Advisor FAQs
Find resources and answers to frequently asked questions from interested or current partner institutions.
How can my school become a participating institution?
The Beinecke Scholarship Program considers applications once a year from accredited American colleges and universities interested in becoming a participating institution. Applications must be submitted electronically and received by May 1 for consideration at our annual board meeting. If interested, please contact the Program Director.
How do I get access to the grantee portal if I’m a new advisor?
If you are a new advisor at one of our current participating institutions and need access to the grantee portal to submit applications or update your campus’ contact information, please contact the Program Director.
How do I update my school’s information and internal deadlines?
Campus liaisons can update contact information and share their internal deadlines via the “Organization Update” form in the grantee portal.
If we have more than one campus liaison, who should submit the application?
Anyone with access to the online portal can create an application. However, once you begin the application, you will be prompted in the “Contact Information” section to indicate which campus liaison should serve as the primary contact; that person will receive all communications regarding the application moving forward. Please remember that each school is limited to one nominee total.
Do I still need to submit the cover sheet or one-page application form with the application?
No. The online application replaces all other fillable forms that were previously required for the scholarship application. The only documents to be submitted through the online portal are the nominee’s CV, the nominee’s statement, the campus endorsement, three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and the artist’s supplement (if applicable).
Should students still email their financial aid data sheet to the Program Director?
No. After applications have been received, students will receive a separate invitation to the online system to provide their financial aid information via a grantee portal accessible only to them. This is to ensure the privacy of that data. Please do not include the financial aid data sheet with the application.
Does any part of the application need to be emailed to the Program Director?
No. All parts of the application will be submitted through the online grantee portal. Emailed applications will not be accepted.
How will my creative applicant submit their materials?
The section labeled “Graduate School Information” includes a question about the intended highest graduate degree. If a creative degree is selected from the list, a new section will appear in the navigation bar on the right to access the supplemental materials.
Creative writing samples will be uploaded as a PDF; all other creative portfolios will be shared via a URL linking to a website or folder containing the student’s relevant creative work.
What still gets submitted in PDF format?
In the “Document Upload” section, you will be asked to upload two PDF packages: one containing just the student’s transcript(s), the other containing (in this order) the nominee’s CV, their statement, the campus endorsement, and three letters of recommendation.
Do not include the financial aid data sheet; that information is collected separately from the student through their own online portal. Also, do not include the creative portfolio; it will be collected via the “Artist’s Supplement” section if applicable to your student.
Creative writing samples will be uploaded as a PDF; all other creative portfolios will be shared via a URL linking to a website or folder containing the student’s relevant creative work.
Why can’t I include transcripts in the single PDF containing the other application materials?
We not infrequently encounter issues where privacy restrictions on official transcripts make them difficult to read or merge with the rest of the PDF. To ensure the transcripts are readable, please upload them separately from the other application materials on the “Document Upload” page. Unofficial transcripts are still preferred, however.
How will I know that my application was successfully received?
You will receive a confirmation email from Giving Data after you submit your application. We will also send an email to all nominating officials after the deadline to confirm that applications are complete and have been accepted.
Do I need to complete the application in one sitting?
No. The system will allow you to save your progress as you go, so if you need to close out of the application, you can return to it using the link to the application portal.
What happens if I encounter technical issues with the application system?
Please contact the Program Director. There is no dedicated IT support for the application system, but issues can be fixed if identified.
Can I submit my application late?
Late applications will only be accepted if you can show that you made a good-faith effort to complete the materials by the deadline. Nominating officials are strongly advised to open the application well in advance of the deadline to familiarize themselves with the online portal.
For all other questions, please contact the Program Director.
Application Resources
Campus liaisons have access to webinars, application instructions, and sample application materials through a shared Google Drive folder.
Please contact the Program Director to receive access to the folder.