Scholarship Official Rules

Last updated: January 12, 2024

OFFICIAL RULES 

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Void where prohibited by law. This Program is subject to all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances. 

The Making Waves Education Foundation Scholarship Program for the 9 Bay Area Counties (“Scholarship Program” or “Program”) begins on January 15, 2024 at 12:00:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on February 26, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m. PST for the Class of 2024. Making Waves Education Foundation (“Sponsor”)’s computer is the official timekeeping device for this Scholarship Program.  

By participating, each participant (and, if a minor, their parent or legal guardian) agrees to abide by these Official Rules and decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to the Scholarship Program. 

1. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OVERVIEW. 

The Scholarship Program is open to low-income high school seniors from the 9 Bay Area counties who plan to attend a not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within the United States (“Institution”) immediately following graduation and who meet all eligibility requirements stated below.  

Scholarship funds will be made payable not to students selected to receive scholarship funds (“Winners”), but to an Institution indicated by Winners, which must be chosen in consultation with the Sponsor.  Scholarship funds used toward related educational expenses, which must be pre-authorized by the Sponsor, will be made payable not to Winners, but directly to merchants.

In order to claim the annual need-based scholarship funding, Winners must actively participate in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation, which consists of regular one-on-one coaching and financial planning, for the length of time that they attend their Institution, up to 5 years.  

Each Winner’s actual award amount will vary based on factors like the Student Aid Index (SAI), the total cost of attendance at the Institution, the total cost of related educational expenses, and the length of time the Winner participates in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation.   

2. ELIGIBILITY. 

The Scholarship Program is open to any student (“Eligible Student” or “Student”) who meets all of the following eligibility requirements: 

  1. As of January 15, 2024, is a senior (i.e. student in their final year of secondary school) at a high school located in the 9 Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma); 
  1. Plans to attend a not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within the United States immediately after high school graduation; and 
  1. Is from a low-income household, defined as having a Student Aid Index (SAI) of less than 7500 and being Pell eligible, based on the Federal Student Aid estimator.

Children or wards of (a) employees, officers and trustees of the Sponsor and its affiliates, agents, and representatives; (b) the Scholarship Program’s advertising and promotion agencies, if any, and (c) the household members of (a) and (b), whether or not related, are not eligible to receive Scholarships as part of this Scholarship Program. 

Double-Served Ineligibility.

Our goal is to assist as many students in need as possible. Recognizing the prevalence of students requiring support, our program aims to complement additional scholarships you may receive as well as support you receive from your college campus, while avoiding duplicating coaching and mentorship services that are provided by other nonprofits or community organizations. Therefore, students who will be enrolled in a non-profit or community organization that offers comprehensive college assistance programming and support while in college will be classified as “double-served” and therefore ineligible for our scholarship.

We still partner with students who:   

We do not partner with students who are a part of another program that provides scholarships and comprehensive college success programming support. Students are expected to notify Making Waves immediately if they will be supported by this type of program.

If you have questions or would like to check if an organization is considered as providing comprehensive college success programming, please contact us at mwefsuccessprogram@making-waves.org.

3. HOW TO ENTER. 

Eligible Students who wish to enter the Scholarship Program must complete these steps: 

  1. Subscribe to receive text messages from Making Waves Education Foundation by visiting making-waves.org/college-chatbot and completing the sign-up form. 
  1. Follow @MakingWavesFdn (Making Waves Education Foundation) on TikTok. 
  1. Submit a completed Scholarship Program application, which can be accessed by visiting making-waves.org/programs, during the application submission period which begins on January 15, 2024 at 8:00:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on February 26, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m. PST. 

