Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply for scholarship assistance through the Foundation?

Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents who are graduating seniors attending public or private high schools, and current college students who plan to attend accredited post-high school institutions including two- and four-year colleges, and business, technical, and vocational schools within the United States are invited to apply.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

Applications for the 2022-2023 school year are being accepted through February 7, 2023. Only one application needs to be completed for all scholarships administered by the Foundation. You may download your application by clicking here.

In addition to your completed application, please submit the following supporting documents by the deadline noted in the application:

  1. A signed personal essay.
    • Please include an essay that answers the following question: How have your aspirations and character been impacted by your activities, experiences, and relationships? In answering this question, your essay should include information about the following as they pertain to you: goals and plans for the future; interests and activities that you feel are significant ot your life; employment experience, including the use of earnings (if employment is through a family business, indicate whether compensation is received); and extenuating family circumstances or information including illness, job loss, or any additional circumstances.
    • It is recommended that essays are approximately 1,000 words and should be formatted as Times New Roman 12-point font.
    • Your full name should appear as a header in the top right-hand corner of each page of your essay.
  2. One letter of reference (all applicants)
    • One letter from a teacher, professor, employer, coach, club advisor, counselor or other significant adult (excluding relatives) is required. The applicant is responsible for requesting that the reference either mail the letter directly to the Foundation at the address below OR email the letter to Teresa Carvalho at tcarvalho@spfk12.org under the subject ‘SPF Scholarship Foundation Reference Letter’. Letters must be received by February 7th.
    • SPFHS applicants ONLY: The Foundation can acquire the letter directly from the guidance department IF the reference has already submitted a letter for you through the Naviance system. If not, then the applicant is responsible for requesting that the reference send the letter directly to the Foundation per the above instructions.
  3. An official high school transcript (high school applicants only)
    • You are responsible for requesting your official high school transcript to be sent directly by your high school to the address below. SPFHS applicants should follow the directions located in the back of the booklet for electronic transcript release.
  4. An official college transcript (college applicants only)
    • You are responsible for requesting your official college transcript be sent directly by your school to the address below. Transcripts must be received by the date indicated on the application. Internet-downloaded transcripts may not be accepted.
  5. Supplemental essays/letters of recommendation
    • Several scholarships require an additional letter of recommendation or essay (listed in bold in the scholarship description) in order to be considered.
    • If you would like to be considered for any of these scholarships, please indicate it in the “Additional Requirements” section of the application and include the required materials.
    • Applicants are responsible for requesting that required supplemental letters of recommendation are sent directly to the Foundation by their chosen reference. The applicant is responsible for requesting that the reference either mail the letter directly to the Foundation at the address below OR email the letter to Teresa Carvalho at tcarvalho@spfk12.org under the subject ‘SPF Scholarship Foundation Reference Letter’. Letters must be received by February 7th. References should include the applicant’s full name and the name of the scholarship in the letter of recommendation.
    • All supplemental essays must include your name and the scholarship name on each page, and should be submitted along with your application. .
  6. Submission Instructions
    • All pages of the application must be submitted; please do not staple the pages. Do not include pictures or additional materials in support of your application. Notify the Foundation of any change in your college major, school and volunteer activities or family circumstances as soon as possible. Once your application has been submitted, it is important to check your email regularly for communication from the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Scholarship Foundation. Direct all inquiries to spfscholarshipfoundation@gmail.com.
      • Mail completed application and personal letter after January 1st with adequate postage to:
        • Scotch Plains-Fanwood Scholarship Foundation, Inc., Attention: Screening Committee, P.O. Box 123, Fanwood, NJ 07023
    • Applications may be completed electronically in the PDF form, however, they must be printed and submitted to the Foundation. Applications will be received via USPS or dropped off at one of the Foundation’s in-person drop off times/locations.
    • A drop box will be located in the SPFHS guidance department through February 7th at 3 PM.
    • In-person drop offs will also be accepted on February 7th from 4-8 PM ONLY at 2 Carri Farm Court, Scotch Plains. Do NOT mail applications to this address.
    • APPLICATIONS AND ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (including transcripts) MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE APPLICATION DEADLINE TO BE CONSIDERED. Late applications will be returned.
    • Applications and all supporting documents must be received by the Foundation by February 7, 2023.
    • PLEASE NOTE: The Foundation cannot be responsible for postal delays. Applications dropped off at the post office counter are not immediately placed in our P.O. Box; they require significant turnaround time before they reach the Foundation. Please plan accordingly. Early submission is encouraged. Recent changes in Post Office service standards may significantly delay delivery of mailed applications. As such, we are also accepting in-person deliveries of applications. Please see the drop off times and locations listed above.
    • Incomplete or unsigned applications may not be considered.

How do I submit my application via the Post Office?

Applications that you physically bring to the post office counter in either Scotch Plains or Fanwood do not reach our mailbox on the same day.

