What is Scholarship Idaho?

Each year, more than 10,000+ Idahoans apply to eight state-managed scholarships via this online application platform where eligibility is determined in real-time and backed by school-reported data. Learn more about applying by following the step-by-step guide below.

Before You Apply

Get a head start by collecting this information before you begin:

  • EDUID
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Personal email address

 

  1. First, you’ll be asked to read Scholarship Idaho’s Terms and Conditions.
  2. We will need basic information about you like your name, Social Security Number (SSN), gender, and date of birth.
  3. Be sure to use your legal name as it appears on official school documents and standardized tests. This will make sure we can connect you to your high school grades, dual credits and connect with your submitted FAFSA information.
  4. Make sure you use an email address you check often. This is the email Scholarship will use to contact you.
Counselor Tip

Use an email address that you check regularly. DO NOT use your high school email address.

 

  1. Login to the email you used to create your account and look for an email from scholarshiphelp@edu.idaho.gov   Don’t see the email? Check your SPAM folder. If it’s there, make sure to mark scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov as a safe sender so you don’t miss future emails (like an offer)!
  2. Click on the verification link in that email.

 

NOTE: You will not be able to submit your application until you verify your email address.

Counselor Tips
  1. Don’t see the email – check your SPAM folder.
  2. Did your verification email end up in your SPAM folder? Mark scholarshiphelp@edu.idaho.gov as a safe sender so you don’t miss out on future emails – like an offer!
  3. Make sure to click on the verification link, do not respond to the sender.

Application Guide

Step 1 - Personal Info & Addresses

A bit about you

We will need basic information about you like your preferred name (you can use your nickname here), home address, EDUID, SSN, phone number, etc.

 

 

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Watch out if you use your browser to autofill that it captures the correct information.

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At the end, you will need to adjust your communication preference to let us know if you’re okay with receiving text messages from Scholarship Idaho.

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Step 2 - Qualification Questions

The MOST IMPORTANT Section - Make sure to pay close attention to each of the questions in this section. Your answers will help determine subsequent application questions and eligibility

  • Are you graduating this spring?
  • Have you already graduated?
  • Do you have some college credits you earned after high school graduation?

 

 

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No need to know the exact day but we do need the exact month and year.

Examples:  May 2023 or June 2023

If you disagree with the information from your high school record, please let us know by typing in the correct information.

Please select the institution you plan on attending at this time and your enrollment status. You can log in and change this later. Keep in mind that changes could affect your eligibility for certain scholarships/grants.

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Step 3 - Scholarship Selection

Select Your Scholarships

You can only apply for Idaho Launch OR Idaho Opportunity. You cannot apply for both. You can change your selection any time before March 1.

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Step 4 - Scholarship Questions

Organize and plan your writing prompts

If you want to submit the application and come back to these questions, you can.

Unofficial Transcript – Ask your counselor for a copy of your unofficial transcript.

SAT/ACT – Login into your college board or ACT account to access a copy of these documents.

 

 

 

 

 

For example, Governor’s Cup requires applicants to describe their leadership and volunteer service.

Step 5 - Application Summary

Review and submit your application

  • If you’re missing any information,  go back and fix it on the corresponding screen.
  • Make sure your applications are in the submitted tab.
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  1. Login to the email you used to create your account and look for an email from scholarshiphelp@edu.idaho.gov
  2. Click on the verification link in that email.
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Step 6 - Confirmation

Congratulations!

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After submission, you can always log back in to check your current application status.

REMEMBER:  the scholarship application season is a long one (typically Oct 1 – Mar 1 each year) so don’t expect to hear about final offers until late April (Idaho Opportunity) or early June (Idaho LAUNCH)

Idaho Opportunity

Contingent awards will be emailed in December and again in March but these awards are not final until your FAFSA is confirmed and the final ranking is completed. Final award offers will be emailed in late April/early May.

Idaho LAUNCH

*coming soon*

 

Idaho Opportunity Scholarship

Contact the State Board of Education team: scholarshiphelp@edu.idaho.gov

Refer to Idaho Opportunity Scholarship Awardee Page.

Idaho LAUNCH Grant

Contact the Idaho Workforce Development Council team: idaholaunch@wdc.idaho.gov

Get ready to begin your journey

Walk through the application with us before you apply. We’ll look at approaching the application and hear advice from your Next Steps Idaho team.

General Answers

Need help getting your application to the finish line? Check out these helpful topics and if you still have questions, reach out to us at scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov

Deadlines

To meet a particular application deadline, you must submit your application materials by 11:59 pm on the closing date for that scholarship.  Keep in mind, that all timestamps are recorded in MST (US Mountain Standard Time).

Reminder:  For any scholarship requiring a completed FAFSA you must have submitted it to Federal Student Aid by 11:59 pm on March 1st.

