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Required Items

Eligibility

Eligibility

  • Be from a low-income household or demonstrate financial need

    • Low-income limits are determined by HUD. See current limits here

  • Be 15-25 years of age as of 3/31/2024

  • Be a resident of:

    • a Hearthstone Housing Foundation property or

    • a county where a Hearthstone property is located​

  • Be one of the following during the 2024-25 school year: 

    • a full-time high school student requesting support for any of the following: 

      • college preparation courses

      • fees related to the college application process

      • other academically enriching activities 

    • a full-time undergraduate student attending a college, university, or vocational school​ in the United States

      • Please Note: Funds may not be used for graduate studies or studying abroad​​

  • Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for current high school students or a 2.75 GPA for current college students

  • Be available for a phone interview in May or June 2024

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Personal Statement

Your personal statement should supplement the information you have already provided on your application and allow the committee members a greater understanding of the experiences that have shaped you, your growth and your academic and professional goals.

 

Your statement must include:

  • Your goal(s) – either personal, professional, or academic

  • Your plan to achieve your goal(s)

  • How the scholarship funds awarded by Hearthstone Housing Foundation will be used

  • The steps you have already taken towards your goal(s) – for example relevant extra-curricular activities

 

The committee will be reviewing your personal statement for the above as well as your overall writing quality. Additionally, you will be graded on how well you demonstrate:

  • Community-Mindedness

  • Persistence / Overcoming Obstacles

  • Initiative / Leadership

  • Financial Need

 

Formatting: Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disqualification.

  • One page, single-spaced, with one-inch margins

  • Typed in 12-point Times New Roman font

  • Include your name in the top, right corner

 

Please note: If you are a renewal applicant, you must submit a new personal statement that incorporates your growth and experiences over the past year. Submitting a copy of last year’s personal statement will result in automatic disqualification.

Personal Statement

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Rec

You will be required to submit two (2) letters of recommendation written by professional or academic references. Common references include teachers, employers, coaches and club advisers.

 

Formatting: Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disqualification.

Each letter of recommendation should:

  • Not exceed one page in length

  • Be signed by recommender

  • Be dated after 3/31/2023

  • Be written on letterhead or include recommender’s verifiable contact information

 

Your letters of recommendation may be submitted: 

 

Online

You may submit each letter directly through your online application portal in .pdf format

 

By Mail

If your recommender prefers to keep the letter confidential, they may submit it via mail, postmarked by March 31, 2024, to:

Hearthstone Housing Foundation

Attn: Scholarship Committee

1401 Dove St, Suite 620

Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

By Email

Your recommender may also choose to submit the letter via email, no later than March 31, 2024 to:

scholarship@hearthstonehousing.org

 

Please note: If your letter is being submitted by your recommender by either mail or email, you must complete and upload this agreement to your online application.  

 

Please note: If you are a renewal applicant, you must submit new letters of recommendation. Submitting copies of last year’s letters of recommendation will result in automatic disqualification.

Tax Return

Tax Return

In order to verify your financial eligibility for the scholarship, please submit a copy of your household’s 2022 federal income tax return(s) - i.e. IRS Form 1040. Please feel free to redact social security numbers and other sensitive information prior to submission.

 

Please note: If you/your household did not file a 2022 tax return, please contact us at 949.553.9447 x203 to determine what other documents may be submitted to verify financial eligibility.

FAFSA Student Aid Report

(or equivalent)

FAFSA

Please upload a copy of your Student Aid Report from either your FAFSA or state Dream Act application. You can find your Student Aid Report by logging back into your FAFSA or Dream Act application after it has been submitted.

 

Please note: If you are not eligible for the FAFSA and your state does not have a Dream Act (or comparable) application, please contact us at 949.553.9447 x 203 to determine what other documents may be submitted to fulfill this requirement.

 

Please note: If you are not eligible to file for the FAFSA as you will be attending High School during the aid year, please upload a letter stating this to close out the task.

 

Links:

Supplemenal
Transcript

Official Transcript

Please provide a copy of your official transcript. In order for the committee members to get an understanding of your academic history, your transcript must include three (3) semesters worth of information. You may provide transcripts from multiple institutions if needed. For example, college freshmen may also need to provide their high school transcripts. 

Please Note: Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted. 

 

Transcripts may be provided:

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By Email:

If your school offers the option for electronic delivery, please have the official link sent by March 31, 2024 to:

transcripts@hearthstonehousing.org

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Please Note: This email is to be used for official links only (ex. Parchment Exchange, eSCRIP-SAFE, Student Clearing House, etc). We are unable to accept scanned copies of transcripts sent via email by applicants.  

 

By Mail: 

You or your school may send your sealed official transcript, postmarked by March 31, 2024 to:

Hearthstone Housing Foundation

Attn: Scholarship Committee

1401 Dove St, Suite 620

Newport Beach, CA 92660

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Please Note: Your application will not be considered complete until you have received confirmation that your transcript has been received and added to your application. Confirmation will be sent via email from noreply@smapply.io. 

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Supplemental Materials

(optional)

You will be provided a space to attach a résumé, C.V. or any other supplemental materials relating to your extra-curricular activities which you would like the scholarship committee to review. This is not mandatory.

Phone Interview

Interview

If your application is selected to move forward, you will need to be available in May or June 2024 for a phone interview with a member of the scholarship fund committee. Interviews will last approximately 15-20 minutes and include questions regarding your:

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  • Application

  • Academic Experiences

  • Personal and Professional Goals

  • Extra-Curricular Involvement

  • Financial Need

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