Our local post offices send all mail received to a mail sorting center outside of Scotch Plains and Fanwood. This may seem counterintuitive since the Fanwood post office houses our Post Office Box. When mail is dropped off at the post office window, it takes several days for it to be post marked, sorted, and delivered to our Post Office box.

If I physically bring my application to the Post Office window on the deadline date, will my application be considered being received ‘on time’?

No. Our deadline is a received by date NOT a post-marked by date. That means the Foundation must receive your application by the deadline date.

If applications are brought to the post office on the deadline date it will be received by the Foundation long after the deadline has passed and will be considered late and ineligible for consideration. The Foundation cannot be responsible for postal delivery delays. Please plan accordingly.

What defines a “need based” scholarship?

One of our most-asked question is what defines a “need-based” scholarship and why we require evidence of financial need. While we would love to give a definitive “income cutoff” type of answer, it’s really not that simple.

There are many factors taken into consideration when determining “need”. We do not use the same formula as colleges and universities using FAFSA and/or CSS information. Family income is a large part of our consideration, but we realize that income alone may not show the entire picture.

Other factors that may be considered when determining need include, but are not limited to, family medical expenses/illness, loss of income, number of children in family/educational expenses for siblings, and expenses associated with caring for other family members.

We encourage anyone in doubt as to whether or not they may qualify to apply for need-based scholarships by including financial documentation with their application. If you do not qualify for need-based scholarships, you will still be considered for any non-need scholarships for which you meet the criteria. However, if you do not apply for need-based scholarships and/or do not supply the required supporting financial documentation, you cannot be considered for them.

Why do you need my financial information?

A number of our scholarships require evidence of financial need as part of their criteria. As such, we do require financial documentation to verify that applicants are qualified for these awards. It is our responsibility to our scholarship donors to ensure that we are selecting applicants that best meet their criteria, and verification is a part of that process. If applicants do not wish to be considered for financial need-based scholarship, inclusion of financial documentation is not necessary.

Please be assured that your financial information is viewed only by the screening committee chairperson and the president of the Foundation for the purposes of verifying financial need. No other screening committee members or board members will have access to this portion of your application. Your information is kept strictly confidential.

All applicants (those applying for need and non-need scholarships) are asked to complete the Educational Financing Information section of the application. This helps the committee understand how applicants and their families plan to finance their education.

How can I ensure that my information is private?

We appreciate the trust that you place in our organization and take your privacy very seriously. Your application is seen only by our screening committee members. Your financial information is seen only by the screening committee chairperson and the president of the Foundation for the purpose of verifying financial need. We require all screening committee and Foundation board members to sign a confidentiality agreement.

What are the requirements for the personal essay?

Our screening committee wants to get to know you, and your personal essay is a great way for us to do so! Your essay should answer the following:

How have your academic aspirations and character been impacted by your activities, experiences, and relationships? In answering this question, your essay should include information about the following as they pertain to you: goals and plans for the future; interests and activities that you feel are significant in your life; employment experience, including the use of earnings (if employment is through a family business, indicate whether compensation is received); and extenuating family circumstances or information including illness, job loss, or any additional circumstances. 

Essays should be approximately 1,000 words, however, some of our best essays have been shorter or longer than that! Essays should be formatted as Times New Roman 12-point font. Your full name should appear as a header in the top right-hand corner of each page.

Supplemental Essays
Some of our scholarships require submission of a supplemental essay and/or letters of recommendation in order to be considered. These requirements can be found in the individual scholarship descriptions. If you would like to be considered for one of these scholarships, please indicate which one(s) in the “Additional Requirements” section of the application and include the supplemental materials along with your application.

Additional Essay Information
The font for all essays should be 12-point Times New Roman font. The applicant’s name should appear on each page of the essay. Supplemental essays should also include the name of the scholarship on each page.

Who should I ask to write my letter of recommendation?

We encourage you to select a non-relative adult who knows you well and with whom you interact often, preferably from an academic, working or service environment.

We are often asked who the best person is to ask to write your letter of recommendation, and to be honest, that is an impossible question to answer.

The best advice that we can give is for you to choose someone who truly knows you and what you are about. That could be a favorite teacher, a club or service advisor, your guidance counselor, a coach, an employer, or a close family friend.

Our main goal in asking for a letter of recommendation is to get to know you better by hearing from those who know you best. Only you can determine who that might be.

The best letters of recommendation are those where there is a strong connection between the applicant and the writer of the letter which tends to make the letter more personal, so keep that in mind when making your decision.

How do I start my own scholarship through the Foundation?

We would love to help you! Setting up a scholarship through the Foundation is easy. We are happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions that you might have. Please email our president, Michelle Wyrwa, at spfscholarshipfoundation@gmail.com.

I don’t see my question listed.

We’re here to help! Please reach out to us at spfscholarshipfoundation@gmail.com and we will be happy to connect.