Using Our Scholarship Portal

10 tips for using our scholarship portal

1. Click here to enter the scholarship portal and set up your student account. We recommend using the latest Google Chrome browser but the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge also should work. Internet Explorer 11 IS NOT compatible with the portal. All you need is your email address and to submit a password. Keep track of your password. Your account will be locked after multiple failed attempts. You will have to wait an hour or more for the portal to unlock your account; HRCF staff cannot unlock your account for you.
2. Watch for an email confirming your account and access to an application. Check your spam folder if you don’t promptly see an email in your inbox.
3. When you're ready, sign in to start your application. You can save and return to it over time; be sure to click the “save and keep editing” button. Make sure you've reviewed the Materials You'll Need to Apply.
4. Answer questions carefully and thoroughly. If you place your cursor over the circled "i" icon next to a question you will see tips for answering the question. You must complete and submit the FAFSA and Statement of Family Income & Resources to be considered for scholarships requiring financial need. If you don't complete any required questions, we can't consider your application.
5. When uploading files, the filename can only include letters, numbers, hyphens (-), underscores (_), and spaces. If you get an error and are unable to save or submit your application after adding a file, check your filename, remove any other punctuation marks, and try uploading it again.
6. When you provide a name and email address to contact for a reference, we will email your references with instructions on submitting their letters of recommendation. Ask your teachers if they are willing to write a letter of recommendation for you BEFORE entering their emails so they know to expect it. To check if your references have been submitted, click the "References" button and look at the "Status" column. If you need to remind a reference, simply click the "resend request" button to have the system send another email. It is your responsibility to provide the email addresses early enough for this email to be sent to your references in time for them to log in and complete the letters of recommendation no later than one week after the application deadline. You may want to check-in with your references to ask if they received the email. It's possible it was blocked by their spam filter or you may have typed their address incorrectly. Contact scholarships@hamptonroadscf.org if your references report that they did not receive an email from the portal.
7. Submit your completed application by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline day*. To do that, click the "Finish and Submit" button. If all required questions have been answered, your General Application will be marked "Complete." But note, your application will show as being "Complete" even if you haven't yet uploaded your transcripts and test scores. Without them, your application is not complete. You must also submit the Statement of Family Income & Resources by the deadline to be matched to scholarships that require financial need.
   
   
8. Once you successfully submit your application, it will be submitted automatically for all scholarships that match your qualifications. You will see tiles indicating the scholarships to which your application has been matched.
   
   
   
   
9. Some scholarships require you to answer additional questions or to write a special essay to be considered. This includes the scholarships for Chinese, Greek, and Jewish students, the Lewis Family Norfolk 17 Scholarship, as well as the AAA Tidewater Scholarship. After you submit the general application and Statement of Family Income & Resources (if applicable), click the "Opportunities" tab to see a list of additional scholarships for which you may be eligible. You will need to submit the required supplemental information for each scholarship to be considered for these "Recommended Opportunities".
10. We will send you an email in mid to late April to tell you the results of your scholarship application.

Note: Application deadlines vary so be sure to check for your particular scholarship. Generally, the application deadline for all scholarships is March 1 at 11:59 p.m. The deadline for theological scholarships is April 1 and the deadline for the Palmer Farley Memorial Scholarship is May 1.