Stamford Dollars for Scholars-How to Apply for Scholarships

Application Deadline: March 31, 2023

** If at any time you have questions about the application or scholarships available, contact Amineh Farzannia, at afarzannia@sd4s.org

** If at any time you need technical assistance with the application, please contact Scholarship America's technical support by clicking on the grey "Support" button on the bottom left of each screen.

Step 1: Register

  • Scroll down and click the maroon button that says "Click to Login".​
  • Next, click on the "Don't have an account yet? Create one here."
  • Search for your high school and then click "Choose This School."
  • Fill in all of the Basic Information fields with the required information.  MAKE SURE YOU USE A VALID EMAIL ACCOUNT THAT YOU CHECK OFTEN.  DO NOT USE YOUR SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS - THESE ADDRESSES OFTEN HAVE STRONG SPAM FILTERS AND DO NOT ALLOW OUTSIDE EMAILS. 
  • Read the terms and conditions and check the box to agree.
  • When you are finished, click "Submit."
  • After submitting this information, an email will be generated that contains your login information. If you do not see this email in your inbox within a few minutes, please check your junk/spam folders. If you did not receive this email, please click on the grey "Support" button on the bottom left of the login page to request your login information.

 

Step 2: Fill out the Application

  • Log in to the application page through our website portal on the "Students and Parents" tab or the public portal https://public.dollarsforscholars.org/ using your email and the temporary password you were sent. Change your password and write down in a secure place. This will allow you to fill in the information needed to apply for scholarships.
  • Once logged in, click on the "Work on Profile" button to get started.
  • Each section on the left under My Information must be clicked on and filled out. You will be taken to the first section of your profile. You must complete all the double starred (**) items in order to submit the form. All other items are helpful in matching to scholarships, but optional.
  • Notice the progress bars under My Information. The color next to each section of the profile indicates the level of completeness of that section.
  • Be complete and accurate. This will lead to more scholarship opportunities.

 

Directions for Specific Sections:

  • Basic Info:  The county should be listed as Fairfield.  School District- type in Stamford.
  • Additional Info: A photo is not required at this time
  • GPA- Enter your Weighted GPA as per on your transcript.
  • Class Rank- Ask your Guidance Counselor how Rank is calculated  
  • Test Scores- If you have taken the SAT or ACT, please report your scores here.  Even if you did not report them to test optional schools, we require you to report them.
  • Activities:  List all of the activities (both through the community and your high school) that you have participated in since the 9th grade. List each activity separately. * Note that these activities are subject to confirmation from your guidance counselors.  If it is proven that you did not perform in these activities or hold said titles/roles, your application will be voided and you will not be allowed to apply for any scholarships.
  • Awards- List all awards you have received!
  • Documents:  This section is not applicable. You do not have to upload any documents. 
  • Parent/Guardian Info: If you are under 16 you must have parental consent to apply for scholarships. Follow the instructions.
  • Financial Info: Stamford Dollars 4 Scholars requires the completion of financial information in order to be eligible for need based scholarships. This information is the same as on the FAFSA forms you would have completed for college applications.

If using EFC: Please enter your FAFSA EFC on the Financial Info page and check whether your Student Aid Report said you were Pell eligible. This information is found in the Student Aid Report (SAR) you received after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

  • Essays:  There are 2 essays in this section.  The first is titled "Goals and Aspirations" Essay and its completion is required for a scholarship.  It should be no more than 500 words.  You can write your essay in a Word Document, then copy and paste it to the box.  The second essay is titled "Unusual Circumstances" (also 500 words max).  While you may not think you have experienced anything "unusual", you probably have had an experience unique to yourself which affected your achievement in school, work or community, or choice in career path. 
  • Transcripts Transcript request:  You are required to have a Transcript uploaded by your guidance counselor.  When you click on the "Add School Official Information" button, a box will appear for you to add the contact information.
  • Primary Reference: Please follow the same process outlined above to enter the contact information for your Primary Reference. Please send this request to a teacher, coach, or employer who knows you well. This reference may not be completed by a family member.   You should make sure that your reference knows you have requested this and you should complete this step at least three weeks before the deadline of March 31 to allow time for your reference to complete his/her recommendation.

 

Step 3: Search for Scholarships

  • Our scholarships will be available on February 3, 2023.  You will not be matched to any of our scholarships before that date but you may search for and apply to other scholarships available through Scholarship America.
  • On your dashboard page, look under the Yellow bar:  My Scholarships.  Click the button "Search for Scholarships". 
  • Answer all custom eligibility questions, if any, that appear.  These questions are used to help verify your eligibility for scholarships.
  • On the My Scholarships page, click the "Verify Eligibility for All Scholarships" button to search for scholarships you are eligible to apply for. All scholarships you are eligible for will appear in the box below the button.
  • Some scholarships require additional information from you before you will be able to submit. This will be indicated by an active Questions or References button. Click on the active buttons, complete the information and the "Apply" button will activate. If the Questions and References buttons are not active on a matched scholarship, no additional information is required.

 

Step 4:  Apply for Scholarships

  • You MUST click the "Apply" button next to each scholarship you are matched to in order to be eligible to receive that scholarship.
  • Be sure to check the "My Scholarships" and "My Opportunities" sections often as scholarships open and close all the time.