Procedure to apply for VIA scholarship
For eligibility requirements, please see the Scholarship Rubric below.
Please be aware the VIA scholarship applies only towards tuition;
boarding, living expenses and other fees remain the responsibility of the
student.
1. Fill out the attached Application packet.
2. Scan student’s school transcript.
3. Scan results of any Standardized test scores (STAR, SSAT, AP, SAT,
TOEFL etc.)
4. Write an essay response to the following prompt: “Recount your
proudest achievement. Describe how it impacts your life today and
may influence your future success here at VIA and beyond”
5. Provide any other applicable supporting materials (copies of
awards, letters of recommendation from current teachers etc).
6. Fill out and submit the Scholarship agreement below on pages 3-4.
Please email all documents to admissions@valleyacademy.org
Note that the percentage level of the scholarship is determined by the VIA
rubric.
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Scholarship Rubric
Each category is rated on a scale of zero to four stars. Scoring is based upon the student’s
application and essay, school transcript, and teacher recommendation letters.
Leadership = ability to positively direct others to reach their goals, as determined by roles held
in school and local community as evidenced in grades 7 or later.
0 = no formal roles yet held, 2 = some evidence of leadership potential, 4 = proven effectiveness
in multiple leadership roles (team captain of successful season and president of winning major
club etc.)
Extra-Curricular involvement = time investment outside the classroom environment (need not
be in a leadership capacity). This includes additional recognitions earned by the student for their
achievements. For 9th grade applicants, the school will look at 7th and 8th grade activities only.
For 10th, 11th and 12th grade applicants, the school will look at high school activities only.
0 = no extra-curricular activities, 2 = member of an afterschool club, 4 = extensive commitments
outside the classroom in multiple arenas (consistent community service, athlete, science fair
winner, yearbook contributor, summer program participation etc.)
School Ranking = position in their school
GPA = only use if previous category of School
0 = school doesn’t rank, or rank unknown, 2 =
top third of their current class (or has been in
the top quartile in the past year), 4 = top 10% of
school
0 = below 3.0, 2 = 3.50 or higher, 4 = 4.0 or
higher
based upon weighted GPA
Ranking not available. This is based on the
American system of 4.0 “A”
Rigorous academic load = course work is challenging, as determined by transcript and/or
teacher letters. If the school does not offer such courses, then add up scores from other
categories and multiply by 1.25
0 = no IB/AP/Honors taken or offered, 2 = occasional honors courses with above average grades,
4 = multiple honors courses in a variety of disparate subjects and/or 4-5’s on multiple AP exams.
Recommendations = letter describing student written from at least one current teacher
0 = no endorsement from instructor, 2 = mild praise from single teacher, 4 = extremely high
praise on many fronts or from multiple teachers
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Sum all scores then multiply by 5 to find the recommended percentage of semester tuition
subsidy.
Examples:
A scholarship applicant is a class representative with their student government body
(Leadership = 3), a member of their school’s debate team (Extra-Curricular = 2), has a GPA of 3.5
but this only puts them in the top half of their class (School Ranking = 1), has taken honors math
and honors science every year and gotten A’s in both (Rigorous Academics = 3), and their debate
ability is spoken of very high highly by their language teacher (Recommendation = 3). Thus, this
rubric would recommend an award of (3+2+1+3+3)*5 = 60% tuition (i.e. $6,000 waived of the
$10,000 so the family only needs to pay $4,000 for the first semester at VIA).
A scholarship applicant is one of many editors of their school’s large yearbook (Leadership = 2)
which they work on afterschool and been honored with an award for its quality (Extra
Curricular = 3). Their school does not use a ranking system, but they have a GPA of 3.0 (GPA = 1).
Last year they took an honors writing class in which they got a B (Rigorous = 1). Their yearbook
advisor wrote a letter indicating they are a hard worker (Recommendation = 2). Thus, this rubric
would recommend an award of (2+3+1+1+2)*5 = 45% tuition (i.e. $4,500 waived of the $10,000
so the family only needs to pay $6,500 for the first semester at VIA).
For international students who plan to apply for VIA’s Scholarship are required to
provide one of the test scores below.
Standardized Test Scores and GPA must 3.5 above
VIA require that students submit one standardized test score (such as TOEFL, SSAT, ITEP SLATE
Plus etc.).
Table:
STANDARDIZED TEST
TOEFL
SSAT
ITEP SLATE PLUS
Score around or above
70
2000
5
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Scholarship agreement
Please read and type your name on the statement below.
I, the parents/guardian(s) of
(student’s name),
(parent/guardian’s name) fully understand and agree below
information.
1.The VIA scholarship applies only towards tuition. Boarding,
living expenses and other fees remain are our responsibility.
2.Scholarships are fulfilled directly as a deduction in tuition, not as
a cash payment.
3. I am responsible for any remaining tuition after the scholarship
deduction is applied.
4. I am aware the scholarship is based on one year (Two
semesters). I am required to pay one year’s tuition after I receive
the scholarship.
Typing your name here constitutes a valid electronic
signature.
Date:
Student parents or Guardian’s First / Last Name
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