Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship

The Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship will be provided to students from rural areas in Missouri and Illinois who are pursuing certificates or undergraduate degrees in information technology, health care, or risk management. This scholarship is renewable through graduation or up to ten semesters, and is available in amounts up to $5,000 per academic year.

To be eligible to be considered for this scholarship, applicants must:

  • Be a permanent resident for at least two years of a region outside a metropolitan area. Eligible counties are those not included in the official metropolitan statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Please proceed to the application to review the complete list of approximately 90 counties in Missouri and 60 in Illinois.
  • Be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited, nonprofit post-secondary program that will result in a degree or certificate.
  • Be pursuing undergraduate degrees or certificates in health care, information technology, or risk management.
  • Demonstrate significant financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or similar need calculations. Applicants with a Student Aid Index (SAI) over $17,500 must have significant and extenuating circumstances to be considered.
  • Have achieved a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average

The Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship is administered by The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. To be considered, completed applications and all required supporting documents must be submitted by the application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that ALL required documents have been submitted by the deadline. The Scholarship Foundation may not be able to notify the applicant of missing documents prior to the deadline.

Students who are selected to receive the Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship may also be given an opportunity to accept or decline an interest-free loan or other grants through The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis.

Awards will be announced in June.

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis
6825 Clayton Ave, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63139
(314) 725-7990
info@sfstl.org

Donor
Insuring Rural Communities
Award
up to $5,000 renewable
Deadline
04/15/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. Have you been a resident for at least two years of a rural county in Missouri or llinois? (Please click here to review the complete list of counties from which students are eligible to apply.)
  2. Are you pursuing an undergraduate degree or certificate in health care, information technology, or risk management?
  3. Applicant's Current Employer
  4. Applicant's Current Job Title or Occupation
  5. Hours Worked per Week
  6. List any other significant employment positions held within the last year.
    • 1. Employer
    • 2. Position/Title
    • 3. Dates Employed
    • 4. Reason for leaving
  7. Spouse/Partner Full Name
  8. Spouse/Partner Full Address (if different from applicant)
  9. Spouse/Partner Phone Number
  10. What is the current marital status of your parents?
  11. Parent (or legal guardian) 1 Full Name
  12. Parent (or legal guardian) 1 Phone Number
  13. Parent (or legal guardian) 2 Full Name
  14. Parent (or legal guardian) 2 Phone Number
  15. Do your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have a bachelor's degree?
  16. Is English your first language?
  17. Have you (applicant) ever declared bankruptcy?
  18. Have you (applicant) ever defaulted on a loan made to you for educational purposes?
  19. If you answered YES to either of the two previous questions, please write a statement explaining the circumstances that led you to file for bankruptcy or default. Please indicate the type of bankruptcy (i.e. Chapter 13) and describe how long ago it occurred.
  20. Are you, or will you be, pursuing your first certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree?
  21. List the most significant volunteer and extracurricular activities in which you have participated.
    • 1. Name
    • 2. Date
    • 3. Brief Description
    • 4. Leadership Positions Held
  22. List the most significant honors or awards that you have received.
    • 1. Name
    • 2. Date
    • 3. Type of recognition
  23. Who has supported your ambition to work toward completion of your college/postsecondary education program? Please describe how this individual supported you.
  24. If there is information about your or your family’s financial circumstances and ability to pay for college that you wish us to take into consideration as part of your application, please describe them here. Examples include a change or loss of income over the past year or medical costs due to illness in the household.
  25. OFFICIAL COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT: If you are a current college student, upload your official college transcript. The transcript should reflect grades from your most recently completed semester.
  26. HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT: Upload your complete high school transcript. If you are a high school senior, upload your high school transcript INCLUDING GRADES THROUGH THE FALL 2024 SEMESTER.
  27. List any other postsecondary institutions attended in the last three years. OFFICIAL transcripts are required for any other postsecondary school attended.
    • 1. School
    • 2. Major
    • 3. Dates Attended
    • 4. Degree Attained
    • 5. Upload OFFICIAL Transcript
  28. FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY: Upload all pages of the 2025-26 FAFSA Submission Summary report from your FAFSA. If you are unable to file a FAFSA for any reason, please contact The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis at info@sfstl.org or (314) 725-7990 for guidance on information that may be submitted as a substitute. (Click here for instructions to download your FAFSA Submission Summary.)
  29. FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN BORROWING HISTORY: Upload a screenshot of your borrowing history from your Federal Student Aid Dashboard which consists of your total balance of federal student loans and the breakdown of the individual Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans borrowed to date. ( Click here for instructions to access your borrowing history.)
  30. Housing Plans: Select your housing plans for the school you plan to attend.
  31. FINANCIAL AID OFFER LETTER: Upload your 2025-2026 Financial Aid Offer Letter. If you receive the financial aid offer from your school by the application deadline, upload the document and submit it with your application. If you do not receive the letter by the deadline, you will be contacted by The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis to submit the document before an award is considered.
  32. Research has shown that students from rural communities face unique challenges in pursuing their higher education goals. How has your experience growing up in a small town or rural area shaped your journey to college?
  33. ESSAY: We are curious to know what drives your passion and commitment to improve the world around you. Please describe what issues are important to you that involve your community, educational success, or future. Why do you care about these issues more than others and why is it important for them to be addressed?
  34. SCHOLARSHIP CENTRAL RECOMMENDATION: Enter the name and e-mail address of an instructor, counselor, advisor, supervisor or other similarly qualified individual who will submit a recommendation on your behalf. NOTE: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform that person to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.
  35. APPLICATION STATUS AUTHORIZATION: For your protection, The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis requires your authorization to share personal information and the status of your application to a third party such as your parent(s), counselors, community-based organizations, etc. If you wish to grant authorization, please list below the names of the individuals and their relationship to you. If the individual is affiliated with an organization, please also include the name of the organization.
  36. APPLICANT SIGNATURE: By entering my full name below, I authorize The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and its agents to examine, verify and discuss my academic and/or financial records and other information which applies to the consideration of this application. I certify that all answers are accurate and truthful to the best of my knowledge, and that all information in the application and essays are my own work. I understand that the decisions made regarding my participation in this program are made by The Scholarship Foundation in reliance upon the truth and correctness of my statements.
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