Take Stock in Children: Providing Scholarships, Mentors, and Hope!

 Take Stock in Children-Seminole invites eligible 8th grade SCPS students who qualify for free/reduced lunch and have a 2.5 GPA or better to apply. If selected, students and parents/guardians will sign a contract agreeing to guidelines that include grade, attendance, and participation requirements.

 Take Stock in Children program participants receive:

• A Scholarship: A Two-Year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship (good for 60 college tuition credit hours, which can be used at any Florida public university, college, or state vocational/technical college in Florida).
• A Mentor: A volunteer mentor who will meet with each student, with cooperation from the school and parent(s), to assist and encourage students to achieve and reach their full potential.
• A College Success Coach: Local Take Stock in Children staff will help design a college success plan and guide each student through high school transition and into college.

Students selected for the program will sign a contract pledging to maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, obtain a C or better in every class, have good attendance, and exhibit positive behavior both in and out of school.

Eligibility:

• Must currently be in the 8^th grade enrolled at a SCPS Middle School (Greenwood Lakes, Indian Trails, Jackson Heights, Lawton Chiles, Markham Woods, Millennium, Milwee, Rock Lake, Sanford, South Seminole Academy, Teague, Tuskawilla, or Seminole County Virtual School).
• Qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch based on USDA Guidelines.
• Must meet the 2023-2024 Income Eligibility detailed below as verified by the Parent(s)/Guardian most recent, completed taxes.*
• Have an unweighted GPA of 2.5 or above
• Student must have a U.S. Social Security number
• Student must be a U.S. Citizen or Resident Alien
• Plan to enroll in a SCPS High School during 9^th grade (Crooms Academy, Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Lake Howell, Lake Mary, Lyman, Oviedo, Seminole, Winter Springs, or Seminole County Virtual School).

Application Timeline:

Apply at via AwardSpring at TSICseminole.AwardSpring.com

• Applications open on October 30, 2023
• 8th Grade Scholarship Virtual Open House on November 14, 2023 – View Recording
• Application Deadline is December 18, 2023
• If invited, interviews will take place in February of 2024
• Notification to all applicants in March of 2024

How to Apply:

The Application Guide and Question List is available as a resource for eligible applicants. You may also want to view the recording of the 8th Grade Scholarship Open House. Prior to submitting your application via AwardSpring at TSICseminole.AwardSpring.com, you’ll want to gather the following information:

• U.S. Income Tax Statement 2022 – Form 1040 (Page 1 Only – View example HERE)
• Student Social Security Number
• SCPS Student ID number
• Parent Employment and Financial Information
• Be Prepared, there will be a student and parent statement.
  • Student Statement: Please tell us about your goals, aspirations, and hopes for the future.
  • Parent Statement: Apart from financial considerations, how could this program benefit your child? Goals, aspirations, and hopes for your child’s future. And please list special family situations that might be relevant to school success. These include serious illness in the family, loss of employment, DCF involvement, homelessness, etc.

*2023-2024 Income Eligibility – Seminole County:

Qualifying Under Free and Reduced Lunch Program/USDA Guidelines

Effective from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024

You may also be eligible if student is a current recipient of SNAP, TANF, HUD and/or currently in Foster Care or Certified Homeless.

Parent(s)/Guardian will need to provide their most recent, completed taxes. Contact TSIC- Seminole Office for further qualification information.

Please call 407.320.1600 or email TSIC_Seminole@scps.k12.fl.us if you have questions about this application.