Each eligible application is thoroughly reviewed and scored by multiple members of the Renaissance volunteer committee. Some items we pay particular attention to are: 

• Financial need (EFC, annual household income, statement of need, number of people in household, etc.): This helps us to determine a student’s financial burden and their need for additional funding.  
• Academics (unweighted cumulative HS and college GPA, consistent/improved grades, class choices, etc.): This information helps us to select applicants who are strong students and well-prepared for college. 
• Essays (proofread, compelling content): This section allows us to see a student’s writing skills and their ability to articulate their ideas, strengths, and goals for the future.  
• Letters of Recommendation (written by people who know the student well, not a family member or friend, positive sentiments, etc.): These letters give us an outside perspective on a student’s role in their community and ability to succeed in college.
  

Transcripts tell us a bit about the student, but we find out more from essays and recommendation letters. It is important for students to pick an essay topic that reflects who they are. We love when applicants are personable and honest. Successful candidates can clearly communicate their strengths and goals, both in their written application and in an interview setting. 

The Renaissance Scholarship is a renewable award of up to $4,000 per year, based on the scholar’s unmet need for each school year. Awarded funds will not exceed $16,000 over four years. If a scholar receives a full-ride scholarship, or has less than $4,000 per year of unmet need, the Renaissance award could be reduced or rescinded. Funds will be divided equally over each academic term (excluding summer term) and will be disbursed at the beginning of the term. 

 The scholarship funds are disbursed directly to the college from The Renaissance Foundation for direct costs. Use of scholarship funds for books or other indirect educational expenses will occur at the discretion of The Renaissance Foundation and is dependent on each individual university’s policies regarding external scholarships. 

The Renaissance Scholar Program relies on each individual college to determine a student’s unmet need. It is important that students understand their school’s financial aid policies about outside scholarships to anticipate how much funding they will receive.  

Yes. All scholars in college must: 

1.  Be enrolled full-time at a 4-year university 
2. Maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA  
3. Remain in regular communication with RSP staff, sending financial information and transcripts each term as requested
4. Continue to have unmet financial need  

 If scholars do not meet any of these renewal requirements at any point in their college career, they are responsible for reaching out to Renaissance staff immediately to make a plan to get back on track. 

The Renaissance Scholars Program seeks to assist the very first child in a family to attend college because we believe that they will be a powerful catalyst for future college-going in their families and communities. We encourage applicants who do not meet this definition to look at other scholarships offered. You can find a few resources to get you started here. 

RSP defines “first-in-family” as the very first person in your family to attend college. You are not eligible for the Renaissance Scholars Program if: 

1. Either of your parents received a bachelor’s degree in the US 

2. Any of your siblings are currently enrolled at a four-year college in the US 

3. Any of your siblings received a bachelor’s degree in the US 

We recognize that families come in many different forms. We consider siblings to be biological siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, or adopted siblings who you grew up with and who are still involved in your life. If your sibling(s) does not meet that definition, there is space on the RSP application to share why you believe you should be considered first-in family. 

 If you are unsure whether you qualify, please email info@rscholars.org before applying. 

Yes! Undocumented students and students with DACA status are eligible and encouraged to apply. They must still meet the other requirements (location, GPA, first in family, and financial need). 

 Undocumented/DACA students typically cannot file the FAFSA, so these applicants will need to provide alternative documents for the finances section of the application. Oregon-based students will need to fill out and submit a copy of the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) to qualify. Illinois-based students will need to fill out and submit a copy of the Alternative Application/RISE Act to qualify. If neither of these is an option, students should reach out to RSP to learn more about the best way to submit family income information. 

 If you are unsure whether you qualify, please email info@rscholars.org before applying. 

Yes. Students who take time off between graduating high school and starting at 4-year institution may still apply for the Renaissance Scholars Program, as long as they meet all the other eligibility criteria. 

In some circumstances. We accept international students who attended high school in Oregon or Illinois. 

If you attended high school outside of the United States, you must complete a full academic year at a U.S. college to be eligible. For most students, this means applying during your sophomore year to be awarded in your junior and senior year.

In most other cases, international students who do not live in Oregon or Illinois will not qualify.  

If you are unsure whether you qualify, please email info@rscholars.org before applying.

Yes. Students are still eligible if one or both of their parents obtained a foreign degree. On the application, under the “highest education received by parent” select the option: “obtained a bachelor’s degree outside of the U.S. from a foreign university/college”. 

If your parent or sibling earned an associate’s degree, we still consider you to be first-in-family. On the application, under the “highest education received by parent” select the option: “obtained an associate’s degree”. 

In most cases, we determine financial need from a student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) listed on their FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR). Students with an EFC of 6895 or higher are typically not considered eligible unless there are other circumstances to consider (see below). Students can find their SAR by following these steps. 

