Eligibility Requirements:

• Legal residents of Delaware.
• U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
• Full- or part-time students in an ALA-accredited master's degree program of library and information science.
• Academic record, community service, and financial need are considered.
• Preference is given to employees of public libraries and archives.
• Must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to the application deadline

• Loan not to exceed cost of tuition, fees, and other direct educational expenses.
• Renewable for one additional year.
• Loan forgiveness provision at a rate of two years of employment as a librarian or archivist in a public library, public school library, or state agency in Delaware for one year of loan. 

Deadlines:

• The priority deadline to receive all application materials is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 26, 2010. Your College Grade Release Form must be submitted directly from your college to the Commission.
• Applicants who apply after the priority deadline will be considered to the extent that funding is available.
• FAFSA completed prior to the application deadline

To apply:
You can apply online beginning December 1, 2009, by completing the Common Merit Application on DHEC's secure Student Account Access site at https://www.doe.k12.de.us/high-ed/student/login.aspx. First-time users must establish an account and provide a valid email and mailing address before proceeding to the application. Incomplete applications cannot be processed. Please be sure to provide all of the required information:

1. Completed application, including activities
2. Essay of no less than 1,000 and no more than 1,200 words, excluding headings and footnotes (word count will be verified)
3. College Grade Release Form submitted directly from your college to the Commission
4. FAFSA completed prior to the application deadline