Frequently Asked Questions

Endowed Scholarship Funds, to be maintained in perpetuity, require a minimum initial gift of $250,000, while Non-Endowed Scholarship Funds require a minimum initial gift of $100,000.

Yes. We will help you develop selection criteria most meaningful to you. Scholarships can support students from particular schools or geographic areas, students who will attend a certain university or are engaged in a specific program of study or activity.

You may also recommend criteria such as GPA, test scores, work experience, personal essay, or extracurricular activities be given more weight than other criteria in the selection process. The only restriction is that the selection criteria must be objective and non-discriminatory.

No. You may set up a scholarship for any educational pursuit from early childhood through higher education and beyond to adult continuing education.

No. A selection committee cannot be made up entirely of donors to the fund, related parties, such as family members, employees or the board members of an organization-supported scholarship. According to IRS regulations, donors can comprise no more than one-third of a scholarship committee. This means, for example, if two donors wish to participate on a selection committee, the committee must have at least six people.

Yes. In fact, many scholarships set up certain positions to serve on the selection committee rather than naming individuals. We honor these requests whenever possible. As an example, a scholarship for a particular high school might have a selection committee including the high school principal, two teachers and the track coach. Another might name specific people.

No. Scholarships may only be paid to educational institutions in support of the recipient.

Yes. However, if a student does not meet the minimum requirements to receive the scholarship they will still be awarded funds for the following semester on a probationary basis. Should the student not make the requirements for a second consecutive semester, the scholarship will be terminated.

We would love to facilitate this opportunity for you. Please contact Katie Kuehl for more details.

The majority of scholarships are available beginning January 15.

There is no cost associated with applying for Communities Foundation of Texas scholarships.

There are three primary deadlines for scholarships each year:
March 1
April 1
May 1

Please note: No documentation may be submitted after the application deadline, including any letters of recommendation or essays.
 

You can access the scholarship application online starting on Janaury 15.

Please note: You must complete the application in the format in which it is published (i.e. you cannot print the online application, complete it and send it to CFT).

Basic eligibility criteria are listed in the scholarship description(s) here.

Thoroughly read each scholarship program's basic eligibility requirements to identify the scholarships for which you may be eligible.

While many of our scholarships are for graduating high school seniors, others are open to students already enrolled in college or adults who want to go back to school.

There are a variety of scholarships available, including ones for part-time students and students who are likely not to receive other scholarships because of their grades. These scholarships are looking for applicants who are likely to succeed in college and are approaching their studies with purpose and dedication. Read all scholarship descriptions carefully to determine which eligibility criteria you meet and what program(s) you can apply for.

Several of our scholarships support students who choose to pursue post-secondary educational opportunities other than traditional four-year colleges and universities. Descriptions of scholarships can be found through our online application portal and should mention if a specific scholarship is available to students attending trade/vocational schools. All schools and programs must be accredited, licensed and approved by the scholarship committee.

Yes. Currently, we have several scholarships available to graduate students or other professional programs. Descriptions of scholarships can be found through our online application portal and should mention if a specific scholarship is available to graduate students or adults pursuing professional programs.

Please make sure you have completed the following required documentation online in order to initiate release of your first scholarship payment to your school:

• Terms and Conditions: It is important that you keep a copy of this, as it will provide you with a list of documentation you will be required to submit to release any future payments to your school.

• Registration: Please provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on your registration to receive the reminders of materials that are due to renew payments and so we may contact you if we have any issues processing your school's payments. Any updates to your contact information or degree plan can be sent to scholarships@cftexas.org.
  
  Note: For scholarships not found online, all paperwork may be sent to scholarships@cftexas.org.

After the first payment: If you have a multi-term scholarship (more than one payment) you will need to take action to activate future payments to your school. Generally, most students are required to submit the following documentation online, but you will need to check your Terms and Conditions to verify any different or additional items:

• Transcript: Students whose Terms and Conditions require specific GPA minimums will be required to submit a copy of their transcript at the end of each semester to initiate the upcoming semester's payment. CFT will accept screenshots from the student's online account as long as the student's name and/or student identification number are captured in the image.

• Schedule for Upcoming Semester (only required for the following scholarships: Excellence in AP Arts and Music Theory Scholarship, Henry Jackson Crook Scholarship, Stevie Ray Vaughan Scholarship and the Bridges Scholarships): Students whose Terms and Conditions require specific semester-hour enrollment minimums will be required to submit a copy of their upcoming semester's schedule at the end of each semester to initiate the upcoming semester's payment. If the student's transcript does not include this information, it can be submitted separately. CFT will accept screenshots from the student's online account as long as the student's name and/or student identification number are captured in the image. Schedules can be sent to scholarships@cftexas.org.

Thank-You Note, Progress Letter or Essay: Many scholarships require students to submit either a thank-you note, a progress letter or an essay. If this is a requirement of your scholarship, you will find content requirements and deadlines for submission in your Terms and Conditions. These can be sent to scholarships@cftexas.org and they will be forwarded to the donor of your scholarship fund on your behalf.

After the final payment: We would like to keep in touch with past recipients of CFT-administered scholarships! Send Katie Kuehl an update so we can know how you are doing.

You can send updates to your information to scholarships@cftexas.org at any time. Please make sure we have a current mailing address, home address, phone number and preferred email. This is very important because regular notifications and reminders will be sent out via email; we may also need to contact you directly by phone if we have any questions regarding your scholarship.

No, it is against the community foundation's policies to pay scholarships directly to students. Should you be awarded, scholarship payments will be sent to your college financial aid office after you submit verification of admission and enrollment.

No. However, some scholarships allow prior recipients to reapply in competition with other applicants, and some scholarships are renewable, provided that recipients meet renewal eligibility requirements. Should you be awarded, your award letter will inform you if your scholarship is renewable.

Yes, all students receiving a renewable scholarship will need to renew the scholarship via our online application portal prior to the semester in which the student intends to receive funding.

You may send them to scholarships@cftexas.org and we will forward your thank-you note to the selection committee or donor as appropriate. Be sure to include the name of your scholarship in the note.