<p>bbb255, as far as I know this is a purely Acedemic award. You send in the common app and the essay and you’re good. Their goal with the program is to attract students who otherwise wouldn’t have attended Emory (usually an Ivy League). They want great students to build their class. Now I’m not rich by any means, but logically they can’t determine how wealthy you are or aren’t unless you put it in your essay (not recommended). I would go as far as to say that you heard a rumor.</p>