Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility I Application Process I Online Application I Notification and Awards I Other

Eligibility [Back to top]

I am a high school student unsure which college or university I will attend. How do I complete the application form?

All Datatel Scholars Foundation scholarships are limited to students currently attending one of Datatel’s client colleges or universities. Unfortunately, high school students are ineligible for this scholarship program, unless you concurrently take courses (at least six credit hours) at one of Datatel's client institutions.

The school I am currently attending is not on the list. How do I apply?

One requirement for the Datatel Scholars Foundation is that students must currently attend a Datatel client institution. All participating Datatel client colleges and universities are shown. Unfortunately, you are not eligible for this scholarship program if the school you are attending is not listed.

What makes a college or university a Datatel client institution?

Institutions become Datatel clients if and when they purchase our administrative software solutions for this campus.

Do all Datatel client institutions actively participate in the Datatel Scholars Foundation scholarship program?

Although all of Datatel’s client institutions are eligible to participate in our program, not all of them choose to nominate students, or they may implement a “screening” process. It is the applicant’s responsibility to first check with their institution’s financial aid office regarding any specific procedures being used in addition to the completion of the on-line application form.

Are international students eligible to apply for Datatel Scholars Foundation scholarships?

All Datatel Scholars Foundation scholarship opportunities are open to students of any nationality or citizenship who are currently attending one of Datatel’s client colleges or universities.

Application Process [Back to top]

How does the evaluation process work?

The Foundation implements a two-fold evaluation process. The application life cycle exists as follows:

Students apply via the on-line application form.
Representative(s) from each participating Datatel client institution review, evaluate and nominate their top applicants (two nominations each for the Datatel Scholars Foundation scholarship and the Angelfire scholarship, and one nomination each for the Returning Student scholarship and the Nancy Goodhue Lynch scholarship.)
Nominated students then have their applications forwarded to the Datatel Scholars Foundation review committee for final consideration and awards determination.

What does it mean to be nominated?

When a student is nominated, it means their institution has selected their application to forward to the Foundation for final review and possible award selection. Applications must be nominated by their institution in order to be evaluated by the Foundation. Institutitions cannot nominate a student unless they submit a completed application by the deadline (January 31).

Where/when do transcripts need to be sent?

The Foundation requires the Financial Aid office or scholarship coordinator to mail transcripts of nominated students only. All other transcripts mailed to the Foundation under separate cover are not utilized.

What should I do with the required documentation for the Angelfire award?

All Angelfire applicants must give copies of the required documentation to their Financial Aid office or scholarship coordinator to be considered for the Angelfire award.

Online Application [Back to top]

I am an incoming freshman and don’t know my professors well enough to have them write a letter of recommendation for me. What should I do?

As per the requirements of the on-line application, all applicants must have two letters of recommendation submitted electronically from faculty or staff of the Datatel client institution they currently attend. Incoming students are encouraged to get to know their professors throughout their first semester so that a recommendation can be written. It would be wise to choose people who know you well and can attest to your academic achievement, civic involvement, and personal character.

I forgot which e-mail address I used as my user-name. How can I retrieve it?

Under the “Existing Application” link, click on “Forgot Password.” Fill in the e-mail address you think you used during the initial registration. If that e-mail was used to register, your password will be e-mailed to you. If it was not used, an ERROR message will appear: “The email address you provided does not exist in the system. Please enter the email address you provided during registration.”

Why can’t I log into my application when I enter in the correct user-name and password?

Make sure you are logging into the correct part of the site. The log-in on www.datatel.com is for administrators only. To access your application, you will need to follow the links to “Scholarship Application” from “Datatel Scholars Foundation.”

My computer freezes every time I try to type my essay into the application. How can I get it back?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to retrieve your essay unless you clicked “Save” or “Submit”. We recommend you type your essay and achievements in a separate document, save it, and then copy and paste the data to the appropriate fields of the application.

When my professor tries to submit a letter of recommendation, a message appears telling him/her that two recommendations have already been nominated. What should I do?

Occasionally, a recommender will click on the “Submit” button twice to make sure their recommendation actually went through. As a result, the system believes that your two submissions were already made. Contact scholars@datatel.com if you think this may apply to your situation.

Once a recommender submits their form, an e-mail will be sent to the applicant. Because only two letters of recommendation are required, we accept the first two submissions made. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept more than two letters.

Is there a way for me to check which professor(s) have submitted their letters of recommendation?

Once a recommender submits their form, an e-mail will be sent to the applicant stating that a recommendation has been made and who it was made by. You may also log back into your application status page to see which recommenders have submitted letters for you.

How can I obtain a copy of the letter my recommender submitted on my behalf?

Letters of recommendation remain confidential, unless the recommender electronically requests that a copy be released to the student, in which case a copy of the letter will be shown on the application status page.

Notification and Awards [Back to top]

How and when will I know if my institution nominates me?

Each participating client institution has from February 1-15 to nominate students. Once nominations have been submitted, your nomination status will be communicated to you via e-mail.

How and when will I know if the Foundation’s review committee selects me as an award winner?

The Foundation will post winner’s names and institutions on the Datatel Scholars Foundation web page mid-May. Letters of notification will be mailed shortly thereafter to winners, non-winners and financial aid offices.

What can the scholarship award money be used for?

The monies may be used exclusively for the purpose of paying tuition, fees and other education-related expenses for the academic year for which it was awarded. Disbursement of the funds can be all at once or split between semesters as your institution determines. At the conclusion of the academic year, any unused monies should be returned to the Foundation.

Do I forfeit my scholarship if I decide to transfer to another school?

Scholars who transfer maintain their eligibility if the institution to which they transfer is a Datatel client college or university. Forfeiture of award monies only occurs if you drop below six credit hours or if you transfer to a non-Datatel client institution.

When will the scholarship award money be disbursed?

A check will be issued and sent directly to your institution in early August for credit to your student account. If you believe your award has not been credited to your account by late August/early September, please contact your Financial Aid office first. The processing time and procedure for each institution varies, therefore posting dates also differ from institution to institution.

I was not nominated by my institution. Who can I contact regarding the reasons why?

Students who have questions regarding their nomination status need to contact their Financial Aid office since they are the ones who make the first level selections. Unfortunately, the Foundation office staff cannot provide application feedback.

I was not awarded a scholarship by the Foundation’s review committee. Who can I contact regarding the reasons why?

Each student who is nominated by their institution has their application materials reviewed and evaluated by a review committee. Unfortunately, the Foundation office staff cannot provide application feedback.

Are scholarships renewable?

Scholarships offered by the Foundation are not renewable. Student scholars who would like to be considered for the next academic year must go through the application and review process for that specific academic year.

Other [Back to top]

After carefully reviewing all of the eligibility requirements, I do not think I qualify for this scholarship program. Can you direct me to any other organizations I may be interested in?

More and more organizations are offering financial aid assistance to students. We recommend using an on-line database scholarship search offered by FastWeb, SRN Express or CollegeBoard to find scholarship programs you may qualify for. Understand that these searches also require additional research into each organization offering the funds to ensure eligibility requirements are met.