To enter without visiting the Making Waves Education Foundation website and completing one or more of the activities listed above, Eligible Students may call 510-275-7330 to request an alternate entry form. The form will be mailed upon request to the Eligible Student. A completed form should be mailed back to Making Waves Education Foundation, Attn: Scholarship Program, 3045 Research Drive, Richmond, CA 94806, with the requested information including: full name, mailing address, email address, and birthdate. Limit one (1) entry per stamped outer envelope. P.O. Boxes are not permitted. Also, an individual is limited to one (1) entry per Scholarship. Entries received from any person in excess of these limitations shall be void. Automated or bulk entries or entries submitted by third parties may be disqualified. Entries must be submitted by the Eligible Student. Any attempt by any participant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple and/or different identities, forms, registrations, email addresses, logins, or any other methods will disqualify that participant’s entries, and that participant may be disqualified from the Program. 

4. PRIZES. 

Winners will be awarded a Scholarship at either the $10,000 Maximum Scholarship Level or the $20,000 Maximum Scholarship Level. Limit: One Scholarship at either the $10,000 Maximum Scholarship Level or the $20,000 Maximum Scholarship Level per student. 

$10,000 Maximum Scholarship Level. 

Winners of the $10,000 Maximum Scholarship Level will receive up to $2,000 of need-based scholarship funding annually, up to 5 years. Scholarship funds will be made payable not to Winners, but to their Institution, which must be chosen in consultation with the Sponsor. Scholarship funds used toward related educational expenses, which must be pre-authorized by the Sponsor, will be made payable not to Winners, but directly to merchants. In order to claim the annual need-based scholarship funding, Winners must actively participate in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation, which consists of regular one-on-one coaching and financial planning, for the length of time that they attend their Institution, up to 5 years. Each Winner’s actual award amount will vary based on factors like the Student Aid Index (SAI), the total cost of attendance at the Institution, the total cost of related educational expenses, and the length of time the Winner participates in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation.  

$20,000 Maximum Scholarship Level. 

Winners of the $20,000 Maximum Scholarship Level will receive up to $4,000 of need-based scholarship funding annually, up to 5 years. Scholarship funds will be made payable not to Winners, but to their Institution, which must be chosen in consultation with the Sponsor. Scholarship funds used toward related educational expenses, which must be pre-authorized by the Sponsor, will be made payable not to Winners, but directly to merchants. In order to claim the annual need-based scholarship funding, Winners must actively participate in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation, which consists of regular one-on-one coaching and financial planning, for the length of time that they attend their Institution, up to 5 years. Each Winner’s actual award amount will vary based on factors like the Student Aid Index (SAI), the total cost of attendance at the Institution, the total cost of related educational expenses, and the length of time the Winner participates in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation. 

5. SELECTION OF WINNERS. 

By April 5, 2024, the Sponsor will select potential winners using a holistic judging procedure to identify Eligible Students who have the greatest opportunity to benefit from a scholarship and participation in the college and career success program of Making Waves Education Foundation. The odds of winning are based on the number of eligible entries received. 

6. NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS. 

The potential winners will be notified by email on or before April 5, 2024.  

7. VERIFICATION OF POTENTIAL WINNERS. 

ALL POTENTIAL WINNERS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY THE SPONSOR, WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. A PARTICIPANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY SCHOLARSHIP UNLESS AND UNTIL PARTICIPANT’S ELIGIBILITY HAS BEEN VERIFIED AND PARTICIPANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE. 

Potential winners must submit applicable Required Documentations as described below within 15 calendar days of the notification to claim their prize. 

Required Documentation: 

  1. Text Messaging Subscription Verification: Provide the phone number of the potential winner that was used to subscribe to receive text messages from Making Waves Education Foundation. 
  1. TikTok Follow Verification: Provide the TikTok username of the potential winner that was used to follow Making Waves Education Foundation on TikTok. 
  1. Unofficial High School Transcript: Provide a photo or printout of an unofficial high school transcript for the potential winner. 
  1. Low-income Verification: Provide a photo or other copy of a student aid report for the potential winner. 
  1. Letters of Recommendation and Supplemental Materials: Provide Letters of Recommendation and supplemental materials, as requested in the Scholarship Program application. 

