Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible for this award, you must:

• Be a current high school senior or college freshman, sophomore or junior and enrolled or plan to enroll (in the case of high school senior) in college/university as a full-time undergraduate.
• Be a dependent child of a Foreign Service employee who is an American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) member. The AFSA member must be or have been an employee (active duty, retired, deceased, and/or separated) with a foreign affairs agency as defined by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Department of State, USAID, USIA, USAGM, FCS, FAS or APHIS).
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75
• Demonstrate financial need

Children of the AFSA Scholarship Committee are ineligible for AFSA awards or scholarships.

Where do I apply?

To apply, you will need to visit the Community Force account login page by clicking here. If you do not already have an account with Community Force, you can create one there.

You must complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) in order to complete this application. Once your form is processed, you’ll be able to review your FAFSA Submission Summary which will include your SAI (Student Aid Index) which is required for the AFSA Financial Aid Scholarship.

When is the application deadline?

April 18, 2025

What is the Program timeline?

• Application Opens: December 13, 2024
• Application Deadline: April 18, 2025
• Scholarship Recipients Notified: June 2025
• Scholarship Checks Issued: by August 2025

What are the selection criteria?

Applications are ranked according to the Student Aid Index on the FAFSA Submission Summary. The AFSA Scholarship Committee then apportions available funding to those applicants with the greatest documented financial need.Decisions of the selection committees are final and are not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.

What are the details of the award?

• Scholarship amounts vary. Scholarships will be awarded annually and are not renewable.
• Students may reapply each year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
• Students may transfer from one institution to another and retain the award.

Is this scholarship renewable?

No. This scholarship is not automatically renewable. You may reapply as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. The scholarship will be awarded for no more than 8 semesters per applicant.

Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?

If you do not know where you are going at the time of application, you may list “undecided”. If you are selected for a scholarship in early summer and do not yet know where you will be attending, please provide the Bursar information for your most-likely selection and email AFSA at scholar@afsa.org to make us aware.

How do I change my college choice?

Before your application is submitted you may logon and make the change under the Academics section. If your application has been submitted please email scholar@afsa.org to make the change.

What are the DOs and DON’Ts of uploading documents to my application?

DO:

• Upload in the correct file format.
• Only upload the requested documents.
• Ensure your name displays on the uploaded document
• Ensure your documents are accessible (e.g. not password protected)
• Black out any Social Security numbers on the documents you are uploading. This is not required, but advised.

DON’T:

• Upload more than the requested documentation.
• Upload a document stating you are mailing your documents.
• Assume the required document does not pertain to you. If the application states the document is required, your application will remain incomplete if you do not provide that document.
• Password protect your uploaded documents. Password protected documents will be rejected.
• Upload any file that has a viewing expiration date.

Where and when should I send my supporting documents?

The required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may not be considered. Documents that meet the criteria required for the scholarship application, and are uploaded by the deadline, will be processed and considered on time.

How and when will I receive notification?

• Notifications are sent to recipients and applicants not selected to receive an award via email by June. For recipients, an acceptance link will be displayed on the home page following the notification.

Note: Your email address will only be used to communicate with you about your scholarship application AFSA. We will not provide your email address to any third parties.

What are my responsibilities if I am chosen as a recipient?

• You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded, and continue the entire academic year without interruption.
• Verify the bursar address to ensure that your scholarship check(s) is delivered to the proper office at your institution with its attached instructions, and notify AFSA should your check not arrive within 90 days of the issue date.

Can and should I thank the donors who made my scholarship possible?

Yes, we strongly encourage you to do so. Please contact us at scholar@afsa.org for contact information for your specific scholarship supporter(s).

May I defer my scholarship?

Financial Aid Scholarships are not deferable but applicants can re-apply the following year if the eligibility criteria is met.

How and when are checks issued?

Checks will be issued in early August to the institution the student has chosen to attend. Please be on the lookout for any email communication from AFSA during that time frame which may require a response confirming information previously provided such as student ID number, institution mailing address, etc.

Are scholarships taxable?

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against his or her scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance. You may also click here to consult IRS Publication 970 for further information.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?

Contact AFSA at scholar@afsa.org.