Scholarship Application User Manual

1. Overview

This manual explains how to use the Elimu Portal front office for Scholarship Applications.
It covers accessing the portal, starting a scholarship application, navigating the multi-step form, tracking applications, and reviewing final decisions.

2. Access and Authentication

- Visit the application in your browser.
- Sign in using your account credentials.
- Scholarship application services are protected and require authentication.
- If you attempt to access scholarship pages without signing in, you will be redirected to the home page and asked to log in.

3. Navigation

- Open the Scholarship service via /scholarship-applications/apply.
- Use the scholarship dashboard at /scholarship-applications/applications to view your applications.
- You can start a new application from either the dashboard or the apply page.

4. Starting a Scholarship Application

- Click "Apply" or "New Application" from the scholarship dashboard.
- The scholarship application form opens with a guided multi-step process.
- The form may resume an existing application based on URL parameters or saved local storage state.

5. Application Steps

The Scholarship Application form contains five steps:
1. Personal Details
2. Academic Details
3. Applied Courses
4. Documents Upload
5. Declarations

5.1 Personal Details

Provide the following:
- Your full name and contact information
- Identification details such as national ID or passport
- Employment status and employer details
- Next of kin details if required

5.2 Academic Details

Enter your academic background:
- Educational history
- Transcripts and qualifications
- School or institution details

5.3 Applied Courses

- Select the scholarship or program you are applying for.
- List the courses or programs you intend to study.
- Provide any scholarship-specific details required by the application.

5.4 Documents Upload

- Upload the supporting documents required by the scholarship.
- Typical documents include academic transcripts, identification, recommendation letters, and financial proof.
- Ensure document files are complete and legible.

5.5 Declarations

- Review all the information provided in the previous steps.
- Confirm that the application details are accurate.
- Agree to the declaration and submit the scholarship application.

6. Saving and Resuming Applications

- The scholarship application workflow may save progress automatically.
- Local storage is used to preserve application state between visits.
- You can resume an incomplete application by revisiting a URL with query parameters such as applicationId and stage.
- If the form reaches the final step, it redirects you back to the scholarship dashboard.

7. Scholarship Dashboard and Application List

- The scholarship applications page lists all submitted applications.
- The dashboard table shows:
  - Reference number
  - Program or scholarship name
  - Submission date
  - Status
  - Last updated date
- Use the "View" action to inspect a specific application.

8. Status Labels and Meaning

Scholarship application statuses may include:
- Draft: application started but not submitted
- Pending / Submitted: application is under review
- Selected: application received a positive selection result
- Not Selected: application was denied
- Approved: scholarship application approved
- Rejected: application was denied
- Nominated / Not Nominated: alternate selection states that are displayed as submitted or pending

9. Viewing Application Details

- Click "View" to open full application details.
- Review status changes, submitted documents, and any notes from reviewers.
- This is where you can verify the final decision and next steps.

10. Troubleshooting

- If your session expires, log in again.
- Refresh the dashboard if application data does not appear.
- Make sure required fields and documents are complete before submitting.
- Contact support if you experience issues with status updates or application visibility.

11. Notes

- Scholarship application services are protected and require authentication.
- Follow the guided form steps carefully to avoid missing information.
- The dashboard is the main place to monitor application progress and results.