HCC Foundation Scholarship FAQs

How do I apply for a scholarship from HCC?
You can go to the HCC Foundation website (www.hccsfoundation.org/Scholarships) to complete an online scholarship application, which must be completed and submitted by the annual deadline to be considered for any scholarships. You only have to complete this single application to be considered for all scholarships you qualify for.

How do I know which scholarship to apply to?
You do not have to indicate on your application if you are applying for a specific scholarship. The online scholarship application (found at www.hccsfoundation.org/Scholarships) will allow you to be considered for all scholarships you qualify for.

Do I need to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to get a scholarship?
A completed FAFSA is not required as part of the HCC Foundation scholarship application. However, some of our scholarships do have a FAFSA requirement.  We advise students to complete a FAFSA so that students can receive consideration for all scholarships for which they may be eligible, in addition to financial aid. The FAFSA can be found here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

When can I apply for a scholarship for HCC? What is the application deadline?
Applications are available and accepted from January 15 through June 15 for the next academic year. Please confirm these dates each year on the HCC Foundation website (www.hccsfoundation.org), as the Foundation may change the application window if circumstances deem it necessary.

Can I apply for a scholarship before registering for classes at HCC?
Yes. Students who plan to enroll in classes at HCC can apply for an HCC scholarship during the open application period (generally January 15 through June 15). However, a student should be enrolled prior to scholarships being awarded since information a student provides during the enrollment process is often used to determine eligibility for specific scholarship awards. Students are advised to enroll at HCC by July 15 so that they are considered for all scholarship awards for which they may be eligible.

Can I get a scholarship even if I don’t qualify for financial aid? Can I get a scholarship even if I’m already receiving financial aid?
Yes, regardless of your financial aid status, you are eligible to apply for HCC scholarships! Some scholarships don’t take financial needs into consideration. Scholarships offered by the HCC Foundation should not interfere with the financial aid you may receive from other sources. There are instances where other funding sources override HCC Foundation scholarships. In these cases, we will work with you and HCC’s Financial Aid office to maximize the financial assistance you receive.

Can international students apply for scholarships through the HCC Foundation?
Yes! Some scholarships offered through the HCC Foundation do not have a citizenship requirement.

I received a scholarship this year. How do I get it again next year?
Previous scholarship recipients must re-apply for scholarships every year they attend HCC during the open application period (generally between January 15 - June 15). There is no guarantee that you will again be awarded the same scholarship you have already received. You will receive no priority over applicants who have not previously received an award. 

I completed the scholarship application. When will I be awarded a scholarship?
Unfortunately, the Foundation doesn’t have enough funds to award scholarships to all applicants, so applying for a scholarship does not guarantee receiving one. (Scholarships are not federally funded; instead, they are funded by donations from the community.) All applicants will receive an email from the HCC Foundation to let you know if you have or have not been awarded a scholarship. 

How will I know if I receive a scholarship?
A scholarship offer will be sent to the email address you used to complete your application. But even if you receive an award offer, you will not receive the funds unless you complete the required steps to accept the scholarship on or before the deadline date outlined in the notification email and meet all criteria for the scholarship offered. Usually, you must: (1) accept and agree to the terms of the scholarship agreement, (2) upload a thank you letter to the donor, and (3) upload one picture of yourself. (Some scholarships may require additional steps, which will be outlined in the award email.)   Failure to submit all required information by the deadline will indicate that you do not wish to accept the scholarship offer, and you will forfeit the scholarship funds. 

What happens if I miss the deadline to accept my scholarship? I don’t usually check the email address that my award notification was sent to/forgot to respond by the deadline/etc.
Because we usually have more applicants than funds, the HCC Foundation works to re-award scholarships from students who declined or didn’t respond to an offer by their deadline. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will receive a second offer within a single academic year, so please carefully monitor the email address you used to complete your application.

Will I be notified if I am not offered a scholarship?
Yes, you will receive an email notification if we are unable to offer you a scholarship. The notification will be sent to your HCC student email address.

Why didn’t I receive a scholarship?
Unfortunately, the Foundation doesn’t have enough funds to award scholarships to all applicants, so applying for a scholarship does not guarantee receiving one. Scholarships are not federally funded; instead, they are funded by donations from the community.

The number of scholarships that the HCC Foundation can award will vary from year to year. If the number of qualified applicants for any scholarship exceeds the number of available scholarships for that year, a blind selection process will be used. (The date a student submitted their scholarship application, provided it was within the application window, will not be a factor in any decisions.)

Once the HCC Foundation has awarded all available scholarship offers, we notify students that we cannot award a scholarship to them. If any scholarship funds become available later in the year, the Foundation will send an offer notification to students via email.  As with all scholarship offers, those sent later in the year are time sensitive.  Failure to formally accept the offer and complete all required post-acceptance items by the deadline listed in the notification email will result in forfeiting the scholarship. 

When are scholarships awarded? When can I expect to receive the funds?
Award notifications generally start in July and may continue as late as October.  After you take the required steps to formally accept the scholarship, the HCC Foundation will electronically apply the scholarship funds to your individual HCC account. (Funds cannot be applied to a student Eagle Card.) Funds will usually appear about two weeks after the Foundation receives all the documents required for acceptance. 

I need to use the scholarship funds for costs other than tuition and fees. How do I do that?
Scholarships are first directed to unpaid tuition and fees. If the scholarship permits, any remaining funds can be used for purchases at any HCC Bookstore. HCC Foundation scholarships do not cover other costs related to your education, such as supplies not available at the HCC Bookstore, transportation, childcare, etc. unless you are specifically told in your award notification that it will cover such costs.

I was awarded a scholarship, but I didn’t use it all. When do I get my refund for the unused amount?
Scholarships awarded by the HCC Foundation are non-refundable unless you are specifically told otherwise in your award notification. Unused funds automatically revert back to the HCC Foundation at the end of each semester.

I received a scholarship from HCC, but I am transferring to another institution. Can I take the entirety/remainder of my scholarship with me?
Scholarships awarded by the HCC Foundation are for use at HCC only. Unfortunately, we are unable to transfer any scholarship funds to another institution. Per agreements with our donors, scholarship funding is only for use at Houston Community College.

I have other questions that are not addressed here. How do I get them answered?
If you have questions about student loans (of any type), TPEG, or Pell Grants, you should contact HCC’s Financial Aid office. HCC Financial Aid also awards Impact Scholarships and Chancellor’s Scholarships, and questions about those specific scholarships should be directed to the Financial Aid office. The Financial Aid office email is finaid.district@hccs.edu, and their phone is 713-718-2000 (option 2). They are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm (except during college closures).

If you have applied for or received a scholarship from an outside organization, you need to direct those questions to the organization. Examples of outside organizations include charitable foundations such as the Marvy Finger Foundation; civic organizations such as Junior Achievement or a Chamber of Commerce; or organizations at your high school. If the outside organization directs you to HCC to address your concern, you can email privatescholarships@hccsfoundation.org

A list of scholarships and awards that are handled by the HCC Foundation can be found https://www.hccsfoundation.org/ScholarshipListings. For questions about these scholarships, you can email your questions to foundation.scholarships@hccs.edu.

We do our best to respond within three business days of your email.