Parent Information

Supporting your student’s success is a team effort. This page provides helpful information specifically for families and guardians of our scholarship recipients. Whether this is your student’s first year in college or they’re continuing their education, we’re here to support them — and you — every step of the way.

Privacy & FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects your student’s academic information. This means schools cannot share grades, schedules, or financial details without student consent. Students can authorize parent access through their institution. The Ragland Family Education Foundation can only share certain information unless the student provides permission. We encourage open communication between families and students to stay on the same page.

FAQ for Parents

  1. How can I best support my student?

    Encourage them to stay organized, meet deadlines, ask for help early, and communicate regularly with their advisors and professors.

  2. How are scholarship funds distributed?

    All scholarship funds are sent directly to the school’s financial aid or bursar office designated for your student’s account. Funds are sent only after each student provides the requested documentation for status of enrollment and GPA. All documents are requested and submitted through the scholarship portal.

  3. Will I receive updates about my student?

    Due to FERPA protections, some academic information can be shared only with the student’s permission. Students can choose to authorize parent access at their school.

  4. What if my student changes majors or schools?

    We encourage each student to choose a school and major the will best serve them in the long run. However, these changes may impact eligibility for your student’s scholarship. You should encourage your student to contact us directly so we can guide them through next steps.

  5. Are there GPA or enrollment requirements?

    Yes. Please reference the eligibility requirements section to review those.

Staying Involved

Even as students gain independence, families continue to play an important role. You can encourage students to check email regularly for scholarship updates. Help them set reminders for deadlines and important timelines. Encourage them to reach out to our scholarship staff if they need help or have questions. Most importantly, celebrate their success! We are excited to watch the successes of each Ragland Scholar. You can help us stay abreast of each scholar’s success by sharing those updates with our team at ragland.education.foundation@gmail.com.

Scholarship Support Team

We are here to help answer any questions that you may have. Should you or your student need to reach out to us, you can do so through the following contact form or by calling our office at 405-755-5571. For specific school-billing or FAFSA questions, your student’s college financial aid office is the best source. You’ll find each school’s contact info on their website.