Overview

Wallin Education Partners awards college scholarships to high potential students with financial need. Awards are up to $16,000 for 4 years ($4,000 per year). Selected scholars receive personalized advising services to ensure college success.
 

Eligibility

Minimum eligibility requirements are:

• Senior at a partnering high school.
• Family taxable income of $75,000 or less with low to moderate assets (proof of income & assets required).
• Unweighted GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Composite ACT score of 19 or above.
• Applying to at least one eligible college or university. These are accredited 4-year public or private colleges in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North or South Dakota, or one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Awards must be used at one of these colleges or universities.

Selection Criteria

We review each application carefully and make our selection based on an assessment of:

1. College academic readiness. GPA, course rigor, ACT scores and AP or IB test scores are strongly weighed.
2. Motivation and leadership. We consider service and extra-curricular involvement, teacher recommendations, personal essays and feedback from school staff.
3. Financial need. We consider family income, assets and family circumstances in making financial eligibility determinations.

We are also committed to ensuring that underrepresented students succeed in college so we select at least 40%:

• Students of color
• First generation students (neither parent has a post-secondary degree)
• Males

In 2011, we had 512 applicants and awarded 129 scholarships. The number of scholarships in any given year, both between and across districts, depends on donor commitments.
 

How to Apply

Complete the online application. You do not need to complete this in one sitting – you can save your progress, exit and reenter at any time during the application period. To apply, you'll need:

• Copy of a recent high school transcript.
• Copy of your ACT test scores.
• Copies of Advance Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores (if taken).
• Copy of your parents' or guardians' 2010 Federal Tax Return or 2010 Benefits Statment(s).
• Copy of your parents' or guardians' 2011 Property Tax Statement (if applicable).
• Email addresses of two teachers willing to provide you with a recommendation (both the request and recommendation will be completed online).
• Access to a document scanner is helpful but not required.

Click here to see a sample of the entire application.

When to Apply

The application opens December 19, 2011 and closes January 27, 2012.

Final selections will be communicated in late March, 2012.