Finish Strong Eligibility & Selection

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates for the scholarship must demonstrate the following to be considered:

1. Applicants who reside in the United States must meet one of the following requirements: be a legal resident of the United States; have been granted permanent residency; have a valid visa that does not prohibit educational studies; have been granted temporary protected status along with approved Notice of Action issued by Citizen Immigration Services and verified through CIS Form g-845; or have been granted asylum along with the approved Notice of Action issued by the Citizen Immigration Services.


2. Applicant must have started but not completed his/her undergraduate or masters degree program at any accredited college and/or university. Applicant must have completed at least 9 credits or one semester  towards the degree in which they were enrolled.


3. Applicant has not been enrolled or attended classes at the college and/or university that they were initially enrolled in within the past one year.


4. Applicant must not be currently receiving or will be receiving once enrolled 100% tuition reimbursement from any source(s).


5. Applicant must not be currently enrolled or in the process of enrolling at any University of Phoenix campus or in any online program at any time prior to the scholarship award date. Applicant must not have been enrolled in any university, including University of Phoenix, within the past year from the first date scholarship applications are accepted. Applicants who enroll after submitting an application or before the scholarship award date are not eligible to be a recipient of this scholarship.
6. Applicant must meet all admissions requirements of the University of Phoenix.


7. Applicant must not be an employee or a direct family member (spouse, partner, parent/grandparent, child/grandchild) of an employee of Apollo Group, Inc., University of Phoenix, Western International University, Institute for Professional Development or any other subsidiary of Apollo Group, Inc.


8. In order for the University to verify applicant’s prior educational history as part of the applicant’s eligibility criteria, applicant must agree to sign a release, which shall direct the applicant’s former university to release applicant’s degree program, number of credits completed and/or number of credits remaining to the University.


9. Applicant must be eligible to agree and must agree to the Apollo Group, Inc. Consent and Release Form which shall release  the information contained in this application for marketing purposes, including but not limited to, the use of applicant’s first name and the essays submitted (in whole or in part) on national television, radio and/or in any other known medium regardless of whether or not the scholarship is awarded to applicant.


10. Submit a completed essay. High importance will be placed on the applicant’s desire to advance in their education, with an emphasis on furthering their careers and/or their impact in their community. Extraordinary essays may be selected to be read on national television, radio,  Monday Night Football and/or in any other known medium  but in no way indicates an award or  acceptance of this scholarship.


11. Submit a complete, signed application, together with all supporting documentation by the deadline date listed under the Selection Process section. The completion of the application form does not create an obligation to award a scholarship to applicant.

Selection Process

1. The Scholarship Committee consisting of representatives from University of Phoenix and third party members, as University of Phoenix deems appropriate, will select the recipient of this scholarship. University of Phoenix retains the right to final decision making.


2. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit a complete and signed application and all the supporting documentation in one package, which must be received on or before the deadline date as set forth below. The Scholarship Committee accepts no responsibility for incomplete applications, applications not in proper form, lost applications, or any other submission in exception to the above instructions.


3. The decision of the Scholarship Committee is final and not subject to a review process.


4. Scholarship selection shall be made without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability.


5. The scholarship award will be based on the Committee’s scores of the overall quality of the application and the scholarship essay. The higher the average score, the higher the probability of selection.


6. Applicant acknowledges and agrees that the use or nonuse of applicant’s information, including but not limited to, applicant’s name or essay content (in whole or in part) for marketing purposes, on national television, radio and/or in any known medium, and in no way indicates that applicant shall or will be awarded this scholarship. Applicant shall not be entitled to any reliance on the use or nonuse of applicant’s information by the University for marketing purposes.