Your Complete Guide to ZZCEF
Step-by-step walkthroughs for applicants, donors, and board members — everything you need to get started and make the most of the platform.
Scholarship Applicant Guide
How to apply for a ZZCEF scholarship — from eligibility to acceptance
Applications for the 2026–2027 cycle are open. Deadline TBD. You must be enrolled or planning to enroll at the University of South Carolina — Columbia to be eligible. See full eligibility requirements →
Check Your Eligibility
ZZCEF awards scholarships to underrepresented students at the University of South Carolina — Columbia. Review the eligibility requirements and choose the right track: Track A (Legacy Family) for applicants connected to the foundation's founding community, or Track B (General) for all other qualified applicants.
Create Your Account
Visit the registration page and create a free applicant account using your email. Use your real, personal email address — all scholarship notifications will go here. After registering, you'll be redirected to your scholar portal.
Start Your Application
From your scholar portal, click "Start 2026–2027 Application" and choose your track. Complete all required fields: your full name, email, major, GPA, and a personal essay. Double-check before submitting — you cannot edit after submission.
Submit & Wait for Review
Once submitted, your application status changes to Submitted. You can track it in your scholar portal. Our review committee will change the status to Under Review when the evaluation process begins — no further action needed from you at this stage.
Get Notified & Respond
If accepted, your status will change to Accepted and you'll receive a message in your portal. Use the Messages section to communicate directly with our team if you have questions. Accepted scholars will be contacted with award and disbursement details.
Message Our Team Anytime
Have a question about your application or the scholarship program? Log into your portal, scroll to the Messages section, click "New Message," and we'll respond within 2 business days.
Applications take about 15 minutes. Have your major, GPA, and a 250–500 word personal statement ready.
Applicant Questions
Applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll at the University of South Carolina — Columbia as an undergraduate student. We prioritize underrepresented students in higher education. Both incoming freshmen and current students may apply.
Track A (Legacy Family / ZZ Descendant) is for applicants with a family connection to the foundation's founding community and legacy supporters. Track B (General) is open to all other qualified applicants at USC. If you're unsure which track applies to you, choose Track B or message our team.
Each applicant may submit one application per cycle. If you applied in a previous year and were not accepted, you are welcome to apply again in the next cycle.
Your application status in the portal will be updated to "Accepted" and you'll receive a message through the portal's Messages section. Please make sure your email address is correct so you don't miss any notifications.
The Apply button appears when the application window is open. If you can see the button on the Apply page but not in your portal, try refreshing. If the issue persists, send us a message through the portal or email zzcefusc@gmail.com.
Donor Guide
How to make a donation and track your giving impact through the portal
All donations to ZZCEF are tax-deductible — we are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You'll receive a donation receipt that can be used for tax filing. Our overhead is under 5%.
Choose Your Giving Level
Visit the Donate page to explore giving levels. Every amount makes a difference — a $50 contribution helps fund books for a semester; $500 can cover a full scholarship award. Corporate sponsors can explore larger impact options on the Sponsorship page.
Make Your Donation
Click "Donate Now" and proceed to the secure checkout. We accept credit cards and debit cards via Stripe. Your payment information is never stored on our servers — Stripe handles all payment security with bank-level encryption.
Create a Donor Account
Create a free donor account at the registration page to access your giving dashboard. You can track your donation history, download receipts, and communicate with our team — all in one place.
Track Your Impact
Your donor portal shows your total lifetime giving, number of donations, and full giving history. Visit Our Impact to see how donations like yours have funded over 17 scholars and built a $200K+ endowment.
Stay Connected
Use the Messages section in your donor portal to reach our team with questions about your donations, tax receipts, or becoming a recurring or corporate sponsor. We respond within 2 business days.
Consider Corporate Sponsorship
Companies and organizations can make a named gift that supports a specific scholarship award each year. Visit our Corporate Sponsorship page or message our team to discuss partnership opportunities.
100% of your contribution goes toward the endowment fund and annual scholarship awards. Overhead under 5%.
Donor Questions
Yes. ZZCEF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. You'll receive a donation confirmation that can serve as your tax receipt.
Absolutely. We use Stripe for all payment processing — the same payment infrastructure used by Amazon and millions of other companies. ZZCEF never stores your credit card details on our servers.
Monthly recurring donations can be arranged by contacting us at zzcefusc@gmail.com. Recurring donors form the foundation's most reliable funding base and directly sustain year-over-year scholarship capacity.
Donation records sync automatically when a payment is confirmed. If your donation was completed but doesn't appear after 24 hours, message our team through the portal or email zzcefusc@gmail.com with your name and approximate donation date.
Board Member & Admin Guide
How to access and use the ZZCEF admin console
This section is for board members and administrators only. If you have been invited by the ZZCEF board and don't yet have an account, contact zzcefusc@gmail.com to be provisioned access.
Sign In to Your Account
Go to the portal login page and sign in with your registered email. Board members and admins are automatically redirected to the admin console at /admin/.
Understand Your Role
The admin console has two permission levels: Admin (full access — create, edit, delete, manage users) and Board (read-only access — view all data but cannot make changes). Your role is set by the system administrator.
Review Applications
Navigate to Operations → Applications in the sidebar. You'll see all submitted scholarship applications with the applicant name, track, status, and date. Click any application to review the full submission and update its status (Submitted → Under Review → Accepted / Rejected).
Manage Messages
Go to System → Messages to see all messages from applicants and donors. Click any thread to view the full conversation, reply directly, or mark it as resolved. Unread messages are highlighted with a gold dot.
Update Site Content
Admins can edit the homepage content (stats, announcements, events) via Content → Site Content. Blog posts can be created and scheduled under Content → Blog Posts. Changes go live immediately after saving.
Manage Users & Roles
Under System → Users & Roles (admin only), you can view all registered users, change their role (applicant, donor, board, admin, scholar), send password reset emails, and manage access. Handle this section with care — role changes take effect immediately.
Contact CSS Technology (the platform developer) through the Metrix portal under Agency → Metrix Portal in the admin console.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about ZZCEF
On the login page, enter your email and click "Forgot password?" — a reset link will be sent to your inbox. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes. If you still have trouble, email zzcefusc@gmail.com.
Your dashboard is determined by your account role. If you registered as a donor but need applicant access (or vice versa), email zzcefusc@gmail.com with your email address and the role you need. An admin will update your account.
The ZZCEF portal is a secure online platform with three different dashboards: Scholar Portal for scholarship applicants to submit and track applications, Donor Portal for donors to track their giving history, and the Admin Console for board members to manage operations. You only see the dashboard that matches your account type.
You can reach us via email at zzcefusc@gmail.com, by phone at (704) 999-9801, or use the contact form on our website. If you're a portal user, the fastest way is the Messages section in your dashboard.
Yes. The platform uses Supabase for authentication and database storage, which provides enterprise-grade security, encryption at rest and in transit, and row-level access controls so users only see their own data. No sensitive financial data is stored on our servers — Stripe handles all payment processing. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.
Our Financial Transparency page publishes annual impact reports, endowment growth figures, and overhead breakdowns. We maintain an operating overhead under 5%, with the vast majority of every dollar going directly to scholarship awards.
There are several ways to deepen your involvement: become a corporate sponsor (see Sponsorship page), volunteer for mentorship of current scholars, attend our community events, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed.
Reach out directly — we respond within 2 business days.