The Four Types of Scholarships Offered

As our scholarship program has evolved, the number and types of scholarships we offer have also evolved.  This evolution is the result of two modifications.  The first is due to changes made by The Thomas and Elsie Deeley Foundation (e.g., expanding scholarships to universities other than Fairfield University, making scholarships for two-year colleges available, and providing partial scholarships).  The second modification is a significant expansion of the number of partnerships we have with colleges and universities.  There are now partnerships with public universities and several private colleges and universities in the Connecticut area.

The Deeley Foundation discovered that many of the area colleges were very receptive to forming these partnerships and attempted to seek out those colleges and universities that were favored by scholarship applicants.

The Positive Impact Our Partnerships Can Have On Scholarship Awards

The number of partnerships with colleges and universities has grown over time.  These partnerships began to increase significantly starting in 2017.  The Deeley Foundation continues to seek partnerships with those colleges and universities where significant numbers of students apply.  In addition, the Deeley Foundation continues to work with existing partners to increase both the types and amount of aid available for our recipients.  On occasion, partners have been removed when their terms became too stringent, or they were unwilling to increase their aid to a more meaningful level.

Although our scholarship recipients are free to attend any college or university, about half of our recipients do attend one of our partner schools.  The chart below illustrates the distribution of students between our partner schools and other colleges and universities.

It is not surprising that over half of our scholarship recipients attend one of our partner schools.  The Deeley Foundation tracks where our scholarship applicants apply and attempts to form partnerships with those colleges and universities that receive significant numbers of applications.

The chart below shows the seventeen colleges and universities partnering with the Deeley Foundation, the year each partnership began, and the types of scholarships offered by each partner.

What has been the effect of forming these partnerships?  The answer is simple.  It has allowed both the colleges and the Deeley Foundation to gain from these relationships.  The colleges are attracting more applications from students, and they also have the opportunity to receive additional funding from the Deeley Foundation to enhance their institutional financial aid offerings.  In exchange, the Deeley Foundation can use these partnerships to increase the dollars available for funding scholarships and to offer scholarships to a greater number of students.

About one-third of our scholarship awards are now funded jointly by the Deeley Foundation and our partners.  The following chart shows the distribution of funding between The Deeley Foundation and our college partners.

FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIPS PERCENT

This additional funding from our college and university partners allows students to benefit in two ways.  First, the Deeley Foundation can increase the total amount of funding for scholarships.  Second, the partnerships allow the Deeley Foundation to increase the number of students receiving scholarships.

The following chart shows the dramatic increase in overall funding for scholarships by the Deeley Foundation beginning in 2018.

In addition to this increase in funding, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of students receiving a Deeley Foundation Scholarship during an academic year, as can be seen from the following chart:

The Four Types of Scholarships and the College/University Partners that Participate with The Deeley Foundation

There are four types of scholarships available from The Thomas and Elsie Deeley Foundation.  Scholarship applicants DO NOT have to do anything to indicate a preference for which type of scholarship they want; they are automatically considered for every type of scholarship for which they are eligible. 

All our partnership scholarships require students to apply for non-binding “early action” at the colleges of their choice.  This allows our college and university partners time to make acceptance and financial aid decisions in a timely manner.  All scholarship applicants must also complete a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (and in some cases, the CSS Profile – check with your specific college for this requirement) and forward this information to their college choices.  This information about a student’s acceptance status and financial aid is then shared with the Deeley Foundation before making our final scholarship awards.

The five types of scholarships are:

