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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is eligible to apply for an award?
Young men and women of proven scholastic ability who are in their senior year of high school and desire to obtain higher education are eligible.
Students must be in the upper half of their graduating class and reside within the boundaries of the North Penn School District.
Where does the money come from?
Our funds come from two sources: an annual fund drive and a Trust Fund.
Each year, the NPASFA solicits contributions from local businesses, industrial firms and individuals.
Many contributors have loyally supported the fund for numerous years and offer much support.
Individual contributions, both small and large, are received and it all adds up to a great community effort for the best investment a community can make . . . its youth.
A Trust Fund was established in the 70's and has been growing ever since.
Each spring, the Scholarship Board determines the amount of Trust Fund dollars which will be added to the year's contributions and awarded to the recipients.
Are the contributions to NPASFA tax deductible?
Yes. Your contributions to NPASFA are tax deductible (50% deductibility limitation) under the IRS regulations.
Exempt status for any organization can be checked on the IRS web site
Click on Search for Tax Exempt Organizations.
In "Search By" field, select Organization Name and enter North Penn Area Scholarship Fund Association in "Search Term" field.
Who administers the Fund?
The Trust Fund is managed by PNC Advisors, a member of the PNC Financial Services Group. The operation of the scholarship fund is provided by volunteers from the community at large and representatives from the various schools, service clubs, and organizations.
How is submitted personal information handled?
All information is kept confidential and is used for the sole purpose of determining eligibility.
Procedures have been established which ensure both anonymity (fairness in selection) and confidentiality.
Upon receipt of application, a number is assigned by the Awards Committee Chairman.
The Chairman enters the pertinent information from Part 1 of the application into a database.
The applicant name on Parts 2 and 3 of the application is replaced (on a copy of the original) with the number assigned.
Part 2 is reviewed (anonymously) by the awards committee for the purpose of ranking the applicant's civic service, awards / honors and evaluating unusual circumstances.
The match up between assigned number and applicant name is done by the Awards Committee Chairman after the scholarship recipients have been determined by the awards committee.
Financial information (FAFSA SAI) is not examined by any committee member (see next FAQ).
'Who reviews my financial information?
To protect confidentiality within the community, financial information (FAFSA Submission Summary and SAI) is not examined by any committee member.
The NPASFA uses the services of a local university's Director of Financial Services to review and rank financial information.
The FAFSA Submission Summary, after receiving an assigned application number, is forwarded to the Financial Services Director.
Returned to the Awards Committee Chairman is a list of application numbers sorted by financial need.
The universities to which I am applying require the ACT standardized test instead of the SAT.
To apply, do I have to take the SATs if I'm also taking the ACTs?
No, the NPASFA will accommodate applicants who take the ACT tests in lieu of the SATs.
In order to rank applicants by total scores, the ACT scores will be converted to a comparable SAT score using an ACT - SAT Comparison Chart.
The universities to which I am applying do not require the SAT or ACT standardized test to be taken.
To apply, do I have to take either of these tests.
No. The NPASFA will accomodate applicants who do not take either the SAT or ACT. In order to rank the applicants, a SAT "score" is assigned to the applicant which
is based on evaluation of other academic factors such as classes taken, grades and GPA.
How do I apply for the FAFSA?
A completed FAFSA application is required in order to apply for our scholarships. The FAFSA application opens every year on October 1.
Be sure to apply early to get the best financial aid package. Aid money is finite and is often given first come first served.
The NPASFA scholarship application deadline is March 1, so plan accordingly.
File your FAFSA electronically at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
March 1 is only a couple of days away and I have not received my transcript. What should I do?
Immediately complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the on-line Application regardless of missing Part 3 attachments (transcript). Part 1 and 2 of the Application must meet the March 1 submittal deadline in order to be considered. An additional one or two week grace period will be granted for submitting the Part 3 documents -- the deadline for these pieces will communicated via an email receipt acknowledgement. Subsequent failure to meet this communicated deadline will result in application rejection.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE in a bigger and brighter way through efforts and contributions of the North Penn area community.
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