be awarded this scholarship.

  If you or your parent has recently lost a job and you expect that your household income will be significantly diminished in the upcoming school year, you may explain that in your introduction letter or on your application. However, you must populate the household income question on the application with a verifiable response.

GPA and Transcripts

• If I can’t get a copy of my official transcript in time to meet the application deadline, can I submit an unofficial copy instead?
  Yes, you may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript if you cannot obtain an official copy in time to meet the application deadline. However, we must receive the official copy of your transcript no later than July 30 in order to consider you as a potential finalist for the scholarship.
• Which transcripts and GPA should I include on my application?

  If you have recently graduated from high school and have not yet started college, you only need to include your official high school transcript. Report your unweighted cumulative GPA from your last year of high school.

  If you are a college student, include only your official college transcript. Report your unweighted cumulative GPA for your most recent year of college coursework. If you have transcripts from both community college and your four-year university, you may provide only the most recent transcript from your four-year university.

Tuition Balance

• How do I calculate my cost of attendance?
  Your cost of attendance should include the cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies for the upcoming school year. This information can typically be found on your college website. Do not include the cost of housing, transportation, food, or other living and miscellaneous expenses. Our scholarships may only be used for paying for tuition, fees, books and supplies.
• How do I calculate my remaining tuition balance?
  Your remaining tuition balance is the cost of attendance (tuition + fees + books + supplies) less any non-repayable financial aid (grants + scholarships + work study). Do not include loans or unconfirmed financial aid in your calculation.

Introduction Letter

• What should be included in the Introduction Letter to the Scholarship Committee?
  The introduction letter is a separate letter of introduction, similar to a cover letter. It can include information that an applicant believes should be emphasized further, or believes has not been covered in the application but is nonetheless important and relevant. The letter is a summary of an applicant’s qualifications, which should illustrate to the Scholarship Committee why he/she would be a strong candidate for this particular scholarship.
• How long should the introduction letter be?
  The introduction letter may be anywhere from a single paragraph to several paragraphs, depending on how much you feel you need to say. You can think of the introduction letter as being similar to the introductory paragraph to an essay, or the introduction chapter in a book. It is intended to provide the reader with some context before reading your application.

Recommendation Letters

• Can my recommender mail my letter of recommendation directly to Capture the Dream, Inc.?

  Please ask your recommender to provide your recommendation letter directly to you in a sealed envelope so that you can include it in your application package. We require applicants to include ALL required materials for each application in a single application package. This enables our staff to keep better track of incoming applications, and eliminates the risk that individual pieces of your application materials may be mixed up or lost.

  If your recommender sends your letter of recommendation directly to Capture the Dream, Inc. we will do our best to ensure that the letter is combined with your application materials for review. Your first and last name, as it appears on your application, should be clearly stated in the recommendation letter to ensure that we can match the recommendation with your application materials. However, we will not be responsible for application materials that are not received as part of your application package. There is a risk that your application materials may be considered incomplete.

• Can my recommender e-mail my letter of recommendation to Capture the Dream, Inc.?

  Yes. If your recommender prefers to email their letter of recommendation directly to the Scholarship Committee, they may send the letter to: [email protected]. The subject line of the email should read as follows: [Scholarship Name] Letter of Recommendation, [Applicant Name].

  Example: Minorities in Leadership Scholarship Letter of Recommendation, Susan Price

• Does the letter of recommendation have to be in an envelope sealed and signed by the recommender?
  Yes. As stated in the application instructions, letters of recommendation must be sealed and signed by the recommender. Applicants should plan ahead to ensure that letter(s) of recommendation are received in time to meet the application deadline.

Financial Aid Web-Award Confirmation

• What is the Financial Aid Web-Award Confirmation?
  Most universities make your financial aid award information available on their website once your application for aid has been processed. After you log in to your university’s website there should be a way to navigate to your personal financial-aid information. From there, you should be able to view and print your Financial-Aid Award Confirmation for the upcoming term. This page should include information such as (but not limited to): total cost of tuition, expected parent contribution, expected student contribution, grants, student loans, work-study, etc. This page should also indicate award amounts that are confirmed, unconfirmed, accepted, and declined.
• What should I do if my financial aid application hasn’t been processed yet?
  If your application for financial aid has not been processed and your college website has no financial aid information available for you, at minimum please provide a copy of your FAFSA Student Aid Report which includes your Expected Family Contribution amount. If you are selected as a recipient, we will need to confirm that you have a tuition balance remaining before the scholarship can be awarded.

Application Submission

• What does it mean for the application to be “post-marked” by July 31, 2016?
  A postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard, or the like indicating the date and time the that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service. This means that an applicant must have all application materials submitted to the postal carrier on or before July 31, 2016.

Other Questions?

If you have a question that is not addressed here, please email us at [email protected]