  • FULL NEED SCHOLARSHIPS – available only at our partner schools.  A scholarship equal to a student’s full Demonstrated Financial Need (DFN), as determined by the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) report, is awarded.  The four-year value of these scholarships ranges from $200,000 to $300,000+.  Students remain eligible to receive Pell Grants, work-study jobs, and loans to help cover any “unmet costs”.
  • FULL TUITION PLUS SCHOLARSHIPS – available only at our partner schools.  These scholarships are available to all students regardless of financial need.  At a minimum, a student’s tuition costs, including annual increases are met.  In some cases, the total award may exceed the cost of tuition. The four-year value of these scholarships is $145,000 to $160,000+.  Students remain eligible to receive Pell Grants, work-study jobs, and loans to help cover the cost of room and board and other costs associated with attendance.
  • FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING SCHOLARSHIPS – available at any school, including selected partner schools.  These scholarships are available to all students regardless of financial need.  Students receive aid up to $12,000+ per year to apply towards their cost of attending college.  Our partner schools match the award of the Deeley Foundation on a dollar-for-dollar basis.  The four-year value of these scholarships is between $40,000 and $60,000.  Students remain eligible for additional financial aid from the college or university.
  • PARTIAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS – available at any school including all our partner schools.  These scholarships are available to all students regardless of financial need.  Students receive aid up to $10,000 per year to apply towards the cost of attending college.  Students remain eligible for additional financial aid from the college or university.  The four-year value of these scholarships is up to $40,000.

The current list of our college and university partners follows:

FULL NEED PARTNERSHIPS

        • Albertus Magnus College

FULL TUITION PLUS PARTNERSHIPS

        • University of Bridgeport
        • University of Hartford

FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING PARTNERSHIPS

        • Boston College
        • Central Connecticut State University
        • Eastern Connecticut State University
        • Fairfield University
        • Sacred Heart University
        • Southern Connecticut State University
        • Stonehill College
        • Trinity College
        • University of Massachusetts
        • University of New Haven
        • University of Saint Joseph
        • Western Connecticut State University

PARTIAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

        • All Colleges And Universities (Including Partner Schools)

Although students have no restrictions on where they can attend college, over half of our scholarship recipients attend one of our partner colleges, as can be seen from the following chart:

The Deeley Foundation has provided over $2,000,000 in scholarships to students.  A summary of the institutions receiving this funding is shown below:

Details of the Four Types of Scholarships Offered by the Deeley Foundation

This next section provides a detailed description of each of the four types of scholarships available from The Thomas and Elsie Deeley Foundation.  The values listed for each scholarship are the four-year values.  For more detailed information about the specific scholarship requirements for a college/university, please go to the Frequently Asked Questions page of our website.

Full Need Scholarships

These scholarships are available for students attending Fairfield University, Stonehill College, Trinity College, the University of New Haven, Assumption University, and Albertus Magnus College.  These institutions have agreed to fund 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need (DFN) up to the total cost of attendance (COA).  Since most colleges (except for a few Ivy League schools) are unable to provide funding for 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need, this is a very exceptional scholarship opportunity.  These scholarships have no specific financial need requirements for students to be eligible.

In addition to meeting 100% of a student’s DFN, these scholarships allow a student to remain eligible for financial aid from Pell Grants, work-study programs, and loans to cover the additional unmet costs associated with a college education.

Since the value of these scholarships varies with a student’s financial need, it is difficult to place a specific value on them.  Consequently, we are showing the maximum amount if a student has no Expected Family Contribution (EFC); the actual awards will most likely be lower.

Albertus Magnus College – The Deeley Foundation contribution is $60,000, and the maximum value of the scholarship for a student with no EFC is $200,000+.

All scholarship applicants applying to the above schools are also automatically considered for the FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING and PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships. There is a requirement to maintain a 2.8 GPA with these awards.

Full Tuition Plus Scholarships

These scholarships are available for students attending the University of Bridgeport and the University of Hartford.  In some cases, the scholarship award may exceed the cost of tuition.  In addition, students remain eligible to receive Pell Grants, work-study jobs, and loans to cover the additional cost of attending college.

There is no financial need requirement for these scholarships as there is with our FULL TUITION scholarships. 

If a scholarship recipient originally received a financial aid package that, when combined with a $15,000 contribution from the Deeley Foundation, exceeds the cost of tuition, the scholarship recipient will retain the original financial aid award from the school and may receive a FULL TUITION PLUS scholarship that exceeds the cost of tuition.

Below are the four-year tuition values of the arrangements we currently have in place with these universities:

University of Bridgeport – The Deeley Foundation contribution is $60,000, and the value of the scholarship is $128,000+.

University of Hartford – The Deeley Foundation contribution is $60,000, and the value of the scholarship is $180,000+.

All scholarship applicants applying to the above schools are also automatically considered for the FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING and PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships.  There is a requirement to maintain a 2.8 GPA with these awards.

