.apply-page { padding-top: 90px; }
    .apply-hero-banner {
      position: relative;
      padding: 6.5rem 0 5rem;
      background:
        linear-gradient(122deg, rgba(6, 19, 94, 0.94) 0%, rgba(31, 54, 180, 0.9) 56%, rgba(45, 73, 230, 0.78) 100%),
        url('https://images.pexels.com/photos/4386375/pexels-photo-4386375.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1600') center/cover no-repeat;
      color: #fff;
      overflow: hidden;
    }
    .apply-hero-banner::after {
      content: '';
      position: absolute;
      inset: auto -5% -60px -5%;
      height: 140px;
      background: #ffffff;
      border-radius: 100% 100% 0 0;
    }
    .apply-hero-inner {
      position: relative;
      z-index: 2;
      text-align: center;
      max-width: 780px;
      margin: 0 auto;
    }
    .apply-kicker {
      display: inline-block;
      margin-bottom: 1rem;
      padding: 0.35rem 0.9rem;
      font-size: 0.75rem;
      letter-spacing: 0.12em;
      text-transform: uppercase;
      border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.48);
      border-radius: 999px;
    }
    .apply-hero-inner h1 {
      color: #fff;
      font-size: clamp(2rem, 4vw, 3.2rem);
      margin-bottom: 0.9rem;
    }
    .apply-hero-inner p {
      color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.93);
      font-size: 1.05rem;
      margin-bottom: 1.4rem;
    }
    .form-card {
      background: #fff;
      border: 1px solid var(--border);
      border-radius: 14px;
      padding: 2rem 1.4rem;
      /* No box-shadow for subpages */
    }
    .apply-form-band {
      background: #ffffff;
      /* border-top: 1px solid rgba(11, 29, 132, 0.08); */
      border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(11, 29, 132, 0.08);
    }
    .form-alert {
      display: none;
      margin-top: 1rem;
      padding: 0.8rem 1rem;
      border-radius: 8px;
      font-size: 0.98rem;
    }
    .form-alert.success {
      background: #eafbe7;
      color: #1a7f37;
      border: 1px solid #b6e2c1;
    }
    .form-alert.error {
      background: #fff4f4;
      color: #b91c1c;
      border: 1px solid #f5c2c7;
    }
    @media (max-width: 991.98px) {
      .apply-page { padding-top: 80px; }
      .apply-hero-banner { padding: 5.6rem 0 4.7rem; }
    }