Forester Finish Program

To be eligible for the Forester Finish Summer Grant, a student must meet both requirements:

1. Students must meet the Federal (IPEDS) definition of a first-time student at Lake Forest College.
   •  A student attending college for the first time at the undergraduate level, who has no prior post-secondary experience except as follows: college attendance in the summer prior to fall enrollment at this institution or college credits earned before graduation from high school.
   • The Forester Finish Summer Grant is not available to transfer students.
2. The first-time student at Lake Forest College must be lagging in the standard progression toward graduation by at least 0.50 credits.
   • The standard progression is four credits per semester (e.g., 1 completed term = 4 credits; 2 completed terms = 8 credits, 3 completed terms = 12 credits, etc.). This includes credits earned before matriculation at Lake Forest College, such as Dual Credit, AP, or IB credits.
   • Valid reasons for why a student might be behind schedule are (a) withdrawing from a course, (b) earning a F or NP in a course, or (c) taking fewer than four courses in a semester.
   • Semesters on leave do not count in the standard progression calculation. That is, a student who elects to take a semester on leave is not considered to be lagging in the standard progression.

Student academic records are reviewed for Forester Finish Grant eligibility twice per year:

• Once in late-January, after all fall term grades have been finalized.
• Once in late-May, after all spring grades have been finalized.

Students will be notified of their Forester Finish eligibility directly via an email from a representative of the Office of Academic Affairs during the above intervals. These messages will explain the program, indicate the exact number of credits for which you are grant-eligible, and outline the procedures that you must follow (see section 3 for more information).

There two versions of the Forester Finish Summer Grant:

• One for first- and second-year students with fewer than 16 credits (Forester Finish 1)
• One for third- and fourth-year students with 16 or more credits (Forester Finish 2).

Both versions provide a $2,750 grant towards a 1.0 credit summer course at Lake Forest, which reduces the cost of that course to $750. Some students may be eligible for multiple grants (e.g., a student lagging by 2 courses will be invited to take 2 summer courses, each with a grant).

Forester Finish 1 (for first- and second-year students)

• Eligible students with fewer than 16 course credits are automatically eligible to receive the Forester Finish 1 grant. The grant will automatically be applied to your summer tuition bill.

Forester Finish 2 (for third- and fourth-year students)

• Eligible students with 16 or more course credits are not automatically eligible. Instead, these students are invited via email to apply for a customized Forester Finish Plan (FFP) that will serve as a roadmap for the completion of the degree.
• This plan will include a combination of summer courses and, if necessary, coordination of transfer opportunities from other institutions.
• Invited, eligible students will be required to fill out a form where they describe their summer academic plan (including the specific course numbers and terms) and explain how their summer academic plan relates to their overall graduation plan.
• These applications will be reviewed by Julia Berkowitz, Director of Academic Support Services in the Center for Academic Success.
• Recipients will be notified of their FFP awards within two weeks of completing the eligibility screening. The grant will automatically be applied to your summer tuition bill.

For students who need a course not appearing in the Lake Forest College summer schedule, the FFP will seek to match students with a special independent study summer course opportunity and a grant of $2,550, for a per course cost of $950.

Forester Finish is not available to transfer students.

Forester Finish cannot be used for:

• Retaking a previously passed course for a higher grade.
• ES 350.
• Non-Forester-Finish-Plan (FFP) independent studies, internships, ACM summer courses, or courses offered by other colleges and universities.