Be a resident of the St. Louis metropolitan area for at least two years prior to the date of the application or have graduated from a St. Louis metropolitan area high school in the past two years. The metropolitan area includes St. Louis city, the Missouri counties of St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, or Warren, and the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair. Demonstrate financial need Have achieved a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale Plan to enroll in or be currently enrolled in a certificate or degree program at an accredited, nonprofit institution of higher education Applicants with history of educational loan default or bankruptcy are asked to submit a statement of explanation Be seeking a first certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree All fields of study, except the ministry and divinity degrees, are eligible for funding. Students who have already obtained a bachelor's degree are not eligible to apply. In order to complete the online application process, applicants must complete two essays, upload the following supporting documents, and ensure that a letter of recommendation is received by the deadline. 2019-2020 Student Aid Report (SAR) High school and official college transcripts 2019-2020 financial aid award letter Online letter of recommendation (Note: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform your recommender to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.) In addition to the required documents above, The Scholarship Foundation reserves the right to obtain copies of applicant and parent federal tax returns in order to verify information provided in the Student Aid Report.