Complete PEF Scholarship Application

Scholarships Plus
45 steps
13 minutes

Mykaleidoscope

Thepef

Getting to PEF Scholarships

Thank you for your interest in applying for scholarships through the Public Education Foundation! You are one step closer to receiving financial support that will help you achieve your dream of attending college or vocational school. The scholarship application process is easiest when visited from devices larger than a mobile phone. These tutorials were filmed using a computer.

Navigate to [https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/](https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/)

Click "APPLY NOW"

Kaleidoscope is our scholarship application portal. On this page, you will see more information about who is eligible to apply, deadlines, and details about the Scholarships Plus program.

Click "Begin"

Please use a professional, non-school email address. This is how we will communicate with you if you win a scholarship, so make sure to use an email that you can still access after graduating or if you change what college you are attending!

Click "Okay"

Preparing Your General Application

This general application ONLY helps determine which scholarships you qualify for, the general application IS NOT a scholarship! You will only see scholarships you qualify for based on your answers on the general application.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN the general application, we recommend that you complete and save to your device: A resume An unofficial transcript A letter of recommendation And a financial need letter. THESE DOCUMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED to submit your general application and be shown scholarships! If you need help preparing any of these documents, please visit [the PEF website](https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/) for samples and tips! You can upload a blank document or a "placeholder" instead of the actual document, if you do not have the document yet. You will be UNABLE TO SUBMIT your application and see your qualified scholarships until you upload all documents.

Completing Your Student Information in the General Application

When filling out your general application, please complete all the questions listed in as much detail as you can provide.

On each screen, you can choose to save your work and exit, or go on to the next section.

If you are missing any required questions, marked with a red star, the system will alert you and prompt you to fill out the answer before you move on.

Some of our scholarships are only available to children or dependents of employees at certain businesses. This section will help us determine if you are eligible for these scholarships.

If you are not a Nevada state resident and your parent or guardian does not work for a Penn Entertainment, MGM Resorts, or Resorts World Las Vegas Property, we unfortunately do not have any scholarships that you qualify for.

Click "Next"

On questions with a drop down menu, you may choose multiple answers by clicking on each answer that applies to you. Click the X on the option to remove it from your answer. Additional questions may appear based on your answer to these questions.

Click "Next"

Let’s continue on to your student status and school history. Depending on your answer to certain questions, more follow-up questions may appear. For example, if you say you are a current high school senior, the platform will prompt you to fill in the high school you are currently attending.

All high schools in the Clark County School District are listed, but if you do not see your school in the drop down, you can scroll all the way to the bottom and choose Other. The system will provide a new question where you can type in the name of your school.

If you are a current college student, the system will ask you to fill out the name of the college you are currently attending and your graduation date. If the name of your college does not appear as an option, please type the full name of your school and continue with your application.

On questions with a drop down menu, like this question about middle schools attended, you may choose multiple answers by clicking on each answer that applies to you. Click the X on the option to remove it from your answer.

Click "Next"

Once you have completed all of the required questions, the system will automatically save your progress.

If you have chosen a major already, you can select it from the drop down menu. Not all majors are included, so if you do not see your chosen major, please select Undecided. This will not affect the scholarships shown to you.

When filling out the schools you have applied to or been accepted to, or the school you attend, it is always best to type out the full name of the school instead of any abbreviations. For example, you would type University of Nevada Las Vegas instead of UNLV. You can also type None if you have not applied yet. This question will not affect the scholarships shown to you.

Click "Next"

Questions that help determine your scholarship eligibility

This next section (the next few pages) is made up of Yes/No questions that will help the system determine which scholarships to show you based on your schooling, activities, life experiences, college plans, and more. Please read each question carefully and ensure you answer every question. Again, additional questions may appear based on your answers to certain questions. NOTE: This section has been condensed in this tutorial.

These questions may seem extensive, but they help us determine which of our hundreds of scholarship opportunities you are eligible for! Each question connects to a specific scholarship. The more accurate your answers are, the more likely you are to only see scholarships you are actually eligible for, which saves you time and effort in the application process.

Click "Next"

We are continually adding scholarships to the platform, and additional questions may be added to these sections based on new scholarships being added. When you receive alerts about new scholarships, please confirm that you have answered any new questions in these sections to see new opportunities. When you next log in, the platform will also alert you that you must answer these questions and will not allow you to proceed in the application until you do.

Click "Next"

Uploading required documents and completing certifications

Once you have answered all of the scholarship specific questions, you will upload your materials into the platform. You will need to submit an unofficial high school transcript, a financial need letter, a resume, and a letter of recommendation. More details about these materials and how to prepare them can be found on the [PEF website.](https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/)

While the system accepts many different file formats, we suggest that you upload PDF or Word documents. These formats are very common, and most of our reviewers will have a way of reading one or both formats. Any other formats, like Pages, may require us to reach back out to you to request a new file, which can delay the selection and notification process.

If you already have a letter of recommendation or know you will receive one, click the first option, and you will be asked to upload that document. You also have the option to request for a letter of recommendation from a contact that you will fill out on the following page. (More details on step 29) **Please note that this is not a guarantee that your contact will upload a letter of recommendation on your behalf. We highly encourage you to reach out in person and upload the document yourself.**

Once you have uploaded your files, please read the certifications thoroughly, then check the boxes to agree to the certifications.

