The George Snow Scholarship Fund is nationally recognized as a leader in the administration of college scholarships primarily due to its philosophy of providing supplementary scholarship support services to all of its scholars. The Fund firmly believes that it is as important and valuable to its scholars to provide additional support services as it is to grant the tuition award. All Snow Scholars become part of the Snow Family, essentially being treated as one would treat their own son or daughter. We know that this philosophy pays priceless dividends and results in significantly higher graduation rates and the increase in the self-assuredness of our scholars.
The Fund allocates all Named Scholarship Donations in the best interest of the scholar. 100% of each Named Scholarship Donation is used to support a scholar’s pursuit of their higher education. Scholarships are used by the scholars to help pay for their college education including tuition, room & board, books and school supplies, dorm supplies, guidance and support. The exact allocation of the award is flexible and is individually designed to be responsive to the needs of each scholar.
It is the policy and practice of The George Snow Scholarship Fund to treat all candidates for scholarships with dignity and respect and to provide equal opportunity to all persons without regard to color, race, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, military status or any other category protected by law. In addition, the George Snow Scholarship Fund prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or who participates in any investigation of such reports. This policy covers all scholarship award actions, including distribution of applications, selection process and continuance of scholarship funding.
The George Snow Scholarship Fund will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship or, where doing so would cause a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual or others. This policy governs all aspects of the scholarship award process, including distribution of applications, selection process and continuance of scholarship funding. All information provided regarding any impairment will be handled confidentially to the extent allowable by law.
Candidates for scholarships with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the scholarship award process are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of the President or to the Chairman of the Board immediately so any such questions or concerns may be addressed promptly.
The George Snow Scholarship Fund is a non-profit, tax-exempt public charity under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We rely entirely on contributions from foundations, corporations, and private individuals. All contributions to The George Snow Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible. The George Snow Scholarship Fund respects the privacy of its donors and has put in place a Donor Privacy Policy to honor these rights. This policy applies to all of our donors, including those who contribute online, in person, or by mail.
Donor information
The George Snow Scholarship Fund collects and maintains the following types of donor information when it is voluntarily provided to us online, in person, or by mail:
- Contact information such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
- Giving information
- Information on events and workshops attended, publications received and special requests for program information
- Information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions
This confidential information is kept on file for IRS purposes. It is also used to analyze overall giving patterns in order to make more accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update them on the organization’s plans and activities. This information may be shared with staff, board members, and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis.
List sharing
The George Snow Scholarship Fund does not sell, rent, trade or share its donor list with any other organization. The George Snow Scholarship Fund never sends out mailings on behalf of other organizations.
Discontinuing contact upon request
It is the policy of The George Snow Scholarship Fund to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences whenever possible. The George Snow Scholarship Fund will discontinue or change the method used to contact any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization, its professional fundraiser, or other agent.
Upon a person’s (or a person’s authorized representative’s) request that The George Snow Scholarship Fund discontinue further contact, the person’s name and address will be promptly modified in The George Snow Scholarship Fund donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person.
Permanent Record: The George Snow Scholarship Fund will maintain an electronic record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts. Oral requests will be noted in writing by the staff of The George Snow Scholarship Fund and then permanently recorded in the electronic donor database. The records of persons who have made such a request will be maintained by The George Snow Scholarship Fund to the extent necessary for legal or liability purposes.
Scholarship Disbursements:
Disbursement installments are made twice annually – in the Fall and Spring Semesters of each year. We will also send scholarship disbursements for Summer classes on a by case basis. Disbursements are made only to those scholars who have met the participation requirements of the scholarship program. Disbursements are sent directly to the educational institution.
Please be aware that disbursements can affect financial aid packages provided to the student. Once an institution becomes aware of private scholarship funding (i.e., outside scholarship), it may withdraw its own institutional support for the student, effectively eliminating the benefit of the George Snow Scholarship (i.e., the institution grant is replaced by the scholarship award). The George Snow Scholarship Fund does not permit an educational institution to devalue the scholarship benefit by reason of their “displacement” policy. The George Snow Scholarship Fund will not be required to make payment of its scholarship award on behalf of a student if an educational institution reduces its institutional grant by reason of a George Snow Scholarship.
Scholars must submit a Funding Document, along with required paperwork, for every Fall and Spring Semester. This requirement applies even if a disbursement is NOT being taken for that semester. Failure to submit these documents may result in forfeiture of the scholar’s disbursement for that semester.
The George Snow Scholarship Fund disburses the total scholarship amount over the term of the undergraduate education program. If an institution’s Financial Aid Office inquires about grants to be received in the coming school year, the student should report only that amount rather than the full amount of the scholarship. This reduces any real exposure, in most cases, to potential displacement of the scholarship benefits. In the case of a large scholarship, this term of payout may not solve any displacement issue.
The student may choose to defer payment of any portion of the scholarship, even through graduate school. If payment is deferred, the student must comply with the participation requirements to receive payment. The George Snow Scholarship Fund will not make any annual distribution if that distribution is being displaced by the reduction or removal of a private or institutional grant by reason of the George Snow Scholarship Fund scholarship (to the extent that the reduction of elimination reduces the student’s benefit of the scholarship).
To resolve a potential displacement issue with an institution, please refer the school’s senior Financial Aid Officer to this policy on the Web site. Or have your Financial Aid Officer contact our office at 561-347-6799.
Disbursement Requirements:
All recipients receive their scholarships in installments over the course of their college of vocational education program. To receive each installment, the award recipient must sign and submit a Questionnaire and an Affidavit prior to funding:
- Submit a Funding Document
- Submit Proof of Enrollment (current semester schedule), Transcripts and Thank You Letter(s) to Benefactor
Summer Semester Payout
Statement of Issue: One Scholar wrote: “I was wondering if any funds would be available for summer school? I am still considering my options for this summer, and my financial situation is part of my plans.”
George Snow Scholarship Fund Policy: The answer to this question is: “Yes” – you must follow the same request for funding procedure as you have for a fall or spring semester. Please note that any funds disbursed for a summer semester will be deducted from your total scholarship award.
Statement of Issue:
Displacement occurs when a scholarship recipient is denied the “benefit” of any portion of that scholarship due to the reduction or elimination of another grant by reason of the scholarship being awarded. For example, a private college awards a grant of $10,000 and loan of $10,000 to cover the total cost of attending that college ($20,000). The student then receives a George Snow Scholarship Fund Scholarship for $10,000. Learning of this new award, the college withdraws its “grant” of $10,000, leaving the student in no better position by receiving the George Snow Scholarship Fund Scholarship.
George Snow Scholarship Fund Policy: The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s sole stated and implied objective in granting scholarships is to provide the scholars with “benefits” that place them in better positions than if they had not received the awards. It is intended that the scholar, not the institution, benefit from the scholarship.
