Table of Contents
As one of the country’s leading college financial support initiatives, the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program is one of the biggest national scholarship programs directly helping high school graduates who have met and conquered big challenges in their young lives. If you are currently in need of financial assistance to finance your higher education, you can try applying for this scholarship scheme. Find out thorough information about Horatio Alger Scholarship through the frequently asked questions in this article.
What is Horatio Alger National Scholarship?
The Horatio Alger Association is one of the largest need-based college scholarship programs. After its creation in 1984 it has awarded millions of dollars to the graduates.
What is Horatio Alger Association?
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a non-profit educational organization, was founded in 1947 to dissipate the increasing expectation among the youth of our nation that the American Dream was no longer achievable.
The Foundation bears the name of the famous author Horatio Alger, Jr., whose stories of facing hardship in the late 19th century enthralled the public with unbending determination and fundamental moral values. Through strong collaboration with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the organization’s founder, Dr. Kenneth Beebe, sought to encourage individual Americans to achieve their full capacity, thus improving the American community as a whole. They founded the Association to celebrate exceptional accomplishment by men and women as a means of reminding Americans of the endless opportunities that occur in the free-enterprise system.
The Horatio Alger Distinguished Americans Association is committed to the basic yet strong conviction that hard work, integrity and commitment will resolve all obstacles. The Association recognizes the achievements of exceptional individuals who, through hardship, have accomplished extraordinary achievement by awarding them the Horatio Alger Award and initiating them as their lifetime members. Over 700 distinguished persons from all walks of life and different career backgrounds have been awarded the Horatio Alger Medal and lifetime membership of the Association since 1947. There are presently over 300 Living Members, including ten Canadian Members.
Members of Horatio Alger empower ambitious young people with the requisite opportunities and encouragement to conquer obstacles and fulfill their goals by higher education. Thanks to their dedication, the Association distributed more than $21 million in need-based undergraduate and graduate scholarships throughout the United States and Canada in 2019, and supports the scholars with academic counseling and mentoring programs. The Association has provided more than $175 million in college scholarships to over 25,000 qualified young people since 1984.
How many people get the Horatio Alger Scholarship?
More than 25,000 students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada have received more than $159 million in grants for undergraduate, doctoral and professional education since the launch of the scholarship programs in 1984. The Association has granted more than $2.6 million to its National Scholars in 2019, providing one of the nation’s largest private-funded, need-based financial assistance services for college students.
How much does the Horatio Alger Scholarship give?
For college tuition, fees, room and board (on-campus only), and textbooks, the Horatio Alger Scholarship shall be used.
Is there a fee to apply?
No. There are no costs available to scholarships for the Horatio Alger Association.
Where does funding for Horatio Alger Scholarship come from?
Horatio Alger Scholarships are funded by the support of the Association’s founders, Life Partners, and Friends.
Who are eligible for the scholarship?
In order to be eligible for the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, applicants should fulfill the following conditions:
- Be enrolled as a senior high school in the United States full time; usually move towards graduation in the spring / summer of 2020 with ambitions to attend a college in the United States no later than the fall following graduation;
- Exhibit a consistent willingness to obtain and complete a bachelor’s degree at a public or private accredited non-profit college in the United States (students can continue their studies at a two-year college and then move to a four-year institution);
- Demonstrate critical financial need (an adjusted gross family income of $55,000 or less is required);
- Be active in events related to co-curricular and community service;
- Show honesty and perseverance in overcoming adversity;
- Keep a minimum point average (GPA) of 2.0; and
- Be a United States citizen.
What time is the Horatio Alger Scholarship due?
The registration for a Horatio Alger Scholarship opens on August 1 and expires on October 25. The application for a Horatio Alger Scholarship is a standard application which ensures that you apply once and you will be eligible for the selection of scholarship programs the Association offers. Your submission and all necessary materials must be submitted to the online application by 5:00 p.m. on October 25, Eastern Time to be accepted.
How do I apply for the Horatio Alger Scholarship?
The scholarship application is on the Horatio Alger Association website at https://scholars.horatioalger.org/horatio-alger-scholarship-applications/. For all scholarships you must fill out one form to be eligible. You must include information on the most recent federal tax return made by your parents. There are two forms that other people will fill in. The qualification form must be filled out by the high school advisor. This form tests the accuracy of the academic records.
There is also a support form provider. An adult over 21 who isn’t related to you must fill out the form. The provider must read the information in the adversities section of the application. They must verify that it’s correct. You can choose a neighbor, a family friend, counselor, or teacher to fill out the form.
How the documents should be submitted?
All documents have to be submitted through an online database. This does not consider any papers sent by post, email or fax. There are no exceptions. Documents sent by post, e-mail or fax will be deleted for confidentiality of the claimant.
When are the winners notified?
Applicants awarded to fall will be told via January 30th via email and fax. Spring applications (January-April) will be revealed during the season. An online listing of beneficiaries will also be posted.
How will the accepted applicant receive the money?
In May each year, notifications about disbursements will be submitted to the receivers. They’ll be asked to go online at the time and register for their funds for the next year. We directly give the check to your college to be added to their account. Scholarship funds can refer to any line item in the Cost of Attendance of the beneficiaries.
Can Horatio Alger Scholarship be used at any college and for any major?
Scholars may join a four-year, full-time, non-profit public or private accredited college in the United States and follow an continuous path leading to a bachelor’s degree of undergraduate education. For the first two years of study, two-year colleges apply if the credits can be passed to an accredited four-year college or university.
No funds will be distributed by the Association to proprietary (for profit) or online colleges. Therefore if the applicants intend to attend a college for profit they will not be considered for this scholarship. To verify that their college is not a propriety institution, please go to https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search. Search for your college, and read the school description stating whether it is a public, private, or proprietary school. If you list “Proprietary” under the form of school then you are not entitled to receive this scholarship.
All recipients of the scholarship may follow any major of their choosing leading to a bachelor’s degree.
