Texas 4-H Foundation Scholarship Instructions

2012-2013Matthew J. Miranda M.Ed.

County Extension Agent: 4-H and Youth DevelopmentGuadalupe County

First scholarship was given in 1959 by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for $1,000. Today, the largest scholarships are the HLSR and SALE $16,000 scholarships

In 2013, the scholarship program will 54 years old

The Texas 4-H Scholarship Program is the largest 4-H scholarship program in the United States

Introduction

The program is overseen by the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation

Over two million dollars in scholarships will be distributed at the scholarship assembly in at State Roundup; that’s about 225 scholarships

They range from $1,000 to $18,000

Introduction

November – December ◦ Applicant complete FAFSA and receive report

Feb 1◦ Application due to County Office

February 8, 2013◦ Applications due to District Office

February 22, 2013◦ Applications due to State 4-H Office

April 12, 2013◦ Interview selection notification

May 10-12, 2013◦ Interviews (Austin, TX)

June 10, 2013◦ Awards Program/Banquets (College Station, TX)

Deadlines

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has increased the value of their scholarships from $16,000 to $18,000.

All grade point averages (GPA's) must be in a 100 point unweighted scale. 

Program Changes for 2013

HLSR now accepts home and private school applicants as scholars

All applicants that are invited to participate in interviews are NOT guaranteed a scholarship

Applicants will NOT be excused from either the interview OR the scholarship assembly in

Other Reminders

These scholarships are Academic Scholarships: That is, they are awarded based on your academic record in school, 4-H experience and financial need◦ Financial Need requirement are for certain ones

only Approximately 225 scholarships will be

awarded Amount of scholarships will be from $1,000

to $18,000

Scholarship Program Overview

Baccalaureate◦ For students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science

(BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree Technical Certification

◦ For students who wish to pursue technical certification Collegiate

◦ Designed for former Texas 4-H members who have completed at least 30 hours of college credit and maintained a 2.7 GPA

Courageous Heart ◦ Awarded to Texas 4-H members that have overcome

extreme obstacles related to medical, family and/or education, and remained an active member of both 4-H and school

Scholarships Available

Be an active member of the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program

Be a United States Citizen and Texas resident

Be scheduled to graduate from a Texas High School (public, private, or home) during the 2012-13 school year

Have made formal application to enroll in a Texas college/ university/technical school

Meet the entrance requirements for the college/ university for which formal application has been made

Not apply for both 4-H & FFA scholarships, One or the other!

Submit a current Texas 4-H Scholarship application◦ All pages must be included, it must be

typed, no extra pages will be allowed and your transcript, FAFSA and college papers must be included

All applications MUST meet the minimum requirements/criteria to even be considered for judging (see guidelines for complete details).  Those applications not meeting the requirements should not be submitted to the county Extension Office and/or Agent.

General Eligibility Requirements

Score at least 1350 on your SAT or 19 on the ACT◦ Scores must be from the same test date◦ No Updated test scores will be accepted after the

application date…so take your SAT/ACT NOW! Be in the upper half of your class based on

scholastic rank for the first 3.5 years◦ Houston and Wallrath scholarships will require

applicants to be in the upper quarter of their class

Baccalaureate Eligibility

You must not have plans to continue your formal education at a Texas College or University after the completion of a Technical Program

Technical Eligibility

Complete the additional pages in the scholarship application

You do not need to have the minimum SAT/ACT scores

Courageous Heart applicants cannot be considered for other Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarships

Have documentation of obstacles Scholarship value is $5,000

Courageous Heart Eligibility

United States citizenship and a Texas Resident

Been an active member of 4-H Attending a Texas College/University Graduated from HS no later than May 2011 Have completed 30 hours of undergraduate

work 2.7 cumulative GPA MUST BE PRESENT at the 2012 Scholarship

Assembly in Lubbock

Collegiate Scholarship Eligibility

Available in MS Word Samples are on the website, will show you how to format

your application◦ http://guadalupe.agrilife.org/scholarships/

Submit the most current application◦ http://guadalupe.agrilife.org/texas-4-h-foundation-scholarships/

Homeschool youth must provide:◦ An Official Transcript (contact Matt Miranda if you need help with

this)◦ Proof of completing all required standardize tests to graduate and

enroll in a Texas College/ University, OR proof of the standardized test exemption

You may not submit a TEXAS FFA or FCCLA Scholarship application◦ National FFA Scholarship applications are allowed

2013 Application

4-H Record Book ( This helps) 2013 Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship

Application Guidelines and Examples Official high school transcripts with either

school seal or original signature of counselor/principal

SAT/ACT Scores FAFSA Application Report (complete now) College Catalog pages from your desired

major

Items Needed to Complete Application

Scoring for the Scholarship Application It is on a 100 point scale When applying for scholarships for financial

need, your need will be taken into account, whereas with out need, it will not be considered at all

