Women’s Independence Scholarship Program

1. Women’s Independence Scholarship Program Helping Clients Apply For WISP

2. My client wants to go to school. What next?Before recommending that a client start the application, assess whether she meets our basic eligibility criteria by considering the following: • Has she been separated from her partner for at least a year? (Does she understand the power and control dynamic? Has she found some stability and is she ready for this new challenge?) • Has she met with me or someone at the agency for at least 6 consecutive months? (Do we have a good relationship? Will she come to me for help? Am I confident in her academic abilities? Am I comfortable recommending her?) • Has she chosen an accredited school or program? • Is she a US citizen, permanent resident, or – if neither of those things apply, does she have some other immigration status that makes her eligible for financial aid and/or employment?

3. She doesn’t meet the basic eligibility criteria…NOW WHAT? • If timing is the issue, wait until she does meet the criteria. If she’s close, call the coordinator for your state and ask. • If the program is questionable, or if residency status is confusing OR she doesn’t quite fit “in the box” and you just aren’t sure, contact your state coordinator. • Tammy (states A-C and O-W) tammy@wispinc.org • Amy (states D-N) amy@wispinc.org When in doubt always ask!

4. Yes! My client meets basic eligibility criteria!The next step is to start the application process. • provide her with our web address: wispinc.org, where she will click “apply now” for access to the secure application site…

5. …which looks like this: To create an account, your client will click on signup button at top of page. On the next screen, she will enter the requested information and then click CREATE ACCOUNT

6. After creating an account using her email address and a password she chooses, your client will have access to a series of required tasks. • This infographic maps out the steps for each task. • Find the infographic online: • wispinc.org/ • about-the-application

7. Fill Out Application FormTo complete this task your client will need to have the following information readily available: • Contact information • Educational history • Mailing address for school • Contact information for sponsor • Class schedule • Monthly income and expenses • Cost of tuition and estimated cost of books • Financial aid

8. Write the narrativeYour client will provide short answers to the following questions • How do your educational goals enable you to get a job that will provide a living wage? • What do you see as your greatest strengths? Weaknesses? • What personal difficulties or challenges do you anticipate in completing the educational plan you propose? • Briefly describe the history of your abuse. • How long were you in the relationship and what is the date (month/year) you separated for good? • What steps have you taken to be free of your abuser? • Any other information you believe is important to share.

9. Upload DocumentsYour client will attach the following forms to her application • Tuition bill for the current or upcoming semester. • Financial aid awarded for current or upcoming semester. • First page of income tax return for previous year (if she filed). • Ways your client can upload documents: • Paper forms can be scanned and uploaded. • Copy information from the school’s website, paste into a word document, save as a PDF and then upload. • Take a photo and upload a JPEG. • Uploads should be checked to be sure they’re right side up and readable. • Forms with multiple pages should be saved as one document.

10. Email requests to Sponsor, Two References • Client will enter email addresses and prompt the system to send a link to the sponsor and two additional references. The recipients of this email simply click the link and are directed to a secure form online. • Prior to initiating the email request to the sponsor, a client is required to complete a release of information form. • A sponsor can’t also be a reference. • 1 reference can be from a personal connection – family member or friend. • 1 reference must be non-personal. Teacher, mentor, someone else at the agency, minister, counselor are some potential references. • Our reference request does not mention domestic violence.

11. [A brief side note about Sponsor Forms]This is your action step! Be on the lookout for the email from our system so that you can complete these items: • 1. A series of 6 questions: • A short history of the agency (which you can skip if you’ve sponsored someone before). • How long you’ve known your client and how you experience working with her. • Your understanding of her educational goals. • An objective assessment of strengths and/or weaknesses that might help or hinder her progress. • Any comments on her motivation, capability and commitment to attending school. • Any plans you and your client have made in the event that challenges present themselves. • 2. The Sponsor Agreement • Sponsor responsibilities are restated (for reference, they’re also listed here: wispinc.org/what-is-a-sponsor/). • Contact information is provided (agency mailing address, Tax ID number, phone and email of primary contact). • Your signature. **Need more information? We will talk about Sponsor responsibilities in more detail in future trainings, so stay tuned for that too!**

12. Academic PlanYour client will enter this information into the online form • An academic plan is a “map to graduation”. • An academic advisor can help a student plan out the classes that are required for her degree and the semesters she might take them. • This will help both the student and WISP see how many semesters it may take to graduate. • The plan can be adjusted depending on class availability, full-time or part-time status, or other factors. Adjustments should be communicated to WISP in the next renewal application.

13. after all tasks have been completed. And finally…your client will click SUBMIT • This will tell our system that the application is ready for the next step, which is to be reviewed by the state coordinator. BUT…TAKE NOTE • Any tasks marked “pending” will prevent an application from being reviewed. A state coordinator will not see the application for review until every task says “complete” next to it. • Once all pending tasks are completed the application will then be available for review. It is recommended that clients click “submit” as soon as they complete all of their requirements, regardless of any tasks marked as pending.