2025 Scholarship Guidelines

Great American Scholarship Program: 2025 Scholarship Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria:

To qualify for the Great American Scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicant must be a US citizen or legally permitted students with permanent address in one of following states; AL, GA, NC SC, TN. Student must belong to 50% or more to the Korean descent. 

• Minimum GPA: 2.8 or higher.

• Community Service: Must have completed at least 300 hours of verified volunteer

work in non-Korean and non-Korean-American communities (during high school years).

• Grading Formula:

Full selection grade point is awarded for volunteer work in non-Korean-American communities (example organizations include the Red Cross, hospitals, schools, disaster relief efforts, Boys and Girls Clubs, Rotary Clubs, and similar works). Half selection point is awarded for volunteer work within Korean-American communities and churches.

Announcement and Application Timeline:

• Application Deadline: April 18, 2025

• Award Announcements: Awards will be announced on April 30, 2025.

• Annual Award Dinner: Saturday, May 10, 2025

• Deferred Payment: In special cases where a student’s enrollment is delayed, the Foundation may choose to defer payment until enrollment is confirmed.

Disbursement of Scholarship Funds:

The Great American Scholarship Foundation will only disburse funds directly to accredited educational institutions for qualified expenses. Under the current program’s parameters, the Foundation can choose whether to send funds directly to students or to their educational institutions. Going forward, the Foundation will disburse funds only to institutions for qualified expenses.

• Eligible Expenses: Scholarship funds may only be used for tuition and qualified educational expenses as defined by IRS regulations, including required fees, books, supplies, and equipment necessary for coursework.

• Ineligible Expenses: The scholarship does not cover non-educational expenses such as room and board, travel, or other personal costs. Funds may not be held for future non-educational use.

Deferred Enrollment:

In the event that a scholarship recipient defers their college enrollment, the Foundation reserves the right to defer the payment of the scholarship until the student begins their studies. Scholarship funds must be used in the academic year for which they are awarded unless an official deferral is approved by the Foundation.

Limitations on Fund Use:

To comply with IRS regulations, students must use the scholarship funds exclusively for Qualified Tuition and educational expenses. Any funds not used for these purposes must be returned to the Foundation. If a student is found to have used the funds for non- educational expenses, they will be required to return the funds,

Legal and Compliance Disclaimers:

The Great American Scholarship Foundation adheres to all IRS guidelines and requirements for charitable private foundations. All scholarships are awarded under strict compliance with federal regulations and are subject to the following conditions:

• Funds may only be used for educational purposes as outlined in the award agreement.

• Any portion of the scholarship funds that remain unused or misused must be

returned to the Foundation.

Your support can make a difference

By joining our scholarship fund, you're not just supporting education – you're helping dreams of Korean American heritage take flight and empowering the leaders of tomorrow.