If a potential winner cannot be contacted as provided herein after the first attempt to contact them, if they fail to sign and return any Required Documentation by the timeline as requested by the Sponsor, or if a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, which decision shall be based on the Sponsor’s sole discretion, the potential winner forfeits the prize. In such event, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, award the applicable prize to an alternate winner from among all remaining eligible entries. 

8. DISBURSEMENT. 

Scholarship funds will be made payable not to a Winner, but to their Institution, chosen in consultation with the Sponsor, on or before May 1, 2024, or to a merchant for related educational expenses. The Sponsor will never disburse scholarship funds or monies directly to a Winner; it will disburse scholarship funds only to Institutions or merchants. In cases where, prior to full disbursement, a Winner (i) changes or transfers to a new Institution, (ii) defers enrollment, or (iii) ceases attending or leaves the Institution for any reason, the Winner shall promptly notify the Sponsor of such change in their enrollment at the Institution, which shall be no later than five (5) business days after such change has been notified to the applicable Institution. Upon receipt of notification, in case of (i), the Sponsor shall disburse any remaining scholarship funds to the new Institution provided it is a not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within in the United States; and in case of (ii) and (iii), the Winner shall have 12 months (or 36 months in the case the reason for such deferral or leave is to enroll in the military or religious service) to notify the Sponsor of their enrollment at a new not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within the United States (together with a reasonable proof of such enrollment and, in the case of a military or religious-related deferral or leave, documentation of the applicable military or religious service) or the Winner will forfeit the remainder of the Scholarship. Furthermore, even if a Winner enrolls in a not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within the United States earlier than their cohort, the scholarship funds will be disbursed to the applicable Institution at the same time as the rest of the cohort. The scholarship funds shall be for undergraduate studies only. All Scholarships at the $10,000 Maximum Scholarship Level and the $20,000 Maximum Scholarship Level must be disbursed within 5 years from the start of enrollment at a not-for-profit four-year college or university with a physical campus within the United States. 

9. PUBLICITY AND OTHER CONSENT. 

Except where prohibited by law, participation in the Scholarship Program constitutes each entrant’s (and a minor entrant’s parents’ and legal guardians’) consent to the Sponsor’s (and its designees’, successors’ and assigns’) use or distribution of entrant’s name, biography, likeness, voice, photographs, video, opinions, statements, hometown, state and country of residence, high school, school district and entry for promotional, advertising, research and other purposes (including in communicating with their school and school district regarding entry and potential or actual receipt of scholarship funds) in any manner or media (including, without limitation, online, on websites and in social media), worldwide, in perpetuity, and without further payment, consideration, notice, review or consent.  

10. RELEASE OF LIABILITY. 

By participating, each entrant (and, if a minor, their parent or legal guardian) agrees to release, discharge, and hold harmless the Sponsor (and advertising and promotion agencies), and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses, and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from student’s participation in the Scholarship Program or any Scholarship Program-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any awarded prize. 

Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Scholarship Program, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by the Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Should any portion of the Scholarship Program be, in the Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend, modify, or terminate the Scholarship Program and, if terminated, at its discretion, award the prizes from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT DELIBERATELY TO DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. 

11. DISPUTES. 

Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Scholarship Program or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively in the federal or state courts located in Contra Costa County, California and in no other jurisdiction; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Scholarship Program, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Scholarship Program, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California. 

12. PRIVACY. 

Information collected from entrants is subject to the Sponsor’s Privacy Statement, available at www.making-waves.org/privacy-policy/.  

13. REQUEST FOR WINNERS’ LIST/OFFICIAL RULES. 

For the names of Scholarship Winners or a copy of the Official Rules, available September 1, 2024, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the request to Making Waves Education Foundation, Attn: Scholarship Program, 3045 Research Drive, Richmond, CA 94806. Please include a note specifying the nature of the request, e.g., asking for a hard copy of the Official Rules or the names of Scholarship Winners. Such request must be received by the Sponsor no later than 90 days after September 1, 2024, at which time all Scholarship Winners will have been verified.