Federated Challenge Scholarship

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Background

Thanks to the generosity of Federated Insurance and the Federated Challenge, we are offering a scholarship for current and former Littles and High School Bigs to attend a non-four-year education that focuses on obtaining an apprenticeship, certificate or associate’s degree.

This scholarship, for up to $5,000 per year, is for students to attend a non-four-year education or training program at an accredited Minnesota postsecondary school that focuses on obtaining an apprenticeship, certificate, or associate’s degree. Funds may be used for tuition, fees, books, and other necessary expenses related to the particular program or training (e.g. tools, materials, cookware, etc.). Awards will range from $1,000-$5,000, and will be evenly distributed between the 2 semesters immediately following the application deadline. For example, if a student applies and they receive $1,000, they will get $500 of their scholarship the following fall semester and the remaining $500 for the next spring semester.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Federated Challenge Scholarship must:

Be a current or past Little Brother or Little Sister or High School Big Brother or Big Sister for a minimum period of 18 months prior to the application deadline date
Have been matched through one of the Minnesota Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies: BBBS Twin Cities, BBBS of Central MN, or BBBS of Southern MN
Be a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident status
Have attained a high school diploma or GED (or will have graduated prior to the fall 2024 term)
Be enrolled or plan to enroll part-time or full-time in a non-four-year program at a trade, technical or community college, or another accredited Minnesota postsecondary school to obtain an apprenticeship, certificate, or associate’s degree
Have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)
Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please note this scholarship is not based on financial need, so if you do not qualify for free or reduced lunch, you are still eligible to apply for this scholarship if you meet all other criteria.

Award

A scholarship between $1,000-$5,000 will be awarded for one year of education after high school. Students have the opportunity to annually renew, if the applicant has positively represented BBBS as a scholarship recipient and is able to show documented academic progress. The award will be paid to the educational institution on behalf of the student.

Award recipients will be required to:

Turn in all paperwork as requested by BBBS
If possible, attend the Federated Challenge Gala in July 2025. Official date, TBD.
Connect with the College and Future Readiness Coordinators at your BBBS agency at least once per semester
Volunteer two hours with BBBS during the 25-26 scholarship year
Attend the Federated Scholarship Information Session in July 2025.

Application materials required:

Submit this online application by Saturday, November 30th at 11:59 PM: Make sure you read through the whole page before starting.
Unofficial High School or College Transcript
At least one Letter of Recommendation (this can be from a teacher or counselor, your Big, an employer or a community member such as a coach, mentor, faith leader, etc.). You are welcome to submit more than one as well.
(Submit later at the end of December) Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) confirmation email: Specifically, the document regarding the expected family contribution (EFC.) Please connect with the College and Future Readiness Coordinators at your agency directly if you are unsure of how to obtain this document.

Contact Information and School Details

Student Information

First Name

Last Name

Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

Phone

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip/Postal Code

I am a:

Gender

Are you a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?

Ethnicity

Are you a current or past Little Brother or Little Sister of at least 18 months as of the application deadline?

Are you a current or past High School Big Brother or High School Big Sister (site-based program) of at least 18 months as of the application deadline?

Have you previously been awarded and accepted this scholarship?

Are you a first-generation student?

Respond with "yes" if your parents have not completed a 4-year degree. Respond with "no" if you parents HAVE completed a 4-year degree. Respond with "NA" if you are unsure.

Parent/Guardian Information

First Name

Last Name

Phone

Relationship to Student

High School Information

High School Attended

Location

Graduation Date

Self-Declared School Information

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.00 scale

GPA Type

Postsecondary School Information

Name of Postsecondary Institution

Location

Year in school for 2024-2025 academic year

Type of school

Enrollment Plan

Expected College Graduation Date (ex: May 2025)

Degree

Major or Anticipated Area of Study

Essays

Essay Questions: Please write a minimum of 250 words per prompt.

We recommend that you type your essays in a Word or Google document first to check for errors and their length before pasting them in your application and submitting it. Please make sure to thoroughly describe your experiences with full sentences. We are looking for a minimum of 250 words per question.

For First-Time Applicants Only: Describe how your experience in the BBBS program has impacted your life. For Returning Applicants Only: Explain any challenges you had this year in school and how you overcame them.

Share a passion/interest/cause that is important to you and how it connects to your academic interests and future goals. Describe this passion/interest/cause and why it holds significance for you. What experiences or lessons have you gained from this passion/interest/cause? How has this passion/interest/cause helped you build a sense of community or belonging? How do you plan on engaging with your future plans?

Describe your current educational and career plans and how they have been influenced by your classes, extracurricular activities, or life experiences.

Tell us specifically how you plan to use the scholarship funds. For example: pay tuition, buy books, go from part-time to full-time, or take more classes. If your academic program requires the purchase of additional supplies (e.g., cookware, cosmetology kit), please list them here, as well as their costs, and include supporting documentation. Additionally, please share any special circumstances that you would like us to consider that may have an impact on your financial situation (e.g., loss of employment, change in housing status).

Required Documents

Most up to date transcript

Recommendation Letter

Recommendation Letter (optional)

FAFSA Confirmation Email. Must include Expected Family Contribution [EFC] AND Pell Grant eligibility/estimated Pell Grant amount. If you haven't completed your FAFSA, please screenshot and upload what you have so far. PLEASE NOTE: A scholarship amount will not be determined until your FAFSA is complete and we have received the required paperwork listed above.

If submitting documents AFTER the deadline of 11/30/24, please email Sorena Yang at syang@bigstwincities.org

Additional Supporting Documents if needed

By submitting this application, I hereby grant Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities (BBBS) permission to use my name and likeness in photograph(s)/video in any and all of its publications and in any and all other media, whether now known or hereafter existing but including online social networking sites, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other, similar sites. I will make no monetary or other claim against BBBS for the use of the photograph(s)/video.

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