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Wave-Makers: You can now use your college scholarship for gas and groceries

Wave-Makers: You can now use your college scholarship for gas and groceries

The Making Waves scholarship is now also more flexible, allowing you to use funds toward more education-related expenses. Here are highlights of what you can and can not spend your college scholarship funding to purchase.

Highlights for what you can and can not use your college scholarship funding to purchase this year

You shared and we listened! In addition to using feedback to expand our coaching model to include more defined roles for college, career, and financial coaching, now your Making Waves scholarship funding can be used for items like gas and groceries – and there are fewer limits for meals and housing.

Use your scholarship for education-related expenses

All purchases made or requested using your Making Waves college scholarship must be directly related to educational expenses so our program remains compliant with IRS guidelines. If your Making Waves financial coach identifies misuse of funds, they can freeze your scholarship for the term.

Questions?

Reach out to your Making Waves financial coach with any questions. You can find their contact information and book a meeting through the Wave-Maker Hub.

Housing improvements

  • There is no longer a $750 limit on monthly rent. Note: we will still need a signed lease.
  • First-year students living off campus are no longer required to submit a petition. Note: you still must meet with your financial coach with a parent present to create an off campus budget.
  • For students using digital payments: we do not need a W-9.

Meals improvements

  • You can now use your scholarship funding directly with dining and food vendors on your campus and for groceries. Note: Alcohol, tobacco, and online food delivery services are still ineligible.

Transportation improvements

  • You can use your scholarship funding for gas, public transportation, Amtrak, and flights. Note: Uber and tolls are not supported.

Ineligible costs

Here are items you CAN NOT spend your scholarship funding to purchase.

  • Alcohol, tobacco, or firearms
  • Gaming consoles, video games
  • Streaming service subscriptions (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Spotify)
  • Cosmetic procedures
  • Electronics not required for coursework
  • Parking tickets or traffic fines
  • Excessive clothing purchases
  • Deliveries on DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, AmazonFresh, or any other food delivery service

Schedule your financial plan meeting by August 31, 2025!

  • You shared and we listened! Your scholarship can now be used for items like gas and groceries – and there are fewer limits for meals and housing.
  • Before your meeting: Bring or send your 2025-26 Financial Aid Award Letter. If you are a part of MWA-21 or a community scholarship recipient, register for bill.com.
  • Ready to get your scholarship funds? Schedule your required financial plan meeting with your financial coach by August 31 through the Wave-Maker Hub or the Wave-Maker Portal.
CATEGORIES: Scholarship and Financial Aid
TAGS: Resources, Scholarships and Financial Aid

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About Making Waves Education Foundation

At Making Waves, we are committed to educational equity. Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit that supports Making Waves Academy – a public charter school with more than 1,100 5th through 12th grade students – and leads college and career programming with more than 430 college students.​
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Knowing the opportunities that come with a college degree, we partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. Centering the journeys of our students, our personalized approach includes college and career coaching, scholarships, and financial planning.​
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Our alumni network includes more than 730 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their first-generation, low-income peers, with 85% graduating debt-free.