Congratulations as you embark on the next step of your educational journey!

Were you notified that you received a scholarship award this year? Please log in to accept your scholarship award here.

Please find below answers to several questions you may have about the scholarship you received through a fund administered at the Community Foundation of Shelby County.

Please send it to the Community Foundation address: 100 S. Main Ave Suite 202, Sidney OH 45365. Include details of where you plan to go to school, your major and your future career. Often, the person who established the scholarship is not involved with the selection and has not read your application. They thoroughly enjoy knowing about you and your plans. Show your gratitude and let them know that the money is going to good use! We will forward your note to the appropriate person.

The check will be mailed to your school after the following steps have been completed. It could take several weeks for the school to show your payment in your account.

    • Sign and return the Scholarship Acceptance Letter, which was mailed to the address you provided on your application. If you did not receive one, please contact us.
    • Read your Acceptance Letter to see whether your scholarship is paid before the fall or spring semester.
    • Give us your college/school fee statement. By email:  jsmith@commfoun.com  or by mail:  Community Foundation of Shelby County, 100 S. Main Ave. Ste. 202, Sidney, OH 45365.   Your school might call it a tuition statement, invoice, or account billing statement and it is usually found in your account in your school’s website. It is the page that shows what you owe for the next semester or term.
    • If you received a Sidney Kiwanis Scholarship, you must also send us your fall grade transcript.

Yes, unfortunately scholarships you receive from groups outside your college may affect loans and grants awarded to you by your school or the federal government. Each college may look at your numbers differently, but in general the formula looks like this:
College Cost of Attendance (found on each college’s website)
MINUS Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculated when you complete the FAFSA
     = Your Unmet Need

Your unmet need is where loans and grants are typically offered to you to assist with your college costs.  When you submit a scholarship check from an outside group (Community Foundation, other community groups, your parent’s employer’s scholarship program, etc.), the college may be obligated to reduce your financial aid package (need-based scholarships, subsidized and unsubsidized loans, work/study, and grants). According to College Board: “If all the aid you receive — outside scholarships, financial aid from your college, and government grants and loans — ends up being $300 or more above your calculated need, the federal government requires your college to reduce the amount of need-based financial aid it awards you.”  Each college handles the reduction differently. Please contact your college’s Financial Aid office to get their help in making this work as well as possible for you.

If you received a scholarship that requires attendance at a specific school or for a certain major and you decided on a different school or major, the scholarship will no longer be available to you. If you complete the year in which the scholarship was paid, then decide to change your school or major, we will not require repayment. However, if you have a renewable scholarship that requires a certain college or major, future payments will not be paid to your school.

If you received a scholarship that has no requirement for attending a specific school, you need only to notify us about the college you have chosen. In most cases, we will see the school you will be attending when you send us the fee statement that releases your scholarship  check. If it does not, please note the school you are attending.

Many of our scholarships do not have a requirement to attend a specific school or remain in a certain major. If you are unsure, please contact Juli Smith, our Scholarship Administrator, at jsmith@commfoun.com or call (937) 497-7800.

    • You will receive a scholarship renewal letter from us in the mail. Contact Juli Smith (jsmith@commfoun.com) if you did not receive a letter by July 1.
    • Sign and return the letter to us along with your fee statement and any other documents requested in the letter. Your school might call it a tuition statement, invoice, or account billing statement and it is usually found in your account within your school’s website.
    • If you have moved or changed your email address, please email jsmith@commfoun.com with your correct mailing address and/or email address.

If you have not requested that your scholarship check is sent to your college, we ask that you send us an email to Juli Smith at jsmith@commfoun.com or call Juli at (937) 497-7800 so we will avoid contacting you regarding the amount held for your schooling. If you quit school after we mailed the scholarship check, your school will likely contact us about returning to us any portion of the scholarship award that is still unused.

Yes, we have a growing number of scholarships that are available only to students in college or adults wanting to return to the classroom. The deadline for many of those scholarships are in May each year, so please review our website and apply online.