You may then sign your name using your mouse or trackpad.

If you uploaded a blank document for the time being, click the second option so we can remind you to switch it later on. Remember, a blank or placeholder document will result in an automatic 0 when it comes to reviewing and scoring applications.

Click "Next"

If you opted to request a letter of recommendation, you will need to fill out the contact information form by clicking the blue contact icon.

Make sure to fill out the entire form and click "Submit" when you are done.

When finished answering all of the questions on the general application, click Review to see your completed application.

You will see a short overview of each section and the number of questions you answered in each section. To see the questions and review your answers, click the number with the arrow.

To change these answers, click Edit on the section you want to change.

Once you have finished editing and reviewing your answers, return to the review screen by navigating to the Uploads and Applicant Acknowledgement section then hitting Review on the bottom of the screen. If everything looks correct, click the blue Submit button!

Finding individual scholarships to apply for

Your general application is now completed, and you can move on to applying for scholarships! Click the blue Done button, and the platform will redirect you to a page with all the scholarships you qualify for based on your answers to the application you just filled out.

Make sure you are only looking at the Public Education Foundation scholarships found by clicking the option in the highlighted dropdown. You can also ensure you are looking at PEF scholarships by finding the PEF Scholarships Plus logo located in the top left corner of the screen.

You can scroll through the scholarship opportunities you apply for, or type key words into the search bar if you are looking for a specific scholarship or want to narrow down your options more.

When you see a scholarship that looks interesting, click “Learn more” to see the scholarship description and review application requirements.

While our system only shows you scholarships you qualify for, be sure to double check the description to make sure you meet the requirements before beginning an application!

Applying for individual scholarships

Once the system shows you what individual scholarships you qualify for and you confirm you meet the scholarship criteria, you can click the blue Begin button and start working on your application.

On individual scholarships, the platform will automatically fill in information you have already submitted in your general application, so most boxes will not allow you to type in them.

If you see any errors, please return to the general application and make changes there to correct them.

Each scholarship has different individual questions, but most often you will encounter essays, short answer questions, or additional file uploads. Please review the specifications for each question and make sure you are providing exactly what the donor has requested.

Once you have completed each section, click Review to see your completed application. You will see a short overview of each section and the number of questions you answered in each section.

To see the questions and review your answers, click the number with the arrow. To change these answers, click Edit on the section you want to change.

Once you have finished editing and reviewing your answers, return to the review screen by navigating to the final section then hitting Review on the bottom of the screen. If everything looks correct, click the blue Submit button!

Continue applying for scholarships until you have submitted an application for all scholarships you qualify for! Now that you have completed these applications, you can exit the platform and feel accomplished now that you have applied for PEF scholarships!

Complete PEF Scholarship Application

Scholarships Plus
45 steps
13 minutes

Mykaleidoscope

Thepef

Getting to PEF Scholarships

Navigate to [https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/](https://thepef.org/apply-for-scholarships/)

Click "APPLY NOW"

Kaleidoscope is our scholarship application portal. On this page, you will see more information about who is eligible to apply, deadlines, and details about the Scholarships Plus program.

Click "Begin"

Click "Okay"

Preparing Your General Application

Completing Your Student Information in the General Application

When filling out your general application, please complete all the questions listed in as much detail as you can provide.

On each screen, you can choose to save your work and exit, or go on to the next section.

If you are missing any required questions, marked with a red star, the system will alert you and prompt you to fill out the answer before you move on.

Some of our scholarships are only available to children or dependents of employees at certain businesses. This section will help us determine if you are eligible for these scholarships.

Click "Next"

Once you have completed all of the required questions, the system will automatically save your progress.

Click "Next"

Questions that help determine your scholarship eligibility

Click "Next"

Uploading required documents and completing certifications

Once you have uploaded your files, please read the certifications thoroughly, then check the boxes to agree to the certifications.

You may then sign your name using your mouse or trackpad.

Click "Next"

If you opted to request a letter of recommendation, you will need to fill out the contact information form by clicking the blue contact icon.

Make sure to fill out the entire form and click "Submit" when you are done.

When finished answering all of the questions on the general application, click Review to see your completed application.

You will see a short overview of each section and the number of questions you answered in each section. To see the questions and review your answers, click the number with the arrow.

To change these answers, click Edit on the section you want to change.

Finding individual scholarships to apply for

You can scroll through the scholarship opportunities you apply for, or type key words into the search bar if you are looking for a specific scholarship or want to narrow down your options more.

When you see a scholarship that looks interesting, click “Learn more” to see the scholarship description and review application requirements.

While our system only shows you scholarships you qualify for, be sure to double check the description to make sure you meet the requirements before beginning an application!

Applying for individual scholarships

Once the system shows you what individual scholarships you qualify for and you confirm you meet the scholarship criteria, you can click the blue Begin button and start working on your application.

On individual scholarships, the platform will automatically fill in information you have already submitted in your general application, so most boxes will not allow you to type in them.

If you see any errors, please return to the general application and make changes there to correct them.

Once you have completed each section, click Review to see your completed application. You will see a short overview of each section and the number of questions you answered in each section.

To see the questions and review your answers, click the number with the arrow. To change these answers, click Edit on the section you want to change.