Future Focus FAQs

April 14, 2026

Who does this apply to?

This requirement applies to Scholarship recipients starting their second and third years of college in fall 2026. 

How many hours are required?

Recipients must complete 250 hours of part-time work.

When does this requirement take effect?

This change goes into effect fall 2026. 

When do the hours need to be completed?

The 250 hours of part-time work for the 2026-27 school year must take place during fall 2026, spring 2027 and/or summer 2027. 

What type of part-time work is eligible?

Part-time work can include a job on or off campus, research, internships or other approved work opportunities. Self-employment or work with a family-owned business may be approved for one academic year with prior written permission from Scholarship staff.

What if a student has an extenuating circumstance that keeps them from completing this requirement?

Exemptions exist for serious, documented circumstances. Students experiencing significant barriers such as diagnosed health conditions, formal caregiving responsibilities or full-time conflicts like athletics or military training may request an exemption. Exemption requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and students are expected to communicate proactively and submit documentation. 

When will they report their working hours?

The Scholarship team will manage the Future Focus initiative. We will be sharing more information later with students about how they should report their hours, and we also will be updating colleges on our expected timeline for sharing students’ Scholarship eligibility status. Our goal is to provide information to colleges about recipients’ eligibility before college bills are issued, starting with the fall 2027 semester.

When will we communicate a recipient’s eligibility to their college?

We will communicate whether recipients still are eligible before their bills become available. 

How many recipients do you expect to meet this requirement?

Eighty percent of our recipients already work part time, so we expect the majority of our Scholarship recipients to maintain their eligibility.

How does this affect ineligible Scholarship recipients who want to regain their Scholarship for the upcoming school year?

This is a renewal requirement that applies only to current recipients of the Scholarship who are not in their freshman year.

What about students who are struggling to maintain their academic eligibility for the Scholarship?

Our top priority is for students to remain academically eligible for the Scholarship. We will continue monitoring our recipients academic performance and evaluate whether changes to Future Focus are appropriate.

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