Help Guide
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Why are the dates/time zones a few hours off? Please set your local time zone in your account settings page.
ELIGIBILITY
- Why does it say I'm ineligible?
- Do I need to have dependents?
- How important is financial need?
- Am I eligible if I am earning a second undergraduate degree or taking accreditation courses?
- Am I eligible if I am enrolled in or have been accepted to a graduate, masters or doctoral degree program?
- Am I eligible if I am not a citizen of the United States or, but am living, working and studying in the country?
- I have received a Live Your Dream Award in the past. Can I apply again?
- Am I eligible if I am related to a Soroptimist member?
COMPLETING AN APPLICATION
- It won't let me submit my application, the "Submit" button is grayed out. Why?
- I am having trouble signing my name, how do I sign a form?
- Can I submit my application to more than one Soroptimist club?
- How do I figure out my annual income and expenses?
- Do you have any suggestions for how to write the personal statement sections?
- When is my application due?
- What happens after I submit my application?
- When and how will I hear if I was selected to receive an award?
OBTAINING REFERENCES
- My reference says they never received an email notification after I requested a reference form from them. What can I do?
- My reference still says "Requested". What does that mean?
- Can I use a family member as a reference?
- Who can I ask to be a reference?
- Do my references need to use the online recommendation form, or can they submit a letter of recommendation?
UPDATING YOUR APPLICATION
- My situation has changed, but when I try to update my application, it says that it is locked. What do I do?
- I received an email asking me questions about my application. What do I do?
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Why does it say I'm ineligible?
To apply for a Live Your Dream Award, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements. Your account is marked as ineligible due to one or more of your responses on the Confirm Your Eligibility form. If you believe this is incorrect, please reach out to lydawards@soroptimist.org.
Do I need to have dependents?
Yes. Women with dependents face unique barriers as they strive to improve their lives while also providing support for their family. Therefore, the Live Your Dream Awards are for women who are the primary financial providers for themselves AND their dependent(s). Dependents can include, but are not limited to: children, partner/spouse, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and grandparents.
How important is financial need?
The Live Your Dream Awards are for women who are struggling to meet the financial needs of their family while also attending school or a training program. When selecting award recipients, reviewers closely examine the financial need section of the application and compare the applicant’s total income to total expenses. Financial need is then taken into consideration when selecting award recipients.
Am I eligible if I am earning a second undergraduate degree or taking accreditation courses?
Yes. You are eligible to apply if you are working toward a second undergraduate degree or are taking accreditation courses that you need in order to use your bachelor’s degree, such as courses for a nurse’s or teacher’s accreditation certificate.
Am I eligible if I am enrolled in or have been accepted to a graduate, master's or doctoral degree program?
No. The Live Your Dream Awards program is only for women pursing an undergraduate degree or attending a vocational/skills training program.
Am I eligible if I am not a citizen of the United States or Canada, but am living, working and studying in the country?
Yes. As long as you meet all other eligibility requirements of the award you are eligible to apply.
I have received a Live Your Dream Award in the past. Can I apply again?
No. If you have already received a Live Your Dream Award, you are ineligible to apply.
Am I eligible if I am related to a Soroptimist member?
If you are an immediate family member of a Soroptimist member, you are ineligible to apply. Immediate family is defined to include parents, siblings, children and grandchildren by adoption, blood or marriage. If you are related in a way that is not defined as “immediate,” you are eligible to apply.
Completing an Application
Watch our Quick Tips for Applying video to help complete and strengthen your application.
It won't let me submit my application, the "Submit" button is grayed out. Why?
You cannot submit your final application until all five parts of your application are marked “Complete.” If one of your references has not yet submitted their recommendation, this section cannot be marked as complete. This section cannot be marked as complete until at least one of your references has submitted their recommendation.
If you mark this section as complete before your second reference has submitted their recommendation form, then it will remove the incomplete reference from your application. If you want to include the second reference, DO NOT mark this section as complete.
If either of your references did not receive the request, or need a reminder, you can sign into your application portal, click "..." next to the reference, then click "Resend request". This will resend the email request for that individual.
How do I select a club?
Please follow these PDF instructions: Applicant Instructions – Select Your Local Club
I am having trouble signing my name, how do I sign a form?
Click and drag your mouse across the screen to draw your signature on to the form.
Can I submit my application to more than one Soroptimist club?
No. Each applicant may only submit one application to one club. Applicants who submit to more than one club will be disqualified for consideration.
How do I figure out my annual income and expenses?
Firstly, please decide how you would like to report your income and expenses - annual or monthly.
