Question 1

Are the trainings mandatory?

Accepted Answer

While you are in high school, yes, attending all Palmer Scholars-sponsored events and trainings is required.  The trainings are thoughtfully planned to ensure that you are all as prepared as possible to continue your journey through higher education, and your presence at those trainings is a commitment that you made when you were accepted to the program.

Question 2

What happens if my GPA is below a 2.0 for a term while I’m in college?

Accepted Answer

If you receive less than a 2.0 GPA in any given term, you will be placed on academic probation.  Being on academic probation does not mean that you immediately lost your scholarship.  However, if you earn below a 2.0 GPA two terms in a row, you will lose your scholarship funding for the following term, and you will not be send more money until you raise you earn a 2.0 or greater in a term.  We do not look at cumulative GPA, but rather each term.

Question 3

Do I have to tell Palmer Scholars if I’m dropping a class, and what will happen if I do? "

Accepted Answer

If you need to drop a class for any reason, yes, we want to know so that we can be sure that you are aware of the possible complications that can cause, depending on the timing of the drop.  If dropping a class puts you under full-time enrollment for the term, you will be placed on academic probation, and the following term you will need to complete a full-time load at a 2.0 or greater to keep your scholarship.  If you lose your scholarship, it will only be for a term, until you are again performing at the academic level that we require.

Question 4

You asked me for my Student Aid Report (SAR). What is that, and why do you need it? "

Accepted Answer

Your Student Aid Report is the summary of the information that you provided on your FAFSA or WASFA application.  You can download it as a .pdf file from your FAFSA or WASFA account.  We need it each year because it shows us your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) for the school year, which we use in calculating your scholarship allocation.  We also sometimes look at it if your EFC is very different from one year to the next, so we can try and figure out if any mistakes were made on your application.

Question 5

Can Palmer Scholars help me financially beyond my annual scholarship allocation?

Accepted Answer

Possibly.  You can always ask when you have a specific need!

Question 6

Why is my scholarship check late?

Accepted Answer

This could be for many reasons, but generally, the reason is one of the following: (A) because we sent your scholarship check to your school before the school’s posted deadline, but it hasn’t been processed by your college’s financial aid department yet; (B) because you took a long time to get us all the required documentation (transcripts, financial aid award letter, completed surveys, etc.) and/or answer all our questions, and we can only move as fast as we get information from you; or occasionally (C) because we’re human and we get behind, so we simply didn’t send it on time.  Whatever the case, thank you for your patience!  If your check’s late arrival is causing you a headache at school or requiring you to pay a late fee, let us know, so we can try and make sure that doesn’t happen in the future!

Question 7

When will I know how much I’m receiving in scholarship for the year?

Accepted Answer

Everyone receives a minimum of $1000 in scholarship from us in some form, whether that’s sent to the school or allotted to you as a gift card to your college or university bookstore. Once you’ve submitted all the paperwork that we ask of you, it doesn’t take us long to figure out what you’ll be getting.  Just email or text and ask us.  Please, however, don’t ask until you’ve submitted everything we’ve asked for.

Question 8

Why do you ask us to do so much while we’re in college to get our scholarship?

Accepted Answer

The short answer? Because we care about you.  Every survey, check-in, etc. that we ask of you is something we’ve deemed necessarily to ensure that your success.  We ask for the completion of semi-annual surveys because they tell us how you’re doing, how your relationship is with your mentor, and whether you might need some extra support.  We ask for transcripts so that we can see that you’re making positive academic progress and so that we can reach out to support you if you are not.  We ask for financial aid information so that we can equitably allocate our limited scholarship funds to you and your Palmer Scholars classmates.  We ask you to meet with us when we visit your campus because we want to make it clear that we care enough to come see you, and we know that a face-to-face visit can make you feel more comfortable to open up and share the challenges you may be encountering.  We want to be there to support you.  Thank you for jumping through all of our hoops!

Question 9

Will I be removed from the program if I am offered a full-ride scholarship?

Accepted Answer

No! Our program is built on the idea that we support students financially, but also personally and academically.  We will celebrate your accomplishment with you if you receive a full ride, and we will continue to support you in other ways throughout your college experience.  You will also still be eligible to receive the minimum scholarship funding that we offer, a book stipend and personal expenses stipend.

Question 10

How do I receive my scholarship?

Accepted Answer

We will send a scholarship check directly to your college or university, and they will either apply it to the cost of your tuition or room and board, or if you already have those costs covered, they will issue you a refund check that can be used for personal expenses, books, etc.  We cannot send your scholarship check to you directly. There are tax-related reasons why your check must go through the school. Please reach out to your Scholar Engagement Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns.

Question 11

Will Palmer Scholars help me pay for graduate school?

Accepted Answer

Not at this time. This may be a future possibility, and we will be sure to let current Scholars and alumni know if and when this becomes a part of our program.

Question 12

What do I do if I can't get a hold of my mentor?

Accepted Answer

Please let Palmer Scholars know if you aren’t receiving responses for your mentor and we will try and get in touch with them.

Question 13

What happens if my mentor and I become disconnected?

Accepted Answer

Some students are concerned that if they become disconnected from their mentor that they will lose their scholarship.  Although being connected with your mentor is a required part of the program, you will neither lose your scholarship nor be removed from the program if you lose touch with your mentor.  Rather, we will have a conversation with you to discuss the reasons for the disconnect, whether it makes sense to reconnect the two of you, and whether we should consider connecting you with another mentor.  Our number one concern is what’s best for you, so should this conversation be necessary, we will determine, together, the best course of action.

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