Congratulations to our two scholarship recipients for 2011-2012!

Jeffrey Rollins, Perrysburg Quick Lube
Owens Community College

Curry Meyers, Take 5 Oil Change
Tulane University of Louisiana

The hallmark of the AOCA Scholarship Program is its flexibility in addressing the educational needs of our members' employees, who do not always fit the traditional college-bound student model.  AOCA hopes you encourage your employees to apply and pass along these GREAT TIPS for a successful scholarship application.

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Who is eligible to apply?

• High school seniors, recipients of a high school diploma or GED certificate, and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are full- or part-time employees of an AOCA member company
• Be a full- or part-time employee of an AOCA member company.
• Applicant must have been employed for at least 6 months as of the April 1 postmark deadline and still be employed at the time awards are announced
• Applicants who have been employed on a part-time basis must have worked an average of 15 hours a week during the six-month required employment period
• Children and/or other relatives of owners are not eligible to apply.

Note: If you are an eligible employee at the time you receive notification that you have received an award you will retain the award for the full academic term.

How do I get an application?

• Go to https://aim.applyists.net/aoca
• Complete the Create an Account form
• Click on the My Profile tab, fill out profile information then click Save Profile
• Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the application

When is the application deadline?
Applications are accepted March 1, 2012 - April 1, 2012.

What are the details of the award?

• The awards are one-time, non-renewable grants.
• Amounts range from $300 to $1,200 depending on the number of semester or quarter hours in which the student has enrolled.
• The number of awards will be determined by the funds available and the number of applicants
• The scholarships will be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for course load.
• Institutions must be accredited, nonprofit two or four-year colleges/universities in the United States.
• Students may reapply each year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
• A student may transfer from one institution to another and retain the award.

What are the selection criteria?
An independent selection committee will evaluate the applications and select the winners.
The committee will consider:

• Career objectives,
• Length of employment,
• Employer recommendation,
• Participation in community and school activities,
• Academic achievements and records.

Note: Decisions of the selection committees are final and are not subject to appeal.

Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?
You should list your first choice on the application. If you are chosen to receive an award, it will be your responsibility to make certain ISTS is aware of your final school choice so that your check can be issued accordingly.

How do I know if my application is complete?
Allow five to seven business days after uploading documents for your online status to update.  You may monitor your status of each required form and attachment on your home page at https://aim.applyists.net/aoca

• Not Started - the form has not been requested or started
• Started - the form has not been submitted
• Submitted - the form has been submitted
• Not received - the attachment has not been received
• Not verified - the attachment has been received and is being processed and verified
• Verified - the attachment has been verified and accepted by ISTS
• Requested - the form request has been created, but the form has not been started
• Complete - all required forms and attachments (if applicable) have been received and your application will be considered for the scholarship

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered and will not be returned.

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.

How and when will I receive notification?
Notifications are sent to recipients and applicants not selected to receive an award by email approximately two months after the final deadline.

• Add info@applyists.com  to your email address book or safe senders list so these important emails are not sent to your junk mail folder.
• Do not opt out of any email sent from info@applyists.com.  You may not receive vital information regarding your scholarship applications.

Note: Your email address will only be used to communicate with you about your scholarship applications or other opportunities administered by ISTS for which you may be eligible to apply. 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 in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded, continue the entire academic year without interruption unless approved by scholarship sponsor, deliver your scholarship check(s) to the proper office at your institution, and notify ISTS should your check not arrive within 30 days of the issue date.

How and when are checks issued?
Checks will be issued in August and mailed to each recipients mailing address.
Checks will be made payable to the institution only.
It is the recipients responsibility to notify ISTS should the check not arrive within 30 days of the issue date.

How and when will I receive notification?
Notifications are sent approximately two months past a deadline.
Winner and non-winner notifications will be sent by mail.

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 your scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance. You may also consult IRS Publication 970 for further information (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf ).

Program Administration
To assure complete impartiality in selection of recipients and to maintain a high level of professionalism, the program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc., a firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs.

Questions
For additional information regarding the scholarship program contact ISTS by email at info@applyists.com.  When emailing please include the name of the scholarship program or sponsor and your username.