Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
RaiseMe Micro-Scholarships
ESF has partnered with RaiseMe to offer micro-scholarships that recognize your everyday achievements and allow you to start earning money for college beginning in 9th grade.
You can earn up to $2,000 per year, which will be part of your ESF scholarship or financial aid award. You may receive even more in your scholarship or financial aid package once we review your application, but the money you earn from ESF on RaiseMe is the minimum guaranteed amount you will receive from ESF.
FAQ
What are examples of how I can earn these micro-scholarships?
- Get an A
- Maintain a high GPA
- Take a leadership role in an extracurricular activity or sport
- Score well on the PSAT or PreACT
- Earn the Eagle Scout or Gold Award
- Volunteer in your community
- Take AP Environmental Science
Is RaiseMe free?
Yes. RaiseMe is entirely free for high school students and educators. To sign up,
go online to http://www.raise.me/join/ESF and create an account.
Are these real scholarships?
Yes! We partnered with RaiseMe to allow you to earn scholarships to ESF earlier in
high school and help you see how you can be a competitive candidate at ESF. When ESF
awards student scholarships on RaiseMe, we are guaranteeing these scholarships will
be included in your merit or financial aid package after you are admitted.
Who can use RaiseMe?
Students who are in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 and attend high school in the United States
can use RaiseMe right now.
Who's eligible to earn micro-scholarships?
ESF’s RaiseMe micro-scholarships are available for incoming first-time freshman who
reside within the U.S.
How do I get started?
You begin by creating an account at www.raise.me/join/ESF. Once your account is established, make sure you are following SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry and add achievements such as grades, extracurricular activities
and leadership positions to your portfolio.
How do I receive these scholarships from ESF?
You must follow ESF and complete your profile on www.raise.me/join/ESF by January 1 of your senior year.
Can I get scholarship money for things I achieved earlier in high school?
Yes. You can fill in your high school portfolio retroactively with achievements going
back to the start of 9th grade, and will be eligible to earn scholarships as if you
have been using RaiseMe since 9th grade. The more complete your portfolio is, the
more opportunities you have to earn micro-scholarships. Remember, that ESF micro-scholarships
are locked in and cannot be changed after January 1 of your senior year.
How often should I add achievements to my portfolio?
You should add achievements as frequently as you can throughout high school. Adding
achievements to your portfolio increases your eligibility for earning scholarships
from ESF.
Can I use the scholarships I earn from the ESF program to pay the cost of attending
another school?
No. Micro-scholarships are not transferrable between different colleges. You can only
use the scholarships that you earn from one school towards the cost of attending that
same college — not to any other school.
Which courses should I add to my portfolio?
You should add all of your courses from grades 9 through 12 in order for ESF to award
you the correct amount in scholarships.
Can the RaiseMe scholarship be used in addition to other scholarships from ESF?
The final total of scholarships earned on RaiseMe represent a guaranteed minimum amount
of scholarship or grant aid you will receive in your financial aid package to attend
our institution. If you receive a larger scholarship based upon other factors (like
your final college application and FAFSA) through the admission application process,
then that package will include the amount that you have earned on RaiseMe.