It is always better to submit well before 11:59 pm to avoid last-minute issues with your computer or internet access that might cause you to miss the deadline!

Registration

Any graduate of an Idaho high school, homeschool, or someone who earned their GED or HSE in Idaho.

Scholarship Idaho uses your SSN as your unique student identifier we receive your application(s) we know it represents one unique student – YOU! We also need it to ensure we capture your FAFSA data should you apply to any of the state-managed scholarships that required it.

The only students who can apply and may not have an SSN are DACA students. If you are a DACA student who is applying, please use a TIN if you have it.

Or….contact scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov

There will be no cost for students using Scholarship Idaho.

If you need to reset your password, just hit Forgot password on the Login page and it will walk you through the process of resetting your password.

Account Confirmation

  • Double check you’re using your PERSONAL email, not one provided by the school. School accounts often block external emails.
  • SPAM filters & typing errors are also racking up some casualties. So, check your SPAM folder and double-check you entered your email address correctly into Apply Idaho.
  • Make sure your email account isn’t full. Has it exceeded the storage limit for the mailbox error; undeliverable? If so, then make sure their accounts have enough memory/space to accept new messages

A verification email remains active for 24 hours. If you haven’t clicked on the verification link within that timeframe you will need to request a new one.

Profile

If you are enrolled in multiple tribes, please select your primary tribe from the list in the “Please choose the tribe you are enrolled in” question.

For many students this is your identification number provided by your high school. If it is not, ask the staff at your high school.

If you’re an Idaho homeschool student who has taken a class at an Idaho public or charter school, reach out to them for assistance. If you’ve not taken a class at an Idaho public or charter school you can request an EDUID from the Idaho State Board of Education by emailing scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov

Scholarship Idaho uses your EDUID to confirm your high school GPA and as well as any dual credits earned while you were in high school.

Qualification

The short answer is no, only undergraduate students are eligible.

We do not have a spring application. The scholarship application is for the 2023-24 year, which begins Fall 2023.

Sometimes at first glance, it might seem like your high school is missing from the list, but make sure you’re looking for the full name of your high school and not just its casual name.

For example, Boise High is listed by its official name – Boise Senior High in Scholarship Idaho.

If you still don’t see the name of your school, reach out to the scholarship team at scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov

We must use the GPA that you have as of the time of the application deadline. You can apply for the next cycle once your current GPA is at least  2.7.

Scholarship Specific Questions

There are no limits to the number of edits you can make, but please keep in mind the more times you must resubmit your application every time you make edits.

REMINDER– You MUST RESUBMIT your application(s) after you edit your answers.

Keep in mind the maximum word count for any scholarship application essay question is 2000 characters including spaces and punctuation. Anything longer than that will truncate your response.

  • Keep a file on your computer with a backup of your essays
  • If you are pasting your essay into Scholarship Idaho, paste it first into Note Pad or Text Edit, and then paste it into Scholarship Idaho to avoid formatting irregularities
  • Always double-check that the content appears correctly and, in its entirety,
  • Be sure to proofread your essays for any typos
  • There is no save button – so anything you type is saved – but it’s not automatically submitted so make sure to click on the submit button after reviewing your application.

Summary Page

Make sure you completed the year’s FAFSA for the application year you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for the 2023-24 year, make sure you completed the 2023-24 FAFSA.

If you did, contact scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov  because your SSN may not match the FAFSA.

Ask your high school counselor for your EDUID if you are a senior.

Contact scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov if you attended an Idaho high school or public university since 2008.

Submission

Yes, you have the option to return to your account and complete your application. The application auto-saves as you go along. Just don’t forget to hit “Submit” when you have a scholarship complete!

If you are offered a scholarship, at that time you will have the option to decline, if for any reason you no longer wish to receive it (i.e. you have decided to attend school out of state).

Yes, you may log back in and apply for any additional scholarships you qualify for, as long as it is within the application window for that scholarship.

To do so, log in, then go to the main menu (three bars). Then go to apply and then go to page three to select the application and page four to answer the questions.

By creating an account with Scholarship Idaho, you are giving permission to the Idaho State Board of Education to share your personal information, including SSN, with:

  • The Idaho institution you plan to attend as identified on your application. This information is ONLY used to facilitate or administer financial aid.
  • Your high school so they can help assist you with the application process.

Patterns observed in Scholarship Idaho will inform annual, statewide reports about scholarship access and funds disbursement.

After clicking on the “Submit” button you will be taken to a confirmation page. You will also receive a confirmation email in your inbox.

It’s also good practice to log back into your Scholarship Idaho account and verify on your Status page. It should say “submitted” for each scholarship you’ve applied for.

 

System Requirements

  • PC (Windows version 10 or version 8.1)
  • Mac (OS version 10.14 or higher)
  • Email: if your email offers a list of allowed addresses, please add the following: scholarshiphelp@osbe.idaho.gov