Full Foundation and Matching Scholarships

In some cases, there are MATCHING agreements with specific schools, and these partnerships are used for both FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING scholarships and for PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships and are limited to the amount of tuition and fees. These scholarships refer to the maximum dollar awards made by the Deeley Foundation to both partner and non-partner institutions and are usually limited to the greater of $12,000 per academic year or the cost of tuition.

These scholarships are available for any college or university, both 2-year and 4-year institutions, including those with FULL TUITION, FULL TUITION PLUS, and FULL NEED partnerships; and have no specific financial need requirements.

Below are the four-year values of the arrangements we currently have with both public and private colleges/universities:

Boston College – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $60,000 to match self-help aid (federal aid including loans and Pell Grants), and the value of the scholarship is up to $60,000.

Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) – This scholarship is limited to an amount up to the cost of tuition and fees.  The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $24,000+; this amount is matched by CCSU, and the value of the scholarship is up to $48,000+.

Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) – This scholarship is limited to an amount up to the cost of tuition and fees.  The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $24,000+; this amount is matched by ECSU, and the value of the scholarship is up to $48,000+.

Fairfield University – The Deeley Foundation contribution is matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by Fairfield University.  This scholarship is in addition to any financial aid awarded by Fairfield University during the normal acceptance process.  The total financial aid from the Deeley Foundation and Fairfield University cannot exceed the total cost of tuition and fees.  There is no limit on the number of matching scholarships that can be awarded in any academic year.  The combined value of this financial aid is up to $220,000+.

Sacred Heart University – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $18,000, and the value of the scholarship is up to $144,000.  The scholarship cannot exceed more than 50% of the cost of tuition and fees PLUS $5,000, except in situations of significant financial need.

Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) – This scholarship is limited to an amount up to the cost of tuition and fees.  The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $24,000+; this amount is matched by SCSU, and the value of the scholarship is up to $48,000+.

Stonehill College – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $20,000; this amount is matched by Stonehill College, and the value of the scholarship is up to $40,000.  There is a limit that the combination of financial aid already awarded by Stonehill College, when combined with the Deeley Foundation Scholarship, cannot exceed the cost of tuition and fees.

Trinity College – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $60,000 to match self-help aid (federal aid including loans and Pell Grants), and the value of the scholarship is up to $60,000.

University of Massachusetts – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $18,000+; this amount is matched by UMass, and the value of the scholarship is up to $144,000+.

University of New Haven – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $20,000; this amount is matched by the University of New Haven, and the value of the scholarship is up to $40,000.

University of Saint Joseph – This scholarship is limited to an amount up to the cost of tuition and fees.  The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $72,000, and the value of the scholarship is up to $144,000+.

Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) – The Deeley Foundation contribution is up to $20,000; this amount is matched by WCSU, and the value of the scholarship is up to $40,000.

Any Other College or University – The Deeley Foundation portion is up to $12,000 per academic year; there is no matching arrangement, and the value of the scholarship is up to $48,000.

Recipients are required to maintain a G.P.A. of 2.5 – 2.75 to remain eligible for these scholarships.

All scholarship applicants applying to any of these schools, or any other college or university are automatically considered for FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING and PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships.

Partial Foundation Scholarships

From time to time the Deeley Foundation interviews students who are not selected for FULL NEED scholarships, FULL TUITION PLUS scholarships, FULL TUITION scholarships, or FULL FOUNDATION AND MATCHING scholarships; but have made a favorable impression on the selection committee. In these cases, the Deeley Foundation awards PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships to these deserving students.

These scholarships are available for any college or university, both 2-year and 4-year institutions, and have no specific financial need requirements.

The amounts of these PARTIAL FOUNDATION scholarships range from a minimum of $2,000 per year to a maximum of $10,000 per year.

Any College or University (Including Partners) – The Deeley Foundation portion is up to $10,000 per academic year; there may or may not be a matching amount from a partner institution, and the value of the scholarship is up to $40,000.

We have occasionally made exceptions to these guidelines and modified our awards to better match the needs of our recipients.  This can take the form of reducing the amount of scholarship in one year and increasing it in subsequent years.  In all cases, we are guided by what is needed to help a student be successful.