Frequently Asked Questions

For security purposes, GMS does not distribute username or password via email. If you would like to speak with a GMS representative, please contact us at 1-877-690-GMSP (4677).

Federal Pell Grant eligibility is determined by a set of federal financial guidelines for qualified individuals who were enrolled in an eligible program of study at the undergraduate level and who had not already received a bachelor’s degree. In addition to meeting certain financial criteria, individuals must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or nationals of the United States.

Federal Pell Grant eligibility is a function of many factors, including dependency status, family income, family size, and the number of students in the family. The one and only authoritative determination of eligibility is made through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. Eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant can only be determined through submission of the FAFSA form. We recommend that you submit your FAFSA form by February 2016. Please visit www.fafsa.gov to establish eligibility. If you have any further questions, please call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-319-337-5665.

By using FAFSA4caster, you and your family will receive an early estimate of eligibility for federal student aid. This website provides you with an opportunity to increase your knowledge of the financial aid process; become familiar with the various types of federal student aid available; and investigate other sources of aid, such as grants and scholarships.

When you’re ready to apply for aid, you can easily transition from FAFSA4caster to FAFSA on the Web. Much of the information that you enter in the FAFSA4caster will populate your FAFSA on the Web application, making the experience of applying for federal student aid a lot easier.

Our scholarship program was available to incoming freshmen students who had completed the application process and been selected as Gates Scholar prior to entering college. If you were enrolled as a degree-seeking student, unfortunately you were not eligible to apply for the GMS program.

Although we were unable to assist you, we hope the following websites may be helpful: www.uncf.org , www.fastweb.com , www.scholarships.com and www.fedmoney.org.

Our Scholars have the opportunity to study abroad in accordance with GMS guidelines.

Continuing Gates Scholars may request a fellowship for a graduate degree program in one of the following disciplines: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science. The Gates Millennium Scholars scholarship can be used at any U.S. accredited college or university of your choice. Graduate funding is only provided to students that are current Gates Scholars pursuing their graduate studies.

Students who submitted their application by the deadline were notified in March.

The selection and notification processes were as follows:

• February: Independent readers complete an individualized reading and scoring assessment of eligible students in three major areas:
  • academic achievement
  • community service
  • leadership potential
• March: Students were notified and informed if they were selected as a finalist or not selected.

Mid-March to May: Finalists are notified if they were selected as Gates Millennium Scholars or not selected, beginning mid-March. All selected Gates Millennium Scholars are notified by no later than May.

Each application was evaluated in terms of first having a complete package, which consists of the following: a student application, a Nominator Form and a Recommender Form. Students were also evaluated on academic achievement, community service and leadership potential; however, no one factor determines the outcome of an application.

Applicants are informed if they are selected as a finalist or not selected. Students who submitted their application by the deadline can check the status of their application by logging onto the www.uncf.org/scholarships using the following steps:

1. Click on GMS Application.
2. Click Log On located at the top right side of the page.
3. Enter the email address and password used to register for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program application.
4. The package status will indicate whether you are a finalist or a non-selected applicant.

FASFA stand for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can visit their website at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars will receive funds in an amount to be determined by GMS based on financial need. The award is based on the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses for the academic year, as well as the availability of grants, and other scholarships reported on the student’s financial aid award letter. The scholarship for the undergraduate award may be renewed annually based on satisfactory progress, full-time enrollment and the timely submission of required documents. Support for graduate degrees for continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may be received for the following fields: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

Our Scholars have the opportunity to study abroad in accordance with GMS guidelines.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program scholarship can be used at any U.S. accredited college or university of your choice for any undergraduate studies major.

Continuing Gates Scholars may request a fellowship for a graduate degree program in one of the following disciplines: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science. The Gates Millennium Scholars scholarship can be used at any U.S. accredited college or university of your choice. Graduate funding is only provided to students that are current Gates Scholars pursuing their graduate studies.

Students who submitted their application by the deadline were notified in March.

The selection and notification processes were as follows:

• February: Independent readers complete an individualized reading and scoring assessment of eligible students in three major areas:
  • academic achievement
  • community service
  • leadership potential
• March: Students were notified and informed if they were selected as a finalist or not selected.

Mid-March to May: Finalists are notified if they were selected as Gates Millennium Scholars or not selected, beginning mid-March. All selected Gates Millennium Scholars are notified by no later than May.

Each application was evaluated in terms of first having a complete package, which consists of the following: a student application, a Nominator Form and a Recommender Form. Students were also evaluated on academic achievement, community service and leadership potential; however, no one factor determines the outcome of an application.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program scholarship can be used at any U.S. accredited college or university of your choice with any major for undergraduate studies.

Continuing Gates Scholars may request a fellowship for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline whereas: Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Library Science, Mathematics, Public Health or Science. The Gates Millennium Scholars scholarship can be used at any U.S. accredited college or university of your choice. Graduate funding is only provided to students that are current Gates Scholars pursuing their graduate studies.

Students who submitted their application by the deadline will receive notification in March.

The selection and notification processes were as follows:

• February: independent readers will complete an individualized reading and scoring assessment of eligible students in three major whereas:
  • academic achievement,
  • community service, and
  • leadership potential
• March: students were notified and informed if they were selected as a finalist or not selected.
• Finalists are notified if they were selected as Gates Millennium Scholars or not selected by mid-March. All selected Gates Millennium Scholars were notified no later than May.

Each application was evaluated in terms of first having a complete package which consists of the following: a student application, a Nominator Form and a Recommender Form, students were evaluated on academic achievement, community service and leadership potential – however, no one factor determines the outcome of an application.

In order to access your GMS application please go to  uncf.org/scholarships

Students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars will receive funds in an amount to be determined by GMS based on financial need. The award is based on the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses for the academic year, as well as the availability of grants, and other scholarships reported on the student’s financial aid award letter. The scholarship for the undergraduate award may be renewed annually based on satisfactory progress, full-time enrollment and the timely submission of required documents. Support for graduate degrees for continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may be received for the following fields: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

At that time the Program will accomplish the objective of selecting 20,000 students as Gates Millennium Scholars. The Scholars selected will benefit from the Program’s resources through 2028.   We encourage you to continue to explore scholarship resources by visiting the following websites: UNCF-United Negro College Fund- www.uncf.org, American Indian Graduate Center Scholars- www.aigcs.org, Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund – www.apiasf.org, Hispanic Scholarship Fund – www.hsf.net, Fast Web- www.fastweb.com, Scholarships.com- www.scholarships.com, The information at these sites may give you (additional or alternate) scholarship options and resources to support your academic goals.

Yes. To access your essays please go to uncf.org/scholarships and use the log on credentials that you used during the application process.