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Where do I send these documents:
1. Journalism samples: to Journalism@occs-ky.org by March 1
2. IEP for Personal Circumstances to IEP@occs-ky.org by March 1
3. Transcripts – – OCCS will “obtain” transcripts from public or private schools, however; Home Schooled students need to “submit” transcripts no later than March 1. Home Schooled students should send transcripts to: TRANSCRIPTS@occs-ky.org. Be sure to put “Transcripts” in the subject of your email message.
4. ACT or SAT scores – – OCCS will “obtain” ACT or SAT scores from public or private schools, however; Home Schooled students need to “submit” ACT or SAT scores no later than March 1. Home Schooled students should send scores to: ACT-SAT@occs-ky.org. Be sure to put “ACT-SAT” in the subject of your email message.
5. Financial need applicants MUST submit the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number from FAFSA – – email a copy or screenshot of your FAFSA Confirmation page showing your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number to FAFSA@occs-ky.org with the word FASFA followed by your STUDENT NAME in the subject line.
We must receive this by 11:59PM on FEBRUARY 28TH. In addition, if you have financial need, PLEASE submit Information about your situation in the Personal Circumstances section of the application. This will help us understand the nature of your financial circumstances. For example, you can tell us about a hardship due to a family layoff or job loss,
6. If you are or have been a student of College Prep Resources with Pam Brown, please email your essay to cpressay@occs-ky.org before the application closes on February 28
7. For the AAOC arts scholarship:
– hand-deliver your portfolio and application or send it by USPS portfolio by the end of the day March 1
– If you completed a Personal Circumstance essay, please submit a hard copy of it with your art portfolio.
– If hand-delivering your portfolio, drop off times are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
Arts Association of Oldham County
104 East Main Street
LaGrange, KY 40031
8. Send questions to info@occs-ky.org
How do you process the applications?
Oldham County Community Scholarships receives applications from students who attend a high school within Oldham County, as well as students who reside in the county but are either home-schooled or attend public/private schools outside our county. After receiving the applications, a computer program replaces the student name with an ID# so that each application is non-identifiable – we pride ourselves in the practice of selecting winners based on an applicant number and not a person. Only one person on our board knows the student name and the ID number and that person is removed from the scoring process, all other board members and volunteers only know the applicant number.
What are some types of criteria that OCCS sponsors consider?
Sponsors set their own criteria. The following lists are examples of criteria that our sponsors consider.
Students who have:
- Attended or graduated from a specific Oldham County school
- Demonstrated leadership during the high school years by being active in a club
- Families who pay City of Crestwood taxes
- Financial need
- Participated in sports/dance/cheerleading (in school and out of school)
- Student and family membership with the PTA/PTSA/PTO
- Worked part-time or full-time during the high school years
Students who are:
- A resident of Pewee Valley or the City of Crestwood
- Active within clubs/organizations sponsored by the high school
- Active with the Methodist church
- Actively volunteering within the community
- Attending a Community College
- Involved in non-school sponsored Clubs/Organizations (i.e. Church group, 4H, Scouts, Youth in Action, Interact Club, etc.)
- Paying out of state tuition
- Planning a career as a First Responder (EMT/Fire Fighter/Police/Criminal Justice)
- Planning a career in journalism or web media (must submit 3 samples of your work)
- Pursuing a degree in one of these areas of study:
- Accounting/Finance
- Agriculture
- Business/Hotel & Restaurant Management
- Dentistry
- Education (Elementary/Secondary or High School teacher)
- Engineering
- Library science, Info. technology, statistics, technical writing, journalism, or English
- Medicine or Science
- Pre-med to become a physician
- Physical Therapy
- Veterinary medicine, equestrian related field, animal science
- Visual or performing arts
How do the applications get scored?
All sections are scored based on a rubric that provides guidelines to apply a score to each section of the application with minimal decision-making. Each score is then entered into an Excel spreadsheet and the final selection is based on the top scores.
If I don’t submit an essay will I still be eligible for scholarships?
Yes, however; your total score will be considerably lower than all other applications.
How do you judge the essays?
All student essays are read by three (3) judges and the final score for each essay is the average of all 3 judges.
How is a final decision made?
The Oldham County Community Scholarships board goes above and beyond what is expected of a scholarship selection committee. We do this to ensure that an impartial review and selection process is used when selecting scholarship recipients. Our organization is proud that we provide an easy method for students to apply and receive scholarships.
Who scores the applications?
With the help of over 30 community volunteers, each essays is read and scored by three (3) people and their scores are averaged to give the student the best possible score. Other sections of the application are scored and ranked by a computer program. Then OCCS board members sort and match applications according to the criteria of each sponsor.
Do the sponsors have any input on the selection process or is it totally at the discretion of the board?
Each sponsor is strongly encouraged to send representatives from their business or organization to score the applications, but the Oldham County Community Scholarships committee selects recipients based on the criteria set by each sponsor. The scores are tallied in an Excel spreadsheet and the OCCS awards committee board members select the applicant with the highest score that matches the criteria of that sponsor.
When are applications scored?
Essays are read during the beginning of March. All scoring sessions are open to the public. All other sections are scored through the month of April. We are always looking for volunteers to help –please think about joining us!
The rejection letter I received stated, “the number of students who applied to the program exceeded the amount of dollars we had to distribute”. With these limitations, why are several students awarded more than one scholarship when many are deserving?
Scholarships are awarded to those applicants who best match the criteria of each scholarship. Many times, a student’s qualifications match those of several awards. In this case, we will award up to $1,500 to any one student.
Why would an applicant be disqualified?
Applicants can be disqualified for several reasons: incomplete content, submission of false information, lack of signatures, essay guidelines not followed, etc. A complete list of guidelines can be found with the application at the time of completion.
I did not receive a scholarship and I have a 4.0 GPA and I was active in school. What could I have done to improve my chances?
Remember, every sponsor defines their own criteria for awarding their scholarships and Oldham County Community Scholarships matches student applications with their criteria. Here are ways to increase your chances to get a scholarship:
– Complete ALL sections of the application
– Proofread to be sure nothing was missed
– Submit an essay
– Don’t state your name on your essay
– Write at least 500 words on your essay
– Provide contact information for your employment
– Provide contact information for school activities
– Provide contact information for volunteer work