Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding scholarships and the scholarship process
- What resources are available for students to find out about scholarships?
- What is the difference between a Legacy Scholarship and a scholarship the Foundation/Financial Aid awards?
- What are eligibility criteria, and what tips do you have for writing an essay?
- Are all scholarships awarded online?
- Can I submit a hardcopy application instead of applying online?
- What documents are required?
- What if I can’t scan my documents?
- When are scholarships awarded? When will I be notified about the status of my application?
- When do scholarship recipients receive their awards?
- When will a recipient’s student account be credited?
What resources are available for incoming, current, and transferring students to find out about scholarships?
- Visit www.bucks.edu/scholarships.
- Visit or contact the BCCC Foundation in Tyler Hall (Room 224) on the Newtown Campus: 215-968-8224 or scholarships@bucks.edu.
- Visit or call Financial Aid in the HUB (Newtown Campus), 215-968-8200.
- Visit or call the Academic Affairs office in Tyler Hall (Room 122) on the Newtown Campus, 215-968-8048 for more information about Dean’s Academic or Legacy Scholarships.
- Contact your academic department office for scholarship information specific to your major.
- Use free scholarship search engines, such as fastweb!, School Soup, and College Resource Network especially if you are planning to enroll at Bucks or transferring to a four-year institution.
- When it is time to complete a college transfer application, it is critical to develop a well written personal essay. Click here for more information from the Tutoring Center.
What is the difference between a Legacy Scholarship and a scholarship the Foundation/Financial Aid awards?
The Legacy Scholarship Program is administered by BCCC’s Academic Affairs office. Each legacy scholarship covers in-county tuition for a three credit course. The majority of legacy scholarships are based on criteria proposed by Bucks faculty and staff, while only select ones are application based. Scholarships administered by the Foundation and Financial Aid benefit numerous student populations from all academic departments and vary in amounts. In addition, different selection committees review student applications so you are encouraged to apply for as many scholarships as you wish.
What are eligibility criteria, and what tips do you have for writing an essay?
Eligibility criteria vary greatly among the more than 100 scholarships offered at Bucks; based mainly on a donor’s intentions for the award. Your eligibility may be determined by major, grade point average, personal essay, community service, extra-curricular activities, financial need, and/or residence. In order to measure academic success at the high school level, many scholarships, especially those for incoming students or first-year Bucks students, require applicants to submit their latest high school transcript. SAT scores are not used as a criterion since Bucks is an open admissions college. However, a selection committee may review SAT scores to gauge academic progress.
Most scholarships require applicants to submit a personal essay on a particular topic. It is critical to develop a well written essay that will distinguish you from other applicants. Click here for more information from the Tutoring Center.
Are all scholarships online?
No. At the present time only academic (for-credit) scholarships will be administered through the online application system. Applicants interested in scholarships for non-credit programs should click here. In addition, community scholarships require applications to be submitted directly to another institution or organization.
Can I submit a hardcopy application instead of applying online?
If a scholarship can be applied for online, you may not submit a paper-based application.
What documents are required?
Check a scholarship’s application requirements for a list of required documents to be uploaded, such as a letter of recommendation, or to be mailed to a specific address.
What if I can’t scan my documents?
If you don’t have access to a scanner, try the library, computer lab, or any commercial printing/photocopying business that provides this service.
When are scholarships awarded? Are there different deadlines? When will I be notified about the status of my application?
We will generally contact you by e-mail or mail within four weeks after the application deadline has passed. Most scholarships either have an April 1 or December 1 deadline. Other deadlines are so indicated on the web site.
Generally, a scholarship will be credited to a recipient’s student account, unless otherwise noted, in the next semester after the scholarship is awarded. If a recipient decides not to enroll or meet the eligibility criteria, the scholarship will be awarded to another student or be returned to the scholarship fund. Scholarships can be used for tuition, fees, and/or books. If your scholarship and/or financial aid exceeds your tuition and fee charges, you may be eligible to receive a book voucher. Eligible students will receive notification via their Bucks e-mail. Please contact Financial Aid if you have any questions concerning your eligibility for a book voucher.
Some scholarships benefit a graduating student who intends to transfer to a four-year institution. In that case, a check will be mailed to the transferring institution in the recipient’s name. Finally, a small number of scholarships are directly paid to the student. Exceptions on how scholarships are awarded must be initiated by the donor.
When will a recipient’s student account be credited?
A recipient’s student account will be credited by Financial Aid the third or fourth week of a given semester, granted the student meets all scholarship criteria.