Introduction

The Educational Foundation for Independence (“EFFI”) Financial Aid Program is designed to financially assist qualified applicants in obtaining access to the individualized and specialized education and educational supports they need to become successful students and independent adults. The program is open to any student along the P-20 continuum who has a learning, developmental, behavioral, or emotional disability who wishes to access specialized educational services and requires financial assistance in order to obtain these services. At the current time, EFFI awards financial aid to help certain individuals attend the following qualifying programs or institutions: College Living Experience or Mansfield Hall.

The financial aid is awarded based on the level of financial need as determined by an objective evaluation of detailed income and financial statements.

Current Scholarship Opportunities

There are two application periods annually. The first application period begins on August 1st and ends on November 30th. The second application period begins March 15th and ends on June 15th. Award recipients will be notified in late December and late July, respectively.

Requirements

  • Financial aid is currently limited to use for tuition at Mansfield Hall or College Living Experience.
  • All applicants for financial assistance must have begun the admissions process at the qualifying program or institution they plan to attend.
  • Currently, there is a cap of $10,000-lifetime cap on awards. The lifetime cap is reviewed for increases annually. Financial aid recipients must reapply each year in order to receive additional financial aid. Funds cannot be guaranteed year after year, as financial aid allocations are based on available funds.
  • Financial aid is paid directly to the qualifying program or institution in which the student is enrolling. Tuition assistance is to be applied toward tuition for the year granted.
  • Financial aid is open to any student with financial need entering or attending one of the aforementioned qualifying programs or institutions. All financial aid recipients must be accepted for enrollment in one of the aforementioned qualifying programs or institutions in order to receive the financial aid. The recipient must be in good standing with qualifying program to qualify for the award.
  • Financial aid will not be awarded to EFFI Awards Committee members, officers, directors, or substantial contributors; to officers, directors, shareholders or employees of any qualifying programs or institutions; to immediate family members of EFFI Awards Committee members, officers, directors, or substantial contributors; or to immediate family members of officers, directors, shareholders or employees of any qualifying programs or institutions.
  • The application deadline for Fall enrollment is 4:00 pm on June 15th; award recipient(s) will be notified in late July. The application deadline for Winter enrollment (potential award period based on funds availability) is 4:00 pm on November 30th; award recipient(s) will be notified in December. This financial aid will be awarded directly to the grantee institution no later than August and January, respectively.
  • All financial aid is subject to annual funds availability through direct donations or through actual and/or accrued interest earnings from endowments.
  • Financial aid will be awarded without regard to race, creed, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or citizenship.

Candidate Evaluation and Selection

  • The Awards Committee will be responsible for evaluating financial aid candidates and approving all financial aid awards. The Awards Committee is an impartial panel of no fewer than three and no more than five appropriately qualified and trained financial aid judges, comprised of members of the Board of Directors.
  • All decisions of EFFI and its Awards Committee are final.
  • Financial need, enrollment of the student into one of the qualifying programs or institutions, and other situational factors are the primary criteria used to determine the awarding of financial aid to new applicants. Prior to the distribution of scholarship funds, verification of student progress across one or more domain areas may be provided by the institution for currently enrolled students.
  • The Awards Committee shall select alternates. Such alternates shall only be eligible in the event that one or more of the applicants initially selected should, for any reason, be unable to accept the award. The Board of Directors will accept the Awards Committee’s recommendation of awarding financial aid unless there is evidence of a conflict of interest or any other type of inappropriate action by any voting member(s).

Notification

Information about financial aid applications and availability will be published on the EFFI Website: www.effind.org.

Distribution

Awards will be distributed to institutions based upon agreements with that given institution and no less than once annually.

The award will be made payable directly to the qualifying program or institution to which the student is enrolling.

If a scholarship recipient is no longer enrolled at the qualifying program or institution for any reason, financial aid awards for that individual are no longer made. Institutions enrolling students receiving EFFI financial aid agree to a set of standards regarding the reimbursement of unused financial aid funds, which reflects the student’s actual enrollment period. If any student is expelled or withdrawn during the period for which financial aid funds are allocated, agreements with each organization are in place by which financial aid funds would be returned to EFFI for future use with another student.