UPDATES:

  • NEW Application Deadline March 15

  • FAFSA/SAI Score now optional at application stage (still required from finalists after they are selected)


Interested in a $40,000/4-year scholarship?

Apply for the AKERSON Family Foundation Scholarship! Application Available HERE

SCHOLARSHIP:

The Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship is a four-year renewable scholarship worth up to $40,000 awarded annually to a select group of first-generation, college-bound seniors from Arlington (VA) Public Schools, Alexandria City (VA) Public Schools, or Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools who demonstrate strong academic skills, financial need, and community/school engagement.

Application available HERE.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Applicant must be a high school senior graduating from Arlington Public Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools, or Fairfax County Public Schools in Spring 2024 and applying for college admission/enrollment in Fall 2024 at any four-year, accredited college/university OR any two-year community college (excluding any for-profit schools).

  2. APPLICANT MUST BE FAFSA ELIGIBLE. Scholarship application may be submitted without FAFSA information this year due to FAFSA delays. PLEASE NOTE: Finalists will be required to submit their FAFSA Submission Summary before scheduling a finalist interview.

  3. Applicant must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 (at end of junior year)

  4. Applicant must be a first-generation college student. For purposes of the AFF scholarship, a first generation student will be defined as a student whose parents have not earned an undergraduate degree in the United States.

  5. Student must have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $15,000 or less.

  6. Applicants must submit a completed Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship application by 11:59 PM (EST) on MARCH 15, 2024.

  7. Finalists must participate in an interview with AFF staff and/or board members.

    The 2023-24 scholarship application can be found HERE or paste this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/affscholars

AWARDS:

  1. Scholarship recipients will be chosen by members of the AFF Scholarship Committee based on applicant’s status as a first generation college student, academic achievement, financial need, history of school/community engagement, and their application/interview.

  2. Applicants will be notified by MID-APRIL 2024 via email if they have been chosen as a finalist for the scholarship. Finalist interviews will take place in APRIL 2024. Scholarship recipients will be notified by MAY 2024. Format of interviews will be via phone, Google Meet or Zoom.

  3. Up to fifteen (15) scholarship winners will be chosen for the 2023-24 scholarship. Each scholarship winner will receive up to $10,000 per academic year in scholarship funds (paid out in $5000 installments each semester), renewable over four years, for a total scholarship award of up to $40,000.

  4. Scholarship funds may only be used for costs billed to the student by their chosen college/university, including tuition, on-campus housing, school meal plans, and any education-related fees. Payment for summer classes and study abroad costs are eligible for scholarship payment, but such payments must be requested in advance and are subject to certain restrictions (if you would like more information, please contact the foundation at contact @ affscholars.org). Scholarship payments will be determined each semester based on balance due after other financial aid has been applied to the student’s account. If balance due is less than $5000 in a given semester, only the balance due will be paid. If the balance is zero, or there is a credit on the account, no scholarship award will be paid that semester.

  5. Each semester (by August 15th for Fall Semester and by January 15th for Spring Semester) up to $5000 will be paid by AFF directly to the educational institution on the student’s behalf.

  6. In order to receive scholarship funds, scholarship recipients must sign the AFF Information Packet, which includes a scholarship guidelines, renewal requirements, and a release statement granting AFF permission to publish student’s name, financial award, choice of college/university, and photo on AFF’s website and other media.

YEARLY SCHOLARSHIP RENEWAL:

Students must meet the following requirements in order to have their scholarship renewed:

  1. Student must be registered at a post-secondary institution and enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above per semester.

  2. Official transcripts and upcoming enrollment schedules must be provided each semester before the next payment is made to your college or university.

  3. Two consecutive semesters below a 3.0 GPA, or fewer than 15 hours completed in a single semester, are grounds for immediate loss of scholarship.

  4. If a student withdraws for a semester or takes a leave of absence, student must communicate this in writing to AFF and describe the circumstances surrounding their withdrawal. Failure to do so is grounds for immediate loss of scholarship.

  5. Scholarship recipients are expected to be good citizens of their school and their community. Any disciplinary actions at school or within the community must be reported to the Scholarship Committee within two weeks. Failure to report will be grounds for immediate loss of scholarship. Violations that have been reported to the Scholarship Committee will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but may be grounds for revocation of the scholarship.

  6. Students are required to notify AFF of any changes to their contact information in a timely manner (this includes mailing address, phone number, email address).

Applications available HERE

Questions? Email Us at contact @ affscholars.org