Program Overview
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must meet all the following criteria to be eligible for this scholarship:
• Be currently enrolled and graduating from a Simon Youth Academy in the 2026-2027 academic year.
And, you must:
• Plan to enroll during the fall 2027 semester in an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational/technical, or trade school full-time.
OR
• Plan to enroll during the fall 2027 semester in a 12- to 18-month certificate program, as long as you earn a state- or industry-recognized certification upon completion of the program.
• Attend your Simon Youth Academy graduation ceremony if you apply. The Academy Scholarship recipient is notified of the award at this celebration.
My answers to the eligibility questions were incorrect, and my application now shows as ineligible. Can this be corrected?
Yes. Contact the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected] with your full name and the email address on your application, and we can reopen your application so you can correct your response. Please allow about 20 minutes after the update for the system to sync before logging back in.
When will the application be available?
September 1, 2026, at midnight Eastern Standard Time
When is the application deadline?
February 12, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
When is the recommendation deadline?
February 19, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
What is the Simon Youth Foundation Academy Scholarship timeline?
Application Open: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Application Deadline: Friday, February 12, 2027
Deadline for Recommendations: Friday, February 19, 2027
Notification of Selection: At Academy spring graduation or recognition ceremonies
Acceptance Deadline: Friday, July 9, 2027
Funds Disbursed: On or about August 1, 2027, for the fall semester and on or about December 1, 2027, for the spring semester.
Is this award renewable?
Yes. Four-year awards are renewable for up to three (3) years or until a bachelor’s degree is obtained, whichever occurs first. Two-year awards are renewable for one (1) additional year or until the Associate’s degree is obtained, whichever occurs first. For each eligible year, students must maintain all renewal requirements, including Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and full-time enrollment. Awards are for undergraduate study only.
To be considered for renewal, your renewal application and supporting documents must be submitted by the deadline. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of the scholarship award and all remaining renewals (if applicable).
Are recipients entitled to the full amount of the scholarship award?
No. Students who complete their initial degree before the entire scholarship has been paid out are not entitled to the remaining balance of the scholarship. Students who are not eligible to renew their scholarship due to not making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are not guaranteed the scholarship will be available or reinstated if they make SAP the following semester or academic year.
May students take a gap year and still receive their scholarship funds?
Possibly. Students who want to take a gap year must complete the Kaleidoscope Exception/Deferral Form before taking the gap year. The student must complete and submit the form requesting a deferral. Deferrals must be submitted by the annual Acceptance Deadline date. A review team will evaluate the request, and the student will be informed of the decision of the review team within three (3) weeks of submission of the form.
Who administers this program?
Kaleidoscope is the scholarship management platform that Simon Youth Foundation partners with to run this program from start to finish, building the application, coordinating recommendations and reviewers, running the selection process, and handling disbursement. Using an independent platform like Kaleidoscope keeps the process fair, secure, and consistent for every applicant.
Application Details
Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?
You should list your first-choice school on the application. You can change your college choice any time before the application deadline. If selected as a recipient, you will be asked to confirm your final school choice. If your school changes after the acceptance deadline, you must notify the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected].
Should I submit all of my information before I request a recommendation?
No. You should request your recommendation as early as possible to ensure there is sufficient time for the recommendation to be submitted by the deadline. You do not have to wait until all other portions of the application are complete before requesting your recommendation.
What supporting documentation is required for this scholarship application?
• High school transcript
Where and when should I upload my supporting documents?
All required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may remain incomplete. Documents that meet the criteria required for this application that are uploaded by the deadline will be processed and considered on time. Mailed documents will not be accepted.
I selected the wrong option by mistake and am now considered ineligible. Can this be fixed?
Yes. Contact the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected] with your full name and the scholarship you meant to apply for. We can reopen your application to draft status so you can make corrections and resubmit, as long as the application deadline hasn't passed.
Award Details
What are the selection criteria?
An independent selection committee will evaluate complete applications and select recipients considering:
• Academic Promise
• Essays
• Recommendation
• Work experience, extracurricular activities/leadership, and community involvement
Decisions of the selection committee are final and are not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.
A complete application is one that has been submitted by the student and that has a completed recommendation letter. Applications that are submitted but do not have a recommendation are not considered complete and will not be scored.
Do I have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for this scholarship?
No. Applicants do not have to complete the FAFSA to be eligible for the Simon Youth Academy Scholarship.
What are the details of the award?
• Two-year recipients are eligible for up to $2,500 per year, up to two years, based on available funding.
• Four-year recipients are eligible for up to $4,500 per year, up to four years, based on available funding.
• A select number of the top applicants amongst all Academies will be eligible for the Best of the Best Award. This award is up to $6,500 per year for up to four years, based on available funding.
• The scholarships will be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the student's course load at accredited, two- or four-year colleges/universities, vocational/technical or trade schools located in the United States.
• Students may transfer from one institution to another and retain the award. However, if a student is awarded a four-year scholarship but attends a two-year school, their award amount and length of scholarship will be automatically reduced.
• Scholarships may not be applied to room and board and cannot be used to purchase a laptop or other materials if they are not required for all students attending the institution or course.
What are the renewal details?
