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Scholarships

Scholarships for CUSD Graduates

The Chandler Education Foundation (CEF) is thrilled to provide nearly 100 different scholarships for our talented Chandler Unified School Distrct (CUSD) graduates. Made possible through generous donations from individuals and organizations, CEF Donor Scholarships range in value from $500 to $3,000 each, with opportunities for individual students to receive multiple awards. 

While each scholarship will have its own award criteria, students who complete the general application questionnaire will be notified through the system of all the opportunities that are available for them, based on their application information. View the full list of Donor Scholarships here. 

To apply for the CEF Donor scholarships please follow the instructions below. The application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year is 11:59pm on Sunday, March 3, 2024. 

**NOTE: CEF is aware of the FAFSA delays. The application questionnaire does not require FAFSA information for submission. The committees that review scholarships with a financial need component have been alerted to the situation. Once you receive your FAFSA SAR, please email a copy to CEF for it to be appended to your application. 

Should you have any questions, contact us by email or call our office at 480-224-3030. 


Step-by-Step Application Guide


Preparing To Apply

Before starting your CEF scholarship application form, you will need to have a few documents ready. We suggest preparing these in advance, if possible. The system will allow you to save your work before submitting so that you don't need to complete it at one time. 
 

  1. Complete and download the Information Release Approval form and have it ready to upload to your application. Note if you are under 18, your parent/guardian will need to complete this form. (See links below). 
     
  2. Download a copy of your CUSD high school transcript. This can be found on Infinite Campus under the DOCUMENTS tab. Scroll to the bottom to find your UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT that includes IN PROGRESS CLASSES. 
     
  3. Gather information about all your high school activities, including: volunteering, clubs, any awards you earned, sports, performing arts, or anything else beyond academics. Collect the names and contact information of one or two people, including a high school teacher/coach, who has agreed to provide a very brief reference for you. Note that some donors ask for an elementary school teacher as well.

CEF Scholarship Application Platform

Once you've prepared all the background documents and information, you are ready to apply for your scholarships! Note that you can begin working on your application before having the documents ready. You can simply save as you go and upload everything prior to submission. 

  1. Log on and register as a user on our Foundant Scholarship Platform.  We recommend using Google Chrome. Link not working? Copy the following into your browser: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cefscholarship
     
  2. Complete the Common Application Questionnaire. This consists of 30-40 questions designed to steer you towards the scholarships that you are most suited for. Note that, once submitted, you cannot go back and edit. Be sure to spend the time you need to share all about yourself.  You may save and return, then click edit to update each section before hitting submit.
     
  3. Have your parent/guardian complete the FAFSA form online.

    While this form is NOT required, your application will not be considered by donors who ask for financial need information without it. The FAFSA keeps your information confidential and provides a consistent way for the Foundation to measure financial need of all applicants. 

    Need Help? The College & Career Specialist at your school has information about completing the FAFSA, or additional resources are available online. 

    Once the FAFSA is complete, it will generate a Student Aid Report (SAR). Print this report for your records and redact the DRN Number. Note that the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number must be visible when scanned. Scan and save pages 1 & 2 of the SAR (once redacted) for upload to the CEF application.
     
  4. Click 'Submit' and review the scholarships listed. Some will show "Application Submitted," those have now been submitted. There's nothing more to do. 
     
  5. Based on your responses in the General Application, you may be eligible for additional scholarships. Review the scholarship opportunities listed as "Application Draft." Select each scholarship name to see supplemental questions and essay prompts. Again, you may work on each and save until you are ready to submit each independent application. 
     

The Foundant portal will allow you to see the status of your application. Once applications are received, a panel of volunteers will assist donors to read and evaluate the applications.

Expect to receive a status update by mid April. 


Thank You To Our Donors!

These scholarships are made possible though the incredible generosity of our donors. Thank you for all that you do for our students and their families! 

Chandler Education Foundation Donors

Our Impact This Year

  • Students Impacted

    44,000

  • Volunteer Hours

    21,454

  • Funds Raised

    $454,319

  • Scholarships Awarded

    $159,200

© 2024 Chandler Education Foundation

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