Coastal Pet Products Employee Scholarship Program
Questions and Answers
Q.
How many scholarships are available?
A.
This spring Coastal Pet Products, Inc. will award $10,000 worth of scholarships in increments of up to four $2,000 scholarships for full-time study, and four $500 scholarships for part-time study, at any accredited, 2 or 4-year college or university in the U.S. during the 2024-25 academic year.
Q.
What are the criteria for eligibility?
A.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
Employee/Parent/Guardian Grandparent must be a current active employee in good standing and have completed their orientation period of 90 days. Students who worked the entire Summer of 2023 and are in good standing with the company are also eligible.
The student must be a U.S. citizen or authorized to work or attend college in the U.S. without limitation.
Minimum GPA 2.5/4.0 (high school or undergraduate cumulative GPA).
History of leadership and community service.
Proof of college acceptance, an official transcript, and college entrance test scores will be required.
Q.
How do I apply?
A.
Complete the online application on the Coastal Pet Products Employee Scholarship website (www.ofic/smr/coastalpet).
The deadline for submission of the online application is April 15, 2024.
Q.
What is SMR?
A.
Scholarship Management Resources (SMR) is an independent scholarship services provider that is partnering with Coastal Pet Products to establish and manage this scholarship program, including selecting the recipients. This ensures the selection process is fair and objective.
Q.
Is applying online safe?
A.
Yes. Your personally identifiable information is kept secure. Only authorized SMR employees, agents and contractors (who have agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to this information. To protect the information being gathered, the scholarship application site has security measures in place including firewalls, encryption, and authenticated access to internal databases where needed.
Q.
How do you decide who will receive the awards?
A.
Selection is based on academic merit, demonstrated leadership and community service.
Q.
How and when will students be notified of decisions?
A.
Decisions will be made and selected scholars will be notified by letter at the end of May 2024. Names of selected scholars will be posted internally in June 2024.
Q.
How and when will the awards be paid?
A.
Award funds will be distributed by SMR directly to the scholars’ institutions, after enrollment verification.
Q.
Can these scholarships be renewed?
A.
Yes, scholars may reapply for a renewal award. The maximum number of years a student can receive an award is four. Students are expected to complete a bachelor's degree in four years or an associate's degree in two years. Renewal applicants must continue to meet all eligibility requirements, including full-time or part-time employment of the employee, parent or guardian grandparent by Coastal Pet Products, or be a student who worked the entire summer of 2023.
Q.
What is an official transcript?
A.
This academic record must come directly from your high school office or college registrar’s office and be signed by an appropriate official at the school or college. Unofficial copies are not accepted.
Q.
What shows proof of college acceptance?
A.
If you are beginning an associate or bachelor degree, or you are transferring to another college in Fall 2024, upload a copy of the letter of acceptance from the institution you plan to attend to the application. If you are a current college student and will be continuing your studies at the same institution, your transcript will be proof of acceptance.
Q.
How do I document my college entrance test scores?
A.
Enter your ACT/SAT test scores in the online application, and upload a copy of your test scores to the application. Since your highest score on each part of the tests will be considered, you may need to mail several different reports. If your scores are included on your official transcript, you don't need to mail additional verification.
Q.
What if I have additional questions?
A.
Please e-mail your questions to scholarships@ofic.org and reference the Coastal Pet Products Employee Scholarship Program.