Click on any of the categories below to find answers to common scholarship questions.
Who can apply for a Foundation scholarship?
To be eligible to apply for a BC Foundation Scholarship, you MUST:
- Plan to attend or currently be attending Bellevue College.
- Have either graduated from high school, earned a high school equivalency diploma, and/or plan to attend as an accepted BC international student using a valid student visa.
- Maintain a minimum of 2.00 or above cumulative high school GPA through Fall quarter/semester, if applying as a high school senior.
- Maintain a minimum of 2.00 or above cumulative college GPA through Fall quarter/semester, if applying as a college student.
Must I be a U.S. citizen to apply?
No. You must, however, plan to attend or are currently attending Bellevue College.
I’m not currently enrolled in college, but I have attended college in the past. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes! If you intend to enroll at BC for the coming academic year, you are eligible to apply for the Foundation scholarship.
I’m a part-time student. Am I still eligible to receive a scholarship?
Yes! Awards are available for part-time students.
If I didn’t receive a scholarship last year, can I apply next year?
Foundation scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Not receiving a scholarship in an academic year does not prevent the opportunity of applying and receiving a scholarship for future award years. However, you MUST apply each year by the listed deadline to be considered. The number of scholarships awarded depends on available funding and the qualifications of the applicants who apply.
Is the FAFSA/WASFA required for my scholarship application?
No. However, if students want to be considered for need-based and some private scholarships, they must complete the FAFSA or WASFA.
I was previously awarded a Foundation scholarship. Do I need to apply again?
Yes. Unless your award letter specifically states that you will be receiving a renewable scholarship, previous scholar recipients MUST complete the application each year by the posted deadline to be considered for future funding.
Where and how do I apply?
Visit the BC Foundation Scholarships page for more information and click on the “Apply Now” button to start your application.
When is the application open?
The 2023-24 BC Foundation Scholarship application will open in January 2023.
I can’t find my link to get back to my application. Can you help?
Yes! Please email us at scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu to request a copy of the link to return to your started application. Please do not start a new application if possible.
When I click on the “Apply Now” link to start my application, the web page won’t load. What do I do?
We recommend first checking to make sure that you are using the Google Chrome internet browser. The application portal will sometimes not load if you are using either Internet Explorer or Firefox. If you have tried the Google Chrome browser and are still experiencing problems, please contact the Foundation at scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu.
What does the application process involve?
The Foundation Scholarship Program application will be submitted using an online application. You will complete the general requirements, which include things like your contact information, your grades, and your activities and honors. You will also invite a recommender to submit a recommendation. Other sections of the application will include:
- Eligibility questions
- Several short answer questions
- Your academic plan
What should I put in the short answer questions?
The Foundation Scholarship Application has an essay style format with seven (7) short-answer questions.
These questions are your chance to share your story and give readers an opportunity to see how a scholarship would help you achieve your stated educational and professional goals. Your responses allow the reader of your application to gain the strongest feel for who you are as a person, what sets you apart from other applicants, provide evidence of your intellectual and creative achievements, and show your writing ability.
Your responses should be treated as the equivalent of a face to face interview. A well-written response adds clarity, richness, and meaning to the information collected in other parts of your application. It is also an opportunity to explain how factors outside of your school environment have enhanced or impeded your ability to maximize available academic and intellectual opportunities.
Read more about crafting well-written responses to the Short Answer Questions here.
How can I find my cumulative GPA?
Your cumulative GPA will be located somewhere on your academic transcript. Generally, it can be found at the bottom or top of your transcript. Please be sure to use the Cumulative Level GPA (CUM GPA) and not the College Level GPA (CLVL GPA) when answering questions about your GPA on the application.
How do I know if my application is complete?
The BC Foundation Scholarship application will not allow you to submit an incomplete application.
The BC Foundation will email you with confirmation that your application has been submitted. If you are experiencing issues, contact scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu for assistance.
How many recommendations will be required?
We require ONE recommendation from an individual that is well-acquainted with your character, skills, and abilities, and should be able to discuss your academic goals and progress, challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and your overall engagement with community, extra-curricular activities, and family as applicable.
How do I submit my supporting documents and when are they due?
All documents MUST be received by the Foundation and uploaded as attachments to your online application form.
NOTE: If you require other accommodations to submit your required documents, please contact the Foundation at scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu.
The online application and all required documents MUST be submitted by the application deadline.
How do you decide who gets a scholarship?
The BC Foundation reviews each application individually with assistance from Foundation Board, community, and BC faculty and staff volunteers. Among the criteria used in the selection process are:
- Academic ability and achievement: Strong academic record and academic awards and honors. We consider:
- Unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Participation in available advanced courses
- Commitment to learning
- Intellectual curiosity
- Unmet financial need (in some cases): For some scholarships, we consider applicants with documented financial need as determined by the FAFSA or WASFA. Not all BC Foundation scholarships require students to demonstrate financial need to apply and receive funds.