Must be FULLY complete to receive consideration

Application must be:◦ Computer generated and prepared

Not hand written◦ Typed using a typewriter◦ Must include all required attachments◦ Official transcript◦ SAT/ACT Scores◦ Copy of FAFSA- SAR Report◦ College Catalog pages with your major of study

The Application

Section1: Personal Information

Section 2: College/University Information

Section 3: Livestock Show Participation

Section 4: SALE- School Tours Information

Section 5: Individual Scholastic Record

Section 6: Financial Information

Section 7: Project Experience Section 8: Leadership

Experience

Section 9: Citizenship/ Community Service Experience and Honors

Section 10: Outside 4-H Experience

Section 11: Personal Narrative Section12: Career Narrative Section 13: Courageous Heart

Narrative Section 14: Acknowledgement of

Integrity, participation and certification

Section 15: County Extension Agent Certification

Section 16: Application Checklist and Certification

Required Attachments{ ACT/SAT Scores. Transcript, FAFSA, College pages}

Application Order

Sections 1-4 are on the first page Section1: Personal Information

◦ Identify the submission of the Application (Baccalaureate, Technical, Courageous)

◦ All information must be completed Section 2: College University Information

◦ Complete all information related to high school planning on graduating from

◦ List in priority order up to three schools which the applicant has received any acceptance notice from them

◦ List the major, department and career the applicants plans on pursuing

Application Sections

Section 3: Livestock Show Participation◦ Some shows require that an applicant has been an

exhibitor at their show to be eligible for consideration ◦ Make sure to indicate the actual year the applicant

participated at the show, NOT THE NUMBER OF YEARS PARTICIPATED 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, NOT 4 years participating

Section 4: San Antonio Livestock Show- School Tours ◦ Indicate if you are planning on serving as a school tour

guide for the 2013 SALE Stock Show◦ SALE Tour Guide Scholarships are only available to those

youth that have served their graduating year and meet the college/university majors for SALE

Sections Continued

Section 5:◦ Must be completed by the Applicant’s high school principal, counselor, or

person serving in that official role for the applicants

◦ The completed record and related materials must be returned to the applicant to become part of and attached to the application

◦ Must have a true class ranking (evening if the applicant is in Home Schooled, they must be ranked “1 of 1”

◦ Must have the quartile ranking of the applicant (home school are automatically top ¼)

◦ All grade point averages (GPA's) must be in a 100 point unweighted scale. 

◦ Failure to provide class and quartile ranking can and will result in disqualification

Sections Continued

Section 6: Financial Information◦ Collected and evaluated in two forms:

FAFSA Financial Need Narrative

◦ It Provides an Expected Financial Contribution (EFC) amount as to what can be planned on from parents

◦ FAFSA takes approximately 3-4 weeks for processing That’s why NOW is the time to apply!!!

◦ FAFSA helps you find and obtain other financial aid as well

◦ Submit the FAFSA Student Activity Report with the Application

◦ FAFSA.ed.gov

Sections Continued

Section 6: Financial Information◦ Indicate if applying for other scholarships, loans,

and/or other financial aid HINT!!! Judges and donors like to see that you are

actively searching out and applying for other financial aid!!!

◦ If applicant has applied for other financial support, it must be listed on the form

◦ Provide the name of the support and the type (scholarship, grant, etc)

◦ Include amount per year; if no amount is listed, estimate by looking at past year’s awards

Sections Continued

Section 6: Financial Information◦ Is the Scholarship Renewable. If it is dependant on grades,

then we expect the applicant to maintain those grades- so yes it is!

◦ What is the Total Value of the financial support (amount per year times the number of years it is renewable…5000 per year X 4 years = $20,000)

◦ List the status of the financial aid Confirmed-Means the applicant has received verification of

receiving it Declined- Applicant was turned down Pending- Applicants has not heard anything

◦ If an applicant is selected for an interview, they will be required to provide proof and documentation of all financial assistance and aid packages to be received

Sections Continued

Section 6: Financial Information◦ When writing the narrative, let the judges know WHY you

need financial aid DO NOT Start with, “I deserve this because”

◦ Information pertaining to the cost of college can be received from the University’s financial aid department, University catalog, or Texas Higher Education board website at http://www.collegefortexans.com

If you are a recipient of ANY Houston Livestock show scholarship, you may not receive more than $75,000 in total financial aid (scholarship or otherwise). If you pass this threshold, you will no longer be eligible to obtain the scholarship, SO be sure to list ALL aid you obtain!

Sections Continued

Sections 7-10: Experience Pages◦ Information for completing Sections 7-10 can be taken

from 4-H Record Book Past Award Applications Member Achievement Plan (MAP) Other Personal Records

Remember:◦ Information MUST be presented in the space provided◦ Information listed should stress quality of the applicant’s

experiences rather than quantity◦ Examples can be found at

http://guadalupe.agrilife.org/texas-4-h-foundation-scholarships/ in the Foundation Scholarship Examples link

Sections Continued

Section 7: Project Experiences◦ 4-H Projects

List up to four projects throughout applicant’s 4-H career

Describe years involved, knowledge and skills gained, scope of activity related to the project, demonstrations, talks, workshops, tours, interviews, etc.

