Keys to Understanding the Collegiate Partner Program
The Collegiate Partner Program was created to ensure that private scholarship aid has the most impact on a student's aid package and to further assist students who demonstrate financial need.
What your Dollars for Scholars chapter needs to do to obtain the
Collegiate Partner benefit:
- Make students and the high schools you support aware of the
program
Annually, a Collegiate Partner Directory that lists all of the 500+ colleges that participate nationwide is sent to the chapter president and the counselor at the high schools you support. Make sure students know the directory is available by either providing this flyer to the high school counselor or meeting directly with the couselor to explain your involvement in the Dollars for Scholars program and the benefit your recipients can receive through the Collegiate Partner Program. - Use the sample letters provided by Dollars for Scholars to let colleges and students know about the program and how to treat your scholarships - These letters describe that you are a Dollars for Scholars affiliate and as such require that your scholarships be treated accordingly. These letters are available from your Dollars for Scholars regional office and are also on the CD which accompanies your Chapter Guidebook. Collegiate Partners are not obligated to treat your scholarships properly if you do not identify yourself as a Dollars for Scholars affiliate.
The four things your Dollars for Scholars chapter will want to understand regarding how the three types of Collegiate Partners (Basic, Partner Plus and Matching) handle your scholarships.
- All Collegiate Partners promise they will never substitute their "free money" aid (college grants or scholarships) with your Dollars for Scholars scholarship.
- When an aid package has been created for a student and they no longer demonstrate need, both the Basic and Matching Collegiate Partners will use up to $1,000 of your Dollars for Scholars scholarship to help reduce student loans first, then any work study offered to the student in their aid package.
- A Partner Plus Collegiate Partner operates the same way as the above, except that they will use a minimum of $2,500 or more of your Dollars for Scholars scholarship to help reduce student loans first, then any work study. Some Partner Plus colleges have an "open" policy which means that they will determine how much of your scholarship beyond $2,500 they will use to reduce a student loan and/or work study. This type of Collegiate Partner is most valuable when chapters are awarding larger scholarships to students attending one of these Partner Plus schools.
- Matching Collegiate Partners each set a limit on how much they will match per Dollars for Scholars scholarship and how big a pool of funds they have available annually to match. Check your annual Collegiate Partner Directory to see which colleges are matching and their limits for the year and mail in your scholarship check along with the provided "Matching Request Form" as soon as you know one of your scholarship recipients is attending a matching school.
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