- Persistence: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, ability to set and remain focused on goals, and to put in the effort needed to meet those goals in the face of obstacles.
- Leadership: Ability to organize and positively influence others in school and out-of-school areas (family, religious community, sports, arts, etc.).
- Service to Others: Purposeful and meaningful commitment to others which may be evidenced by participation in volunteer/community service activities.
How many Foundation Scholarship recipients will the Foundation select?
In May 2020, 192 scholars were selected to receive a scholarship from the Foundation for a total of over $400,000. The number of scholars and total dollars awarded varies from year to year.
When will I be notified if I am awarded a scholarship?
All applicants who completed and submitted their applications online will receive notification no later than August 2023 via the email address provided on the application. In order to make sure you receive our emails, please add scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu to your safe senders’ list.
How will I receive my scholarship?
Scholarship amounts are sent directly to the BC Student Financial Services Office for processing and applying to your student account to cover your tuition and mandatory fees each term.
Can I use my scholarship funds to pay for books?
In some cases, a portion of your scholarship funds may be used to purchase books in the BC Bookstore. If after all tuition and mandatory fees have been covered in full by your scholarship funds for the term, any remaining funds can be used to request a Book Voucher for use in the BC Bookstore. Click here to learn more about this process.
What if I already paid for my classes? How do I get that money back from my scholarship?
Each quarter, if you have been selected as a scholar, your scholarship funds will first pay any tuition and mandatory fees that you may owe to the college. If you had previously paid for your tuition charges, a refund will be issued to you via BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc., which will send it to you according to the refund preference you selected through BankMobile Disbursements.
How many credits do I have to take each quarter to receive the scholarship?
Generally, scholars must enroll in 12 or more credits each term in order to receive your scholarship funds. If there are circumstances preventing you from being enrolled full-time for the term, please send an email to scholarships@bellevuecollege.edu with the following information:
- How many credits you will be taking and for what term,
- The reason you will be enrolled less than full-time, and
- If you will be enrolling less than full-time for multiple quarters, please include the above information for each term you expect to be enrolled less than full-time.
Once your email has been received, your request will be reviewed and you will be notified if additional information is needed and/or whether your request has been approved.
What if I can’t attend one quarter? What happens to my scholarship?
Once you have started your academic year, we expect that you will attend each academic term (not including summers) during the year for which your scholarship was awarded. If special circumstances make it necessary or advisable for you to leave college for a period, you must immediately notify the Foundation by email and explain the reason for your leave of absence and the date you will return. If you do not return at the end of the approved break in enrollment, your scholarship will be terminated.
Is my scholarship continuous/renewable?
No, unless specifically stated in your scholarship award notification email. Most Foundation scholarships are awarded for one academic year and are not automatically renewed for the following years. However, scholars are encouraged to apply for the next year’s scholarship application and may do so every year you anticipate attending BC.
If I am selected as a BC Foundation Scholar, what would be expected of me?
During the summer before you receive your scholarship funds, you will be contacted by the Foundation with information about what to expect as a Foundation Scholar and what will be required of you over the course of the year. Foundation Scholars are required to attend the annual Donor & Scholar Reception in November of each year you receive a Foundation Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation expects scholars to communicate and work closely with the Foundation as requested. Lastly, the Foundation also expects scholars to:
- Remain in good academic standing, as defined by the Bellevue College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
- Act with honesty and integrity.
- Demonstrate character and leadership.
- Be concerned about and engaged in their community.
- Maintain a good disciplinary record.
- Work cooperatively with Foundation staff.
These responsibilities are outlined in the Scholar Agreement, which each selected scholar is required to sign before receiving their funds.
Do I automatically lose my scholarship if my cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0?
No. If your cumulative GPA is below 2.0, you must work with your academic advisor and/or the financial aid office to develop a plan with strategies and resources that will help you improve your GPA. This plan might include an increase in the frequency of meetings and communications with your academic advisor, tutoring, study groups, or other support services.
Can my scholarship be applied to summer classes?
No. The Foundation Scholarship program does not provide summer funding for recipients. Please be sure to contact the Student Financial Services Office for more information about paying for summer courses.
What happens if I have unused funds from my scholarship? Can I receive them in another quarter?
No. Your scholarship is for the academic year in which it was awarded. If your scholarship is paid partially, or in full, it will count as one of the three quarterly paid awards allowed for each recipient. Any unused portion of your scholarship will be returned at the end of the academic year.
Where does the Foundation receive its scholarship funds from?
The Bellevue College Foundation Scholarship program is funded by generous donors that include community members, corporations, alumni, and BC faculty, staff, and students.
If students do not claim their scholarships, does the money go unused?
Most years, some scholarship funds go unused due to non-enrollment or change of circumstances that prevent the recipient from using their scholarship. Each year, the Foundation makes an effort to re-award those scholarship funds by selecting additional applicants from the same year they applied. If no students are eligible or if the funds are returned too late, unused funds will be re-awarded in future application years.
Last Updated December 29, 2022