Reaching Your Potential

Awards
Scholarships are renewable and range from $2,000 to $6,000 annually depending on college costs. Part-time students receive prorated awards. EducationQuest awards scholarships in the spring and fall.

Who's Eligible?
Applicants of the Reaching Your Potential scholarship program must be:

• a Nebraska resident
• a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident
• referred by a community agency or college
• seeking their first certificate, diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree
• enrolled and attending college before December 31, 2008
• enrolled in a title IV eligible course of study at a Nebraska college, university, community college or vocational/technical school
• eligible and have appplied for a Pell Grant
• not in default on a student loan or owe repayment on a student grant

Referring Clients
If you have students with the desire and potential to go to college but face significant obstacles, refer them to the Reaching Your Potential scholarship program. Each college may refer three students and all referrals must be submitted by the financial aid office.

This scholarship is not available to the general public so please do not publicize this program on your website or bulletin board. We rely on the referral system to find students who best fit the intent of the program. Do not refer fellow employees, family, or friends. Submit your referrals using the Applicant Referral Form below. EducationQuest will mail an application to the students.

Referrals received after March 21 will be held until the next round.

Deadline
Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2008. The review committee will consider the applicant's goals, potential to succeed, and obstacles to education.

Disbursements
Recipients selected in the fall receive a prorated award for the current academic year. EducationQuest will disburse funds in December.

Recipients selected in the spring will receive an award for the upcoming academic year. EducationQuest will disburse those funds in August.

EducationQuest commits funding to recipients through completion of their program. Renewal awards are disbursed in August. Verification forms are sent to the financial aid office to verify student eligibility. Students must:

• maintain satisfactory progress as defined by your institution, and
• be enrolled at least half-time as defined by your institution.

Scholarships can be used for all educational expenses. The Reaching Your Potential scholarship should NOT replace any financial aid already packaged and/or awarded to the student unless the student is in an overaward status. If an overaward occurs, the financial aid office should reduce the amount of the student's loans first before reducing or eliminating any grant or other scholarship aid.

Support Services
Recipients receive support services from EducationQuest, a campus mentor, and a quarterly newsletter with "college survival" information and program reminders. Read about our recipients in the latest edition of Reaching Out.