1 - Must I reside in the specified Virginia counties to apply?

Yes - To apply, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen who has resided for a period of not less than two (2) years immediately preceding the application in one of the eligible counties of the three Districts: Northern (King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland), Central (Essex, Caroline, King and Queen, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex) Southern District (Charles City, James City–Stonehouse District, King William, New Kent, York– District 1).

No – As long as the applicant who is a U.S. citizen resides in any (or a combination) of the eligible counties for the two (2) years immediately preceding the application, he/she is eligible to apply.

3 - I am in my second year at college - can I apply?

No, you must currently be a senior in high school and applying to college for the following academic year.

4 - What does “Demonstrated Financial Need” mean?

One component of your eligibility for a Fary Scholarship is Demonstrated Financial Need. We determine financial need by subtracting both the Student Aid Index (SAI), as determined by the FAFSA, and Other Financial Assistance (OFA) (assistance, grants and scholarships from other sources) from the Cost of Attendance (COA) (yearly tuition, room and board and required fees). The difference between the COA and the SAI plus the OFA is your financial need, as follows: Need = Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Student Aid Index (SAI) minus Other Financial Assistance (OFA).

In order to be considered eligible for our scholarship, your FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI), plus any other financial assistance, must be less than the annual Cost of Attendance (CoA) for the college/university you attend.

Here is a quick math equation to determine eligibility:

Cost of Attendance 'CoA' minus: Other Scholarships/Grants minus: Student Aid Index 'SAI' = Demonstrated Financial Need Example: If your CoA is $45,000, your Other Scholarships/Grants are $10,000, and your SAI is $15,000, then your Demonstrated Financial Need is $20,000 – that is, $45,000, minus $10,000, minus $15,000, equals $20,000. The Fary Scholarship is for $6,000 per year, so you qualify.

Instead, if your CofA is $24,000 and you subtract from your CoA both your Other Scholarships/Grants ($10,000) and your SAI ($15,000), then your Demonstrated Financial Need is less than $0.00, thus, you are not eligible to receive a Fary Memorial Scholarship.

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