If a student is ineligible to file the FAFSA, they should submit an alternative financial aid application based on their state (see “Are undocumented/DACA students eligible?” above). If neither of these is an option, students should reach out to RSP to learn more about the best way to submit family income information.  

If students have an EFC higher than 6895, but have special circumstances not represented on their financial aid report, they can submit a statement on the application explaining their situation. Special exceptions may include medical expenses/debt, job loss, or effects of a natural disaster. 

If a student’s EFC is above 10000, they will likely be considered ineligible even with a statement. 

If students have particular scenarios they wish to inquire about, please email info@rscholars.org. 

We have two separate deadlines to allow more students to apply. We use the same scoring materials for both deadlines, so one deadline is not easier than the other. If a student submits for February 1st and is not selected, they can reapply for May 1st. However, we only recommend reapplying if there was a significant change to the application (new term grades, change in income, edited essays, new letters of rec, etc.).  

Students who apply for the February 1st deadline will know if they are selected by early April. If an applicant wants to know if they are selected before college decision day on May 1st, we encourage them to apply by February 1st. May 1st applicants will know if they have been selected by mid-July. 

Please see The Renaissance Scholars Program page for application components. 

There are two letters of recommendation required for our application. We recommend sending your requests as soon as possible. It is polite to give recommenders at least two weeks. You can request recommendations before you are finished with your application. 

The first letter should come from an educational source. This is someone who can speak to your academic abilities and readiness for college coursework. You can ask a teacher, professor, counselor, principal. 

The second letter can be from any source. You want to ask someone who can write positive sentiments and can speak to your character and abilities to succeed. This letter can be from another teacher, counselor, coach, work supervisor, or mentor. You should not ask a family member or a friend to write a letter. 

If you are having trouble thinking of someone to ask, reach out to your guidance counselor and they can help you brainstorm potential recommenders. 

In SmarterSelect, under the recommendation section, it lists the name of a chosen recommender. Below their name, it will say “Request sent: MM/DD/YY.” Below the date sent, it says “Request received: ___.” If the recommender has not submitted yet, it will say “pending.” If it has been received, it will list the date and time received. Students will also receive an email alert when the recommenders have submitted their letters. 

You should confirm that you have entered your recommenders’ email addresses correctly into the system, or they will not receive the email request to submit your letter. 

We recommend sending your requests as soon as possible. It is polite to give recommenders at least two weeks before the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure your recommenders submit by the February 1st/May 1st deadline, or your application will be considered incomplete. 

Transcripts do not need to be official and should be free to acquire. You can request an electronic (PDF) copy if your school provides this option. Most colleges and high schools also allow you to access transcripts online and download PDFs from your student portal. If your school doesn’t provide an electronic copy, paper transcripts should be scanned and saved onto your computer, then uploaded to your online application. If you do not have access to a printer, you can take a clear photo of your transcript and upload that.  

If you have an special circumstance or questions please reach out to info@rscholars.org to talk about other options.  

Yes. We request all applicants submit their high school transcript, as it helps us to see a larger picture of your academic history. This is especially true for newer college students, who might only have one term of grades on their college transcript. We understand that many excellent college students may have had some academic challenges during high school. While it is nice to see a strong high school transcript, we are most interested in seeing that you have improved and challenged yourself in college.    

If you are unable to obtain your high school transcript, please contact info@rscholars.org for more information. 

Students can find a copy of their SAR by logging in to FAFSA.gov and selecting the “View or Print your Student Aid Report (SAR)” option near the middle of the “My FAFSA” page. The EFC is listed on the first page of the SAR. 

• If you filed an ORSAA or Alternative Application, upload a copy which lists your EFC.  
• If you are not eligible to file an ORSAA or Alternative Application, upload a copy of your family’s most recent tax paperwork (tax form 1040 or similar). 
• If you are not eligible to file an ORSAA or Alternative Application and your family did not file taxes, please upload a Word document estimating your household income and explaining your financial circumstances. 
• International students: Please submit your I-20 form or other financial documentation that was submitted to your U.S. college. 

On the application, look below the “select” button. Look for text that says, “Uploaded file: name_of_your_file.pdf (1 MB)” If you see this, then the document is attached. If you do not see your document name, it did not upload. The file might be too large or an invalid file type. 

After you have input all required information and uploaded all the required documents, you will submit your application. However, your application is not considered complete until both of your recommenders have submitted their letters. 

When your recommender has submitted their letter, you will receive an email (to whichever email you used to set up your account). When both recommenders have submitted, you will receive a confirmation email, letting you know that your application is officially complete and being considered for review. 

Our scholarship selection committee members read and score the applications to determine which students will become finalists. Depending on total application scores, some finalists will be interviewed by the committee, while some may be selected as Renaissance Scholars without an interview. All applicants are informed of the final decision via email.