Scholars Program FAQs
Frequently asked questions
A school’s Direct Cost of Attendance budget varies according to a student’s residence during the school year. If a student elects to live in housing other than with a parent or legal guardian, the Direct Cost of Attendance Budget used to determine a student’s need will include a room and board allowance. It is the responsibility of the student to notify The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program of his/her living arrangements. The Scholars Program must be notified if the student will be living at home with his/her parents or in a dorm/apartment during the school year. Failure to notify the Scholars Program that the student is residing with his/her parents may jeopardize the scholarship. The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program pays for tuition, books, fees, room and board. Once scholarship funds have been forwarded to the school, the student’s school will apply the scholarship funds accordingly. Students living off-campus, but not with parents/legal guardian, should receive a credit from the college/university to apply to room and board if any funds are still available once the scholarship has been applied to tuition, books and fees.
In regard to the Baccalaureate Scholarship, J.L. Bedsole Scholars may transfer schools. The transfer school must be an accredited school in the state of Alabama. If the transfer takes place mid-year, students must forward their financial transcript to the transfer school along with any other enrollment information. The student must notify The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program no less than 60 days prior to the transfer. As Direct Cost of Attendance budgets vary from school to school, the student’s J.L. Bedsole Scholarship will be adjusted accordingly. If the transfer takes place mid-semester, the scholarship will not be increased until re-evaluation takes place the following fall. If the Unmet Need at the transfer school is less than at the previous school, the J. L. Bedsole Scholarship will be reduced to reflect the change in need.
If a student feels the determined EFC does not adequately reflect the upcoming financial year, a student may file “special circumstances” with his or her school’s financial aid office. “Special Circumstance” claims may include a parent’s loss of income, high medical bills, loss of social security, loss of child support, etc. A student must first file a FAFSA form. Once the Student Aid Report (SAR) is received, the financial aid office should be contacted for further instructions. This process may delay the re-evaluation process for The J. L. Bedsole Scholarship and for this reason the student must immediately notify The J. L. Bedsole Scholars Program. The J. L. Bedsole Scholars Program does not make determinations as to a student’s financial status. All financial information is processed through the college.
All J.L. Bedsole Scholarships are evaluated annually to determine any changes in “Unmet Need.” Scholarship amounts will be adjusted according to the changes in “Unmet Need.” Factors that may change a student’s “Unmet Need” are largely due to changes in EFC and additional scholarships/aid the student may receive. Some factors affecting EFC include a change in parent/guardian income, change in student income, siblings entering/graduating from college, change in a student’s marital/dependency status, etc. If a current J.L. Bedsole Scholarship is re-evaluated and no “Unmet Need” is found, the scholarship will be reduced to zero and the student has the option of remaining on "Active Status" in the program. Active status allows the student to take advantage of all programs sponsored by The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program, without receiving a scholarship grant. As an active status student, he or she must comply with all scholarship requirements in order to remain in the program. Active scholars will continue to be re-evaluated for financial need and if any need is found, the student will be eligible to once again receive a scholarship grant based on his/her current "Unmet Need." An Active status student will only be eligible for renewal of a scholarship within a four-year time period from the year of selection into The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program.
Any recipient withdrawing from a class and falling below the minimum required hours to be classified as a full-time student has violated The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program full-time classification requirement. Students will be sent notification of their failure to meet the full-time classification requirement and will be given a warning. A second failure to meet the full-time status requirement will result in both withdrawal of The J.L. Bedsole Scholarship and association with The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program.
The J. L. Bedsole Scholars Program reserves the right to terminate the scholarship immediately in the event: Student is dismissed from college or university. Student withdraws for any reason from college or university. Student engages in any criminal conduct or other activity regarding moral turpitude. Student engages in any conduct, which in the sole discretion of the trustees or members of either The J.L. Bedsole Foundation, The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program or the distribution committee of The J.L. Bedsole Foundation, is contrary to the standards of The J.L. Bedsole Foundation. Student does not regularly attend classes.
The J.L. Bedsole Scholarship Application is an online application that is available from mid-August - November of each year. Qualifying high school seniors can apply online during this time period. The application process occurs in three phases. Phase I checks for eligibility status, Phase II is the actual online application, and Phase III is a brief interview with the selection committee. Approximately 35 new Bedsole Scholars are brought into the program each year.
The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program requires that all Baccalaureate Scholarship students maintain a 2.50 cumulative GPA. The required grade point average must be maintained. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below the 2.5 minimum shall be placed on academic probation and given the following semester to achieve the required GPA. (A student failing to meet the required GPA at the close of the spring semester/quarter may attempt to increase the GPA during summer school at his or her own expense. In this situation, the Scholars Program will delay scholarship renewal consideration until the close of the summer session.) A student must contact The Scholars Program if he or she has not met the GPA requirement at the close of the spring term and will be attending summer school! The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program is required to adhere to strict policies concerning grade point averages and scholarship funding.