Frequently Asked Questions

You can log into your application portal here.

Please note: Before logging in, you must first activate your account using the link that was sent to your email.

A list of our partnering High Schools can be found here

We use your high school’s grading system when determining eligibility for the Worthington Scholarship. For further clarification, please contact your high school guidance counselor.

Either at your high school’s award ceremony or at your graduation. Wherever your high school announces awards and scholarships.  

No, you must start college at one of our partner colleges or universities in the fall after your high school graduation. You also must enroll in at least 12 credits going into the fall semester. If you fail to do so, you will be disqualified from being a Worthington Scholar. 

All applicants are required to complete the FAFSA. If you are unable to do so, you are not eligible to apply.

Our application portal closes on April 15th at 11:59PM.

• $2,500 per semester if attending a 4-year college.
• $1,500 per semester if attending a community college.

The WSF scholarship pays directly to your college to be added to your over-all financial aid package and can be used to pay for anything listed under the colleges’ “Cost of Attendance” (COA). Each college is required to supply their estimated COA on their websites. COA primarily includes direct costs (such as tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and dining packages) and indirect costs (such as off-campus housing, off-campus food, books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous costs). After the college processes payments from your financial aid awards (grants, scholarships, loans) for direct costs to the college, if there are remaining funds, you will receive a “refund” payment from your college in the form of a check or direct deposit. These funds are intended to help pay any indirect costs. If you believe the college’s estimated costs are not reflected of your true COA, you have the right to discuss your personal COA with your schools’ financial aid office which can result in them raising your COA if they see fit. For example, if you needed to purchase a computer in one semester, you may be able to get your COA increased by that amount in the given year. Note, raising your COA does not necessarily mean there will be an increase to your financial aid award.

Your scholarship will be sent to your school 2-4 weeks after the add/drop period. You should not be charged a late fee for our scholarship. Please contact your financial aid office if you have any issues regarding late fees.

• Notify your colleges about all scholarships you will receive. 
• If you plan to transfer schools, be sure to notify us by emailing your Scholar Advocate or creating a ticket in your scholar portal/mobile app.

If your financial aid award package exceeds your “financial need” (as determined by your annual FAFSA), you may receive a partial scholarship payment from WSF. The remaining funds are not forfeited and will be added as a “rollover” amount to your next eligible semester’s payment.  

• Earn a 2.0+ GPA per semester 
• Earn 12 credits per semester 

No, your scholarship will be automatically renewed each semester. As long as you have met all the requirements stated in your award agreement, your payment will be applied after your college’s add/drop date. Students who have not met the requirements will be contacted by their scholar advocate with next steps regarding a probationary pause on their scholarship payment.

• If you plan to take 12 credit hours or more during the summer, you are eligible to use one of your scholarship payments during the summer term. Note, like any regular semester, you must earn 12+ credits and a 2.0 GPA to maintain payment eligibility the following semester.
• If you are taking less than 12 credit hours and have unused funds from a previous semester, you may be eligible to use these funds towards your summer bill. Contact your Scholar Advocate to determine if you qualify.
• In either case, you must notify us of your plan to ensure that your college receives scholarship funding for the summer term. You may be required to provide your summer transcripts before the start of fall semester.

• If you do not meet eligibility requirements in your first semester by not earning 12+ credits or a 2.0 term GPA, you will be given our “First Year Opportunity” where your scholarship funds will be paid in the Spring term, as long as you register for a minimum of 12 credit hours. If you fail to meet requirements at the end of your second semester or any following semester, you will be placed on probation.
• While on probation, you will not receive funding. To reinstate your scholarship payments, you must complete a semester earning a minimum of 12 credit hours and a 2.0 GPA. Once an eligible term is completed, you will be removed from probation, and you will receive funding for the following semester

Yes! If you successfully complete summer or winter term credits, we will add the credits and GPA earned to the ineligible semester. If these credits earned and GPA bring your total to the minimum requirements, you will not be placed on probation and your scholarship payments will remain active. You will need to let your scholar advocate know you are taking summer/winter term credits and will need to provide them with your transcript at the end of that term.

• For example: You enrolled in 4 classes (12 credit hours) in the spring term but only passed 3 classes leaving you with only 9 earned credit hours. You then take and pass a 3-credit hour summer course. We will add the 3 credit hours from summer to your 9 hours earned in spring to give you a total of 12 credit hours. Therefore, you would not be placed on probation and your fall scholarship payment would be paid.

If you need to take time off school, you must fill out a leave of absence waiver to maintain your Worthington scholarship award. A leave of absence waiver is granted to any student who is in good academic standing (has maintained eligibility of 12 credit hours and 2.0 GPA) that needs to take time off from school or plans to intentionally enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours due to personal or medical reasons. Scholars must contact their WSF scholar advocate (Maitana or Shawna) or create a ticket in their scholar portal/mobile app to facilitate a leave of absence request. To reinstate payments, the student must notify us of their intention to return to full-time status (12 credit hours) and the scholarship will be applied immediately. 

If you will be serving in the military and need to attend training, you are eligible for a leave of absence. Please reach out to your scholar advocate to receive a leave of absence waiver.

• Please immediately inform your Scholar Advocate if you plan to transfer. If your new college is also one of our partnered institutions, you will still be eligible for funding. Keep in mind, your timeline to use funds remains 6 years from your high school graduation date and your total possible scholarship award remains $20,000.
• If you transfer to a 4-year college from a community college, your scholarship payments will increase to rate of $2,500 per semester. 
• If you are transferring from a 4-year college to a community college your scholarship payments will be reduced to $1,500 per semester. 
• As always, contact your Scholar Advocate with questions

Up to six years after your high school graduation. After six years, any unused funds will be forfeited.

• You may use your scholarship for graduate school under these conditions:
  • You have scholarship funds remaining after graduation from your bachelors 
  • You are within your 6-year timeline (you have 6 years from your high school graduation date to use your entire scholarship)
  • You will be attending one of our partner colleges/universities in Maine
• Please contact your Scholar Advocate if you would like to utilize your scholarship for graduate school.

When you transfer schools, you plan a leave of absence, you are being placed on probation, whenever you need help, or just to check-in! They are here to guide you to resources and directly help with any questions. No time is the wrong time to reach out!