Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship

The Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship is a four-year renewable scholarship worth up to a maximum of $50,000. The scholarship is awarded annually to a select group of first-generation, college-bound seniors from Arlington (VA) Public Schools, Alexandria City (VA) Public Schools, or Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools who demonstrate strong academic skills, financial need, and community/school engagement.  

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Applicant must be a high school senior graduating from Arlington Public Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools, or Fairfax County Public Schools in Spring 2025 and applying for college admission/enrollment in Fall 2025 at any four-year, accredited college/university OR any two-year community college (excluding any for-profit schools).
2. APPLICANT MUST BE FAFSA ELIGIBLE.  
3. Applicant must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 (at end of junior year)
4. Applicant must be a first-generation college student. For purposes of the AFF scholarship, a first-generation student will be defined as a student whose parent(s) have not earned an undergraduate degree in the United States.
5. Student must have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $25,000 or less.
6. Applicants selected as finalists must participate in an interview with AFF staff and/or board members.
7. Applicants must submit a completed Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship application by 11:59 PM (EST) on MARCH 17, 2025.

AWARDS:

1. Scholarship recipients will be chosen by members of the AFF Scholarship Committee based on applicant’s status as a first generation college student, academic achievement, financial need, history of school/community engagement, and their application/interview.
2. Applicants will be notified by MID-APRIL 2025 via email if they have been chosen as a finalist for the scholarship. Finalist interviews will take place in APRIL 2025. Scholarship recipients will be notified by MAY 2025. Format of interviews will be via phone, Google Meet or Zoom.
3. Up to twenty (20) students will be selected as winners for the 2024-25 AFF Scholarship. Each scholarship winner will receive up to $12,500 per academic year in scholarship funds, renewable for up to four years, for a total scholarship award of up to $50,000.
4. Scholarship funds may only be used to pay the Net Cost to attend their school (Net Cost is equal to Cost of Attendance less any other scholarships/grants that have been awarded to the student). If balance due for the academic year is less than $12,500, only the balance due will be paid. If the balance is zero, or there is a credit on the account, no scholarship award will be paid that year.
5. Payment for summer classes and study abroad costs are eligible for scholarship payment, but such payments must be requested in advance and are subject to certain restrictions (for more information, please contact the foundation at contact @ affscholars.org).  
6. Scholarship funds for the entire year will be paid out annually by August 15. The funds will be divided evenly between the Fall and Spring semesters, unless the student requests a different division of scholarship funds. The foundation sends funds directly to the educational institution on the student’s behalf, no payments will be made directly to students.
7. In order to receive scholarship funds, scholarship recipients must sign the AFF Information Packet, which includes a scholarship guidelines, renewal requirements, and a release statement granting AFF permission to publish student’s name, financial award, choice of college/university, and photo on AFF’s website and other media.

YEARLY SCHOLARSHIP RENEWAL:

Students must meet the following requirements in order to have their scholarship renewed:

1. Student must be registered at a post-secondary institution and enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester with a minimum GPA of 2.70 or above per semester.
2. Official transcripts and upcoming enrollment schedules must be provided each semester before the next payment is made to your college or university.
3. Two consecutive semesters below a 2.70 GPA, or fewer than 15 hours completed in a single semester, are grounds for loss of scholarship.
4. If a student withdraws for a semester or takes a leave of absence, student must communicate this in writing to AFF and describe the circumstances surrounding their withdrawal. Failure to do so is grounds for immediate loss of scholarship.
5. Scholarship recipients are expected to be good citizens of their school and their community. Any disciplinary actions at school or within the community must be reported to the Scholarship Committee within two weeks. Failure to report will be grounds for loss of scholarship. Violations that have been reported to the Scholarship Committee will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but may be grounds for revocation of the scholarship.
6. Students are required to notify AFF of any changes to their contact information in a timely manner (this includes mailing address, phone number, email address).