Am I eligible to apply if I or a member of my family are undocumented?
Yes, students may apply for the Booster Scholarship if they, or member(s) of their family, are undocumented.

Am I eligible to be nominated for the Tyler Griffin Student of the Year Award (henceforth, Ty Griffin Award) if I apply for the Booster Scholarship?
Yes, a student may be nominated for both the Ty Griffin Award and the Booster Scholarship. Students and programs will be notified about the Booster Scholarship decision by the end of Monday, April 27th. If a student from your program site is awarded the Booster Scholarship and was also nominated for the Ty Griffin Award, then the program may be granted an extension to Monday, May 4th to submit an alternate Ty Griffin Award nomination. 

Can I be awarded both the Ty Griffin Award and the Booster Scholarship?
No, students may not receive both awards.

If I do not receive the Booster Scholarship and then I am nominated for the Ty Griffin Award, will the Booster Scholarship decision influence my chances of receiving the Ty Griffin Award?
No, students will not be penalized in any other scholarship or application process if they do not receive the Booster Scholarship. The selection committee for each award will be made up of different individuals and operate independently.

If accepted, how will I receive my scholarship?
Scholarship disbursements will be sent directly to students ahead of each semester, unless the student has a special circumstance. Students will be required to provide a current mailing address where the scholarship disbursement should be sent. An alternative scholarship disbursement timeline will be determined for any student whose college operates on the quarter system.

Note: funds may not be used toward tuition or other costs billed through the college/university.

Will I be required to report the Booster Scholarship on my taxes?
The Booster Scholarship is tax-free dependent on usage. Your scholarship is considered non-taxable if used for books, supplies and other educational expenses. However, any amount of the scholarship to cover travel costs is taxable. Awardees should self-report any taxable part of their scholarship (e.g. portions used to pay for travel) as ‘Other Income’ if they are filing taxes.

If you are a full-time student, the Booster Scholarship will not likely generate a tax for you. However, you are required to file taxes depending on your filing status and age.

For example, in 2019 the minimum for single filing status (for individuals under age 65) is $12,200. If your income for 2019 was below that threshold, you generally do not need to file a federal tax return.

To determine if you need to file taxes, you can use the ITA tool from the IRS, and should refer to IRS’s publications on tax rules or call IRS at 1-800-829-1040. For 2019 taxes, Publication 501 discusses some tax rules about who must or should file, which may help you get a sense of whether or not you will need to file taxes for 2020.

If I take a break in my education (e.g. medical leave, unenroll, etc.), will I still receive my scholarship?
If a student takes a break in their education, SEA will not disperse funds for the following semester unless they have documentation showing re-enrollment. SEA may request funds be returned if the break is taken early on in the semester and has not been spent already.

If I enroll for a summer semester, will I receive a scholarship disbursement for that semester?
Yes. Students may request a scholarship disbursement for any semester during which they are enrolled in courses full-time, for up to 8 semesters total.

If I am enrolled part-time, will I receive the full $2,000 scholarship disbursement for that semester?
It depends. If students are not enrolled full-time (e.g. half-time or part-time), they must notify their program and SEA and may receive less than the $2,000 scholarship disbursement for the semester.