Income includes any money you earn from your job(s), use from a savings bank account, receive as child support or alimony, public assistance (such as food stamps), other grants or scholarships you have received, and loans from a bank, family, or friends. Please be as specific as possible and include all forms of money you receive to manage your household.
Expenses include any money you spend on your housing, food, childcare, tuition, utilities, medical/healthcare costs, books, and other needs of your family. Please be as specific as possible and include all things you spend money on to manage your household.
If your expenses outweigh your income, we recommend doing your best to show how you currently make ends meet so award judges get as clear a picture of your finances as possible.
For more information and assistance in compiling your income and expenses, feel free to download and use our Budget Tips Worksheets:
If you have not received your tuition and/or financial aid information, please provide an estimate of what you expect these will be (including book costs). If your tuition is covered by financial aid, please include both, so the reviewers and judges can get a full picture of your situation.
Do you have any suggestions for how to write the personal statement sections?
The strongest applications describe clear and well thought out career goals, and how applicants’ education or training will help them meet their goals.
When describing the challenges you have faced and how this award could help you to live your dream, we recommend first brainstorming your ideas, writing a first draft, and then developing a final version that you copy and paste into your application. The strongest applications clearly describe applicants’ most influential experiences, how they have learned or grown, what efforts they have taken towards their dreams, and what they still aim to accomplish.
Due to a huge influx of AI-written responses, we encourage all applicants to review your written sections and make sure that your responses contain your own writing and are your own words.
Please remember that when signing and submitting your application, you agreed to the following:
"I certify that I wrote this application without the use of artificial intelligence, and all that all essays are my own writing."
If we see signs of AI, we will send your application back for verification or it will not be considered in our judging process.
When is my application due?
The last day to submit your complete application is November 15 11:59pm.
What happens after I submit my application?
If you live near a Soroptimist club, your application is connected to the nearby club during the application process. (You will choose this club in the "Select Your Local Club" section of your application. If you do not live near a Soroptimist club, your application is connected to Soroptimist Headquarters for review. A panel of judges will review your application and select an award recipient. Once a recipient is selected, applicants will be notified whether or not they have been selected to receive an award.
Watch the video: What happens after I apply for a Live Your Dream Award?
When and how will I hear if I was selected to receive an award?
The application deadline is November 15. Applications are then evaluated on a local, club level, so the timeline is different for each individual club. Most clubs will notify recipients between January-April via an email or phone call. If you do not hear from a club by April, they have selected another applicant to receive the award.
My reference says they never received an email notification asking for a reference--what can I do?
PDF Instructions: Applicant Instructions - How to Change References
1. Sign into your account and ensure you typed in the reference's email correctly (if not, withdraw the request and resend the invitation)
2. Ask your reference to check their spam/junk folder
3. If the reference still has not received an email, they should contact lydawards@soroptimist.org for help accessing their account
Watch the video: How to Update Your References for instructions.
Can I use a family member as a reference?
No. You will need one to two different people who are not related to you to serve as your references. We highly recommend you use professional and school references.
Who can I ask to be a reference?
It is recommended that you request references from people who know you from an education or work setting, such as teachers, advisers, supervisors and co-workers.
Do my references need to use the online recommendation form or can they submit a letter of recommendation?
Your reference must use the provided online recommendation form. An email will be sent to the one or two references that you request in References section of your online application. The email will provide instructions on creating an account and directs your references to our online recommendation form.
Letters of recommendation or any other type of reference other than the online recommendation form will not be accepted.
If your reference encounters issues with accessing their online account and/or recommendation form, please have then contact lydawards@soroptimist.org for assistance.
My situation has changed, but when I try to update my application, it says that it is locked. What do I do?
Once your application has been submitted, your application will be locked for editing. You can update your application by contacting lydawards@soroptimist.org. You can provide the details and staff can either update your application on your behalf , or they can open up your application for you to make the edits yourself. Just don't forget to resubmit it!
I received an email asking me questions about my application. What do I do?
There is a possibility that the person reviewing your application will send it back to you with their questions. If this is the case, your application will be unlocked and you will be able to log onto your account and make the edits that have been requested. Edits might include questions about your income/expenses, clarifying your graduation date, etc.
Once you have completed your edits, please don't forget to resubmit your application! The reviewer is unable to see your application again until you resubmit.
If you have any question, please respond to the email. The email will come to staff at Soroptimist Headquarters. They will forward your message to the reviewer. Or, you can reach out directly to the reviewer if they include their contact information in the note.
Watch the video How to Make Update to Your Application for instructions on updating your application.
PDF Instructions: Applicant Instructions - Updating and Resubmitting Application
CONTACT US
If you've read through the FAQs above and still have a question:
Contact us at lydawards@soroptimist.org.