Associate Scholarship Application
Purpose
Use the Associate Scholarship Application if you are applying for a scholarship for yourself for the first time. You do not need to reapply in future terms unless you transfer to a different school. If you wish to apply for a scholarship for your child or other dependent, use the Dependent Scholarship Application.
Eligibility
To qualify for a scholarship, you must meet these qualifications:
You must be currently employed by the Cypress of Raleigh as a full time, part time, or PRN associate.
You must have worked an average of 12 hours per week for the last 6 months.
You must be planning on attending post-high school classes at a college, university, or professional training course.
Online courses qualify if they are at the post-high school level.
How to Display the Page
To complete the form, click the Create Associate Scholarship Application button on the Associate Dashboard.
Completing the Form
Enter the requested information in each field. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. You must complete all required fields across all five sections to submit your application.
Associate Profile. This section collects basic information about you, including your first and last name, email address, and phone number. The system fills in some or all of these fields from your login credentials and prior form submissions. The email address must be the same as the email you use for accessing the system.
Address. This section collects your mailing address, usually your home address. The system fills in these fields if you have completed your address in a prior form.
Department. This section collects information about the Cypress department where you work, including the date you were hired. The Acorn Scholarship Fund uses this information to help verify your eligibility for the scholarship.
Education Information. This section collects information about the educational institution you plan to attend. Select the type of institution as follows:
For a community college, select 2 year.
For a four-year university, select 4 year.
For professional, vocational, other courses, select vocational.
In the Program/Degree field, briefly describe what you plan to study, for example, "associate degree in nursing" or "bachelor of science in biology".
In the Program Status field, choose the option that best matches your objective:
Undergraduate: Associate or Bachelor's degree programs.
Graduate: Master's, Doctoral, or advanced professional degrees.
Certification Class: Courses leading to professional or vocational certifications.
Individual Training: Standalone professional development or skill courses.
In the Enrollment Status field, if you are taking 6 or fewer credit hours, select Part Time. If you are taking more than 6 credit hours, select Full Time.
Additional Information. Provide concise, detailed responses (minimum 50 characters each) to the following two prompts:
"How did you choose your field of study?" Explain what led to your educational choice.
"What are your career goals and aspirations?" Outline your future professional goals.
Read the confirmation at the bottom of the form. If you agree, check the box above the confirmation.
Button Functions
Three buttons support the form:
Cancel: Click this button to return to the Associate Dashboard. When clicked, the form displays a warning dialog box. If you click OK, the system takes you to the Associate Dashboard.
Save as Draft: Saves your progress without submitting. You can return to finish your draft at any time by selecting Create Associate Scholarship Application. Only one active draft is allowed at a time.
Submit: Validates required fields and sends your application to the Scholarship Committee Chair. Once submitted, the form becomes read-only and its status changes to submitted.
You can view the submitted form by locating it in the table of forms labeled My Forms. Click the View Form link to bring up the form. You can then view the form, but you will not be able to change it.
If your circumstances change, for example you are unable to attend the school, you can withdraw the form by clicking the Withdraw button. After this, your application is no longer considered for a scholarship. At this point, you can submit a new application with any updates.
What Happens After You Submit an Application
The Scholarship Committee Chair will review your application and verify your eligibility with Cypress Human Resources.
If revisions are needed, the Chair will return the form to draft status so you can make updates.
Once approved by the Board of Directors, you will receive an alert. An assigned mentor will contact you with an award letter and scholarship agreement.
As soon as you have an invoice from your school, you need to submit an Associate Payment Form to instruct the Fund's Treasurer to send the scholarship check to your school.