Instructions for Goldwater Scholars

Payment request process

A Goldwater Scholar is eligible for funding at the start of the fall of their award year. The Foundation provides access to the required forms via a secure online platform. A general timeline for the payment process is outlined below; specific guidance and due dates are provided with each form. Scholars must contact the Foundation if unable to meet established deadlines.

	New Scholars	Continuing Scholars*
April	Submit the Scholarship Acceptance Form (SAF) by the date indicated in the award letter. The Foundation provides access to the Direct Deposit (DD) form.	—
June	The Foundation provides access to the Payment Request Form (PRF). Submit the PRF as early in the summer as possible, but after all financial aid is complete and the university has posted the cost of attendance for the new academic year.	The Foundation provides access to the PRF. Submit the PRF after your financial aid package, educational support, and cost of attendance are final for the upcoming academic year. Submit a transcript (official or unofficial) with the PRF to receive the second year of funding.
August	PRFs must be submitted to the Foundation no later than August 1. Contact the Foundation if you cannot meet this due date — unless prior permission has been granted, failure to meet the deadline may delay your funds. Payments are typically disbursed between August 15 and September 30.	Same deadline: PRFs are due no later than August 1.

*A Continuing Scholar is a student who won the Goldwater Scholarship as a sophomore and is therefore eligible for up to two years of support. The modified schedule is for the second year of eligibility.

Duration of awards

Scholars who receive the award as juniors can expect to receive support for a maximum of one year (2 semesters) or until graduation, if sooner. Scholars who receive the award as sophomores can expect to receive support for a maximum of two years (4 semesters) or until graduation, if sooner. All funding will be in accordance with the regulations established by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and will be subject to review by an authorized official of the institution that certifies:

• The Scholar is a full-time student and is taking a course of study, training, or other educational activities to prepare for a research career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
• The Scholar is in good academic standing.

Other academic calendars will be accommodated. Upon application to the Foundation, a Scholar may seek postponement of their award for health reasons or other mitigating circumstances. Requests must be made in writing and include relevant supporting documentation. Extensions — whether for a sabbatical, a research placement, or a medical issue — are reviewed by the Foundation and granted case by case.

Funding levels for all scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. All payments are processed in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.

Description of forms

Scholarship Acceptance Form (SAF)

Indicates acceptance of the Goldwater award and the conditions associated with the award. Scholars access the SAF via their Goldwater account.

Direct Deposit (DD)

The Foundation provides access to the DD form in April, after Scholars have accepted their award. The Foundation is required to make all payments by electronic funds transfer. Scholarship funds can only be deposited into the checking or savings account of the Goldwater awardee. The Treasury Department will not make payments to investment accounts or to an account not bearing the Scholar’s name. Providing the Scholar’s name is on the account, a joint checking or savings account is allowed. Unless named on the account, do not use the bank account of a parent or a significant other. Custodial accounts are acceptable if the Scholar is the primary account holder.

Payment Request Form (PRF)

The Foundation provides Scholars access to the PRF in June. Scholars may not submit forms until after their financial aid and cost of attendance for the upcoming academic year have been finalized.

The Foundation determines the amount of each scholarship based on the Scholar’s college expenses and educational support (scholarships, grants, etc.). Expenses covered by the Goldwater Scholarship include tuition, mandatory fees, housing and meals, and books ($1,000).

Payments from the Goldwater Foundation supplement, but do not duplicate, benefits from other sources — the financial benefits from all sources combined may not exceed the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, housing and meals, and books for an academic year. Scholars must promptly notify the Goldwater Foundation of any change in academic status.

For students who receive a Goldwater Scholarship in their sophomore year of college, a PRF is required for each year of eligibility, and a transcript is required for the second year of funding.

Goldwater payment policies

“Last dollar in” policy

At the time the amount of Goldwater scholarship funding is calculated and awarded, it is to be considered the student’s last financial award for the academic year for which the Goldwater Scholarship is being awarded. All school scholarships, fellowships, tuition waivers, basic educational opportunity grants, and community, corporate, professional, and other similar awards the student has at that time must be included. (Exclude family, Veteran’s Administration, loans, work-study, research stipends, resident assistant support, or the student’s own employment.)

After the amount of the Goldwater Scholarship is determined, no institutionally controlled scholarship, fellowship, grant, or other such award may be reduced to offset the Goldwater Scholarship. Should a college or university reduce an institutionally controlled award, the institution will be placed on probation by the Goldwater Foundation. During the probation, students from the institution may be nominated for a Goldwater Scholarship; however, should a student be named a Scholar, the student will be recognized as a Scholar, but no scholarship support will be provided.

Scholarship support received after the Goldwater Scholarship is determined

After Goldwater funding for the academic year is disbursed to the Scholar, additional scholarships or financial awards received for that year will not reduce the amount of Goldwater support. Scholarships received after disbursement do not need to be reported to the Foundation. However, if the new award is a multi-year award and the Scholar is eligible for two years of Goldwater support, the new award must be reported on the Scholar’s second PRF.

Change in academic status

The Scholar is responsible for notifying the Foundation of any change in academic status (e.g., early graduation, failure to maintain good academic standing). A change in status may require the Scholar to repay all or part of the funding provided by the Goldwater Foundation.

A Scholar may seek postponement of their award for health reasons or other mitigating circumstances. Please contact the Foundation for more information.

Study abroad

Scholars considering an internship, co-op, and/or study abroad must contact the Foundation to discuss their Goldwater funding prior to completing the PRF.

Change of contact information

Scholars should send updated contact information to Administrative Staff at goldwaterao@goldwaterscholarship.gov. A Scholar cannot make these changes by logging into their student account on the Goldwater online application.

Annual report instructions

Scholars are required to submit a brief yearly report to the Foundation that provides the following information:

• advanced degrees sought and graduate school(s) attended,
• fellowships and awards received,
• a brief description of your research, and
• any additional information deemed significant, particularly as it relates to your Goldwater award.

The report should be submitted by June 30 of each year for a period of four (4) years beginning the year after graduation. Scholars are also requested to notify the Foundation of changes in their mailing and email addresses (by emailing the update directly to the Foundation, not by logging into their online application account), and are encouraged to correspond with the Foundation throughout their careers.

To facilitate the reporting process, Foundation staff will disseminate an annual reporting form via email in the spring. Scholars may fulfill their annual reporting requirement by completing the survey by June 30. If you do not receive the electronic form, contact Administrative Staff at goldwaterao@goldwaterscholarship.gov.