Each year you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to complete the online renewal application. While the scholarship is renewable, the actual value may change each year based on the availability of funds. You will need to provide a transcript showing your cumulative grade point average (GPA). You must meet the following criteria to be considered for renewal:
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), defined as a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
• Full-time enrollment at your college/university/vocational/technical/trade school or 12- to 18-month certificate program. Applicants must maintain this enrollment status, earning the minimum number of credits required for SAP, as defined by the institution, each semester.
Your renewal form must be completed by the deadline. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of the scholarship award and all remaining renewals (if applicable).
What are my responsibilities if I am selected as a recipient?
• You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded. You must continue the entire academic year without interruption unless approved by the scholarship sponsor.
• You must maintain SAP as a student to remain an eligible recipient of the scholarship.
• If an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction is made, you are responsible for checking with your institution to ensure the transaction was received and applied correctly. You should notify Kaleidoscope if your ACH transaction is not credited to your account within 30 days of the issue date.
• If a check is issued, you are responsible for providing Kaleidoscope with the correct mailing address. You should notify Kaleidoscope if your check is not credited to your account within 30 days of the issue date.
• You will be able to see the status of any scholarship payments in your Kaleidoscope applicant portal at any time under the ‘Disbursements’ tab.
How and when are funds issued?
ACH payments will be made to the institution that you list in your award acceptance. If you need to update the institution after submitting your award acceptance, you must notify the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected].
Checks will be mailed to your institution. If you need to update the institution after submitting your award acceptance, you must do so by notifying the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected]. The check(s) will be made payable to the institution listed in the award acceptance form.
Your scholarship cannot, under any circumstances, be made payable to you, the student applicant.
Fall payments will be made on/about August 1. Spring payments will be made on/about December 1.
How do I change my college choice?
Make sure your Kaleidoscope acceptance form indicates your final college choice. It is your responsibility to make sure your award acceptance form is correct. If you need to update the institution after submitting your award acceptance, you must do so by notifying the Kaleidoscope help desk at [email protected]. If your scholarship payment needs to be reissued for any reason, a reissue fee may apply.
Notifications
How will I be notified about the status of my application?
Notifications are sent primarily via email to the email you used to create your account. This program also offers text notifications. You should not use your high school email address as your contact email for the scholarship because you will stop receiving notifications after you graduate. Ultimately, it is your responsibility as the applicant to verify your application status.
What notifications will be sent to me?
• Deadline Reminders: At minimum, deadline reminders are typically sent two (2) weeks and one (1) week prior to the application deadline.
• Recommendation Deadline Reminder: You may receive a notification after the application deadline but prior to the recommendation deadline if your recommendation is still incomplete.
• Selection Results: Selection notifications are sent to all complete applicants. If your application is submitted, but the recommendation was not received, your application is considered to be incomplete and will not be scored, nor will you receive selection notifications.
• Renewal Instructions: If awarded, you will be sent a notification when it is time to renew your award.
Your information is never sold to any third party for marketing purposes.
Who will notifications be sent from?
You will receive notifications from [email protected]. Please add this email address and the email domain @mykaleidoscope.com to your “safe senders list” to ensure important emails are not sent to your SPAM or junk folder.
When will I receive notifications?
Notifications vary by program based on the program timeline. Typically, deadline reminders are sent two (2) and one (1) week prior to the application deadline.
Can I opt out of notifications?
While you can opt out of notifications, this is not advised. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure your application is complete. If you opt out of notifications, you will not receive deadline reminders, selection results, or renewal instructions.
Your information is never sold to any third party. The only emails you will receive from Kaleidoscope are directly related to your application and, possibly, other scholarship opportunities.
What should be visible on my documents?
All uploaded documents must show your name. If you are using an online portal to access your required documentation and all that is visible is the salutation and your first name (example, Welcome, Joe!), this will meet the name requirement.
What are the DOs and DON’Ts of uploading documents to my application?
DO:
• Only upload the requested and required documents
• Black out any Social Security Numbers.
• Confirm that your documents are successfully uploaded.
• Contact Kaleidoscope at [email protected] if you are having trouble providing a required document.
DON’T
• Upload more than the requested information.
• Upload a document stating you are mailing your documents.
• Assume the required document does not pertain to you.
o If the application states the document is required, your application will remain incomplete if you do not provide that document.
• Password-protect your uploaded documents. Password-protected documents will be rejected.
• Upload any file that has a viewing expiration date.
Application Status
How do I know if my application is complete?
You can view the status of your application under the ‘Applications’ tab in the Kaleidoscope Portal.
If your application has been submitted, but your recommender has not completed their portion, your application status will show as ‘Pending Contributor Submissions’. This means that your application is NOT considered complete.
If your application has been submitted and your recommender has completed their portion, your application status will show as ‘Complete’.
As the applicant, what are my responsibilities?
It is your responsibility to make sure your application is complete. Your online application must be submitted, all required documents uploaded, and all recommendations submitted on time. If your recommendation is not completed by the deadline, your application will NOT be considered complete.
Other important information
Are scholarships taxable?
Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition and textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against his or her scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance. You may also consult IRS Publication 970 for additional information.
How do I get help with my application?
We encourage you to click on the Kaleidoscope Help Beacon in the bottom right corner of your screen while on the Kaleidoscope Portal. You will be able to send us a message through this, or search for help if it is a commonly asked question, often resulting in receiving responses in real-time as you are completing the application. The Kaleidoscope Help Desk can also be contacted at [email protected], where you can expect a response within 24-48 hours.