Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
For complete details, please see the full list of Rules and Regulations. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Please click the topics below.
Scholarship Program
Q:
A:
Each award recipient will receive a one-time scholarship of $2,000 and one year
of ADHD Coaching Services from the Edge Foundation (approximate value of coaching
services: $4,420). Awards are one-time only and are not renewable. No substitutions
or transfers are permitted. The award money will be paid directly to the recipient’s
educational institution. All taxes, fees, and surcharges of any kind relating to
the award of the Scholarship and the ADHD Coaching Services are the sole responsibility
of the Scholarship recipient.
Q:
A:
An ADHD Coach is offered as part of the Scholarship to empower award recipients
in managing the challenges of the transition to higher education. There are nearly
100 Coaches trained by the Edge Foundation located throughout the United States.
Each recipient of an ADHD Scholarship will be paired with an ADHD Coach based upon
their needs and location. After an initial intake session that includes a comprehensive
2-hour interview to gather information about the students, their needs and their
work style, the recipients are provided weekly coaching sessions which typically
last a half-hour. Also included are a series of unlimited e-mail, text or telephone
check-ins between formal sessions to keep the student and coach on track toward
the next session.
Q:
A:
The Edge Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, national in scope and
headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The Edge Foundation’s primary mission is to
provide access to qualified, professional coaches for students with ADHD as part
of their multi-modal treatment program. ADHD Coaching is a partnership between a
coach and a student where the student sets goals and the coach and the student work
together to plot a course directed at achieving those goals. Coaching is a means
of providing structure, support and accountability to a student, and more importantly,
empowers the student to provide these things for himself or herself.
Q:
A:
ADHD Coaching is unlike other interventions such as tutoring or mentoring. The coach
works with the student to develop the skills needed to manage their ADHD in various
aspects of their lives. The coach does not tell the student what to do, or lead
by example. The coach helps the student take an introspective look at and to identify
and work toward the student’s strengths, while learning to navigate the student's
weaknesses.
Q:
A:
The ADHD Coaching model is specifically designed to address the challenges that
students with ADHD face during the transition to higher education. Coaching provides
structure, support and accountability and empowers students to provide it for themselves.
Q:
A:
Shire, the Program sponsor, is a pharmaceutical company which focuses its business
on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, human genetic therapies, and gastrointestinal
diseases. For more information visit
www.shire.com.
Q:
A:
National Program Questions Call: 1-855-474-4732
Employee Program Questions Call: 1-800-828-2088
Employee Program Questions Call: 1-800-828-2088
Eligibility
Q:
A:
To be eligible for the Program, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Be accepted to or enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, accredited trade, technical or vocational school or other “eligible educational institution,” as this term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
- Be a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.
- At the time of submitting this application each applicant must be diagnosed with ADHD and under the care of a licensed health care provider for ADHD, although no specific future or ongoing plan of management or treatment for applicant’s ADHD is required in order for applicant to be eligible for the Program.
Q:
A:
Shire US Inc. (“Shire”) will award fifty (50) Scholarships to recipients not affiliated
with Shire (the “National Scholarship”); employees of Shire, its directors, officers,
shareholders, employees, agents, advertising and promotional agencies and affiliated
and related companies and their children are not eligible for the National Scholarship.
Shire will award five (5) Scholarships to its employees, members of their immediate
family (i.e., parents, children, siblings and spouses) and those with whom they
live (the “Employee Scholarship”). Applications submitted for the National Scholarship
and the Employee Scholarship will be judged separately.
Q:
A:
No, an applicant is not required to be on any medication or therapy; however, an
applicant must be under the care of a licensed health care professional for ADHD.
Q:
A:
Applicants who meet the diagnostic standard for ADHD as described by the DSM IV
TR and have been diagnosed by a qualified health care professional qualify for the
Program.
Q:
A:
Yes, as long as each child meets the Program eligibility requirements.
Q:
A:
No, a limit of one (1) application is permitted to be submitted per applicant. In
the event an applicant submits more than one application, only the last application
received will be accepted; all previously submitted applications shall be deemed
to have been withdrawn.
Q:
A:
Award recipients will be notified by telephone and certified mail on approximately
May 11, 2012. To obtain a list of Scholarship recipients (available after June 12,
2012), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Shire ADHD Scholarship Program,
PO Box 562, Chestertown, MD 21620 or visit
www.ShireADHDScholarship.com. For information on Shire employee winners
please visit
http://www.shire.int/specialty/products_business_units/adhd_bu/scholarship/default.aspx.
Q:
A:
Award recipients will be notified by telephone and certified mail. Return of any
award notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection
of an alternate award recipient. Award recipients will be required to execute and
return all required documents from the Award Acceptance Package within 10 business
days of issuance of notification.
Q:
A:
Yes.
- A Scholarship may only be used for tuition and fees at the qualified institution where the recipient is enrolled.
- A Scholarship may NOT be used for on-line courses or distance learning programs
UNLESS the online course or distance learning program is offered by an educational
institution which also maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has
a regularly enrolled student body which attends classes at a physical location where
the educational institution habitually engages in education activities.
- Scholarships are not transferable.
Q:
A:
This is the second ADHD Scholarship Program sponsored by the Shire ADHD Business
Unit. We expect to receive between 1000-2000 applications in its second year. Shire
will evaluate the Scholarship Program to determine whether it will be continued.
Application
Q:
A:
For applications sent by mail, all applications and the supporting documentation
must be postmarked by March 30, 2012. For online applications, completed applications
must be submitted by March 30, 2012, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Program Sponsor
is not responsible for any late, lost, misdirected, illegible or incomplete applications,
which will not be considered. Carefully review your application before submission.
All pages must be completed and entered in the format required. Once the application
is submitted, no further additions or revisions may be made.
Q:
A:
All applications and supporting documentation must be postmarked by March 30, 2012.
Program Sponsor is not responsible for any late, lost, misdirected, illegible or
incomplete applications, which will not be considered. Carefully review your application
before submission. All pages must be completed and entered in the format required.
Once the nomination is submitted, no further additions or revisions may be made.
Q:
A:
Applicants must make sure that all information on the application that is submitted
is true, accurate, and complete and meets all Program eligibility requirements.
The provision of false information will render the applicant ineligible for this
Scholarship. Applicants must also be sure to mail applications and all necessary
forms by the postmark date, March 30, 2012. For online applications, applicants
must submit completed applications by March 30, 2012, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard
Time. Program Sponsor is not responsible for any late, lost, misdirected, illegible
or incomplete applications.
Q:
A:
No. Award recipients will be notified by telephone and certified mail, but applicants
will not be notified that their application has been received. Return of any award
notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an
alternate award recipient. Potential award recipients will be required to execute
and return a notarized Declaration of Compliance with Program Rules and a full notarized
Liability and Publicity Release within 10 days of issuance of notification.
Q:
A:
All eligible entries received will be judged by a panel of qualified judges on the
weighted criteria below:
- Personal Essay – 50%
- Letter of Recommendation – 20%
- Edge Foundation Question – 15%
- Community, Volunteer and Extra Curricular Activities – 15%
Q:
A:
Applicants are asked to write an essay explaining how ADHD has impacted their lives.
Please be specific and focus on the challenges you have faced and how you have overcome
them.
Q:
A:
All Scholarship recipients must sign the publicity form. A recipient may decline
to participate in any publicity campaign related to being awarded a Scholarship;
in such a case, the recipient’s city and state will be used to identify the recipient.
However such a request shall have no effect on the Scholarship Partners’ ownership
of the scholarship applications as otherwise provided for in these Rules and Regulations.
If the recipient is a minor his or her parent or legal guardian must also sign the
publicity form.
Q:
A:
Yes. The application and all supporting documentation must be submitted at the same
time.
Q:
A:
Online applications will be processed upon receipt.
In order for an online application to be considered complete
ALL items must be submitted and postmarked by March 30, 2012.
This includes the online submission portion and any additional
documents that are mailed in separately. Applications that fail to meet
this criteria will be deemed incomplete and will not be processed.
Q:
A:
All completed applications submitted before the deadline will be reviewed from March 30, 2012
through early May. Award recipients will be notified by telephone and certified mail on approximately May 11, 2012.
Q:
A:
Award recipients will be notified by telephone and certified mail on approximately
May 11, 2012. To obtain a list of Scholarship recipients (available after June 12,
2012), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Shire ADHD Scholarship Program,
PO Box 562, Chestertown, MD 21620 or visit
www.ShireADHDScholarship.com. For information on Shire employee winners
please visit
http://www.shire.int/specialty/products_business_units/adhd_bu/scholarship/default.aspx.
Q:
A:
Upon receipt of the letter of recommendation, the status of the Recommendation section in the applicant’s application status will change to complete. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check back periodically to see if the status has been changed. In addition it is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up with the individual who the recommendation request was sent to. Shire and the Scholarship Program are not responsible for any letters that are not received.
Online Application
Q:
A:
Online applications must be completed and submitted by March 30, 2012, 11:59 PM,
Pacific Standard Time. Mailed portions of online applications (if applicable) must
be postmarked by March 30, 2012.
Q:
A:
Yes, you may log in to work on your application at any time before the March 30, 2012 deadline, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Q:
A:
Go to your computer’s browser settings and enable popups.
Q:
A:
You may save each section of your application as you go by clicking the Save button at the bottom right hand side of each section of your application.
Q:
A:
Yes, you may edit your application at any time before you submit it.
Q:
A:
No, to save your application, you must click the Save button at the bottom of each
section of your application.
Q:
A:
You may save each section of the application as you complete it. If you have technical
difficulties, you may log in again and those sections will be saved.
Q:
A:
No, you must first create and account and log in to work on your application.
Q:
A:
After your application is complete and submitted, you will be able to print your application off of the status page to save for your records.
Q:
A:
Once the application is submitted there will be a screen confirming that the application was accepted. The status screen will also reflect that your application has been submitted successfully when the applicant returns to view / check their status.
Q:
A:
Once your application is complete, you will be asked to provide your e-signature
by typing in your name and the date and marking a check box asserting that the information
provided in your application is true. This serves as your signature.
Q:
A:
To remove your application from the Shire 2012 ADHD Scholarship Program, click
on
Withdraw Application (also found at the bottom of the online application website).
Q:
A:
If you are applying online, you must complete and submit all sections online, EXCEPT
for
Recommendation and
Confirmation , which may be submitted by mail. Note: mailed portions
of your online application MUST be postmarked by March 30, 2012.
Q:
A:
Click forgot password and you will be guided through the process to create
a new password.
Q:
A:
Yes, creating multiple user names will allow you to submit multiple applications.
Q:
A:
Laws that govern when a child is an adult vary by state. To confirm the legal age
in your state, check your state’s website:
http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml.
Didn’t find your answer?
National Program Questions: call 1-855-474-4732
Employee Program Questions: call 1-800-828-2088
Apply now
Jeremy Waldron
Closter, NJ
"Most of my life I have been battling ADHD on my own. College would prove difficult
for me, but when I got this scholarship, I felt like I finally had some help."
Jeremy Waldron
Closter, NJ