The application is for the ENTIRE 4-H career, not just the past four years, like with record books

Describe why these projects were important and what impact the applicant's involvement provided to other people

Sections Continued

Section 8: Leadership Experience◦ Leadership Roles

List up to 25 MAJOR Leadership 4-H roles Include volunteer, promotion, and elected/appointed

leadership List roles and responsibilities, years, levels of

involvement, duties and accomplishments Briefly describe why the activities were important

and what impact the applicant’s involvement provided to other people

Put emphasis on the quality of the experience, rather than quantity

Sections Continued

Citizenship and Community Service◦ List up to 15 major

citizenship and community service projects

◦ List roles and responsibilities, years, levels of involvement, duties and accomplishments

◦ Describe the activities, why they were important and the impact they had on others

◦ Emphasize quality over quantity

4-H Honors◦ List up to 4 major 4-H

Honors that the applicant received during the 4-H career

◦ List the honor, year received, level of award, and why applicant considers it to be one of the most important…how did it provide to your personal development

Section 9: Citizenship/ Community Service Experience and Honors

Section 10: Outside 4-H Experience◦ Outside of 4-H Leadership Activities, Honors, Work

Experience, Volunteering / Community Service Describe how the applicant spent time outside of 4-H

activities, why they devoted time to a particular activity and the impact the activity had on their personal development and how it benefited others

List leadership roles outside of 4-H (school, church, sports, etc)

Sections Continued

Section 11: Personal Narrative◦ Applicant must write or type a personal narrative

about themselves, highlighting any important facts and information they believe the selection committee should know when considering the application

◦ Include any personal obstacles that the applicants has overcome during their 4-H career

◦ Space should be used wisely and do not repeat or re-list information already addressed in the application

◦ Use only the space provided on the remainder of the page…do not add pages or use the reverse of the page

Sections Continued

Section 12: Career Narrative◦ Applicant should describe how they have

prepared themselves to have an awareness of and an understanding about careers applicable to their degree or tech certification

◦ Types of info the applicant should provide include: Visits to colleges or universities and conversations

with people at those institutions Investigations of job opportunities and availability Persons/experiences that have influenced the

applicant to pursue the degree How the applicant decided between associate vs.

bachelors degree

Sections Continued

Section 13: Courageous Heart Applicant Information◦ Pages 11&12 of the application should be completed if

a 4-Her is being considered for the CHS◦ CH applicants must provide a detailed narrative of the

family, school or medical obstacle that the applicant has experienced and overcome

◦ Include page listing three references for the applicant. References should be able to provide details pertaining to the obstacle

◦ Three letters of recommendations are required from the references about the obstacle, and how they have continued to be a strong 4-Her

Sections Continued

Section 14: Acknowledgement of Integrity, participation and certification◦ Certification must be signed and dated by the applicant and

a parents of the applicant◦ Each statement must be initialed in ink by both the applicant

and parents◦ Applicant and parent will acknowledge review of FAFSA,

transcript, test scores and college catalog pages being corrected and/ or included

HINT: It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their transcript and test scores are correct. This may mean the applicant opens the transcript, reviews it and then reseal it in a new envelop before submitting to the county office

Sections Continued

Section 15: County Extension Agent Certification◦ Agent will review application for correctness,

quality and completion◦ They will certify membership and 4-H club/county

enrollment◦ Application MUST be signed by a CEA

Sections Continued

Section 16: Application Checklist and Certification

The checklist on this page MUST be initialed at all levels

The Student, Parent and County Agent ALL need to initial

The County Agent will only initial AFTER all portions of the application and attachments have been turned in

Sections Continued

The application is DUE in the county office on February 1

Start early-ensure you have taken the ACT/SAT and submitted the FAFSA

Brainstorm and gather information before you start

Read and follow ALL instructions Ask several people that you respect to review

and critique the application Complete ALL sections! Emphasize quality as well as quantity

Tips and Reminders

This is a COMPEDITIVE ACEDEMIC scholarship process

An application is competing against the pool or applicants from across Texas, the best of the best!

Applicants change each year, just because “it worked” for someone last year doesn’t not mean the same result this year

Judges are different every year Fort Worth and Rio Grand Stock Shows are the only

donors that require participation in the show DONORS set criteria, not 4-H, not agents Make sure your grades are good and college

entrance exams are done early and often

More Reminders

If you still have questions, you can call Matt Miranda or Charla Bading at 830-303-3889

If you need further help, call◦ Dr. Toby Lepley, State 4-H Specialist

979-845-1212

QUESTIONS??

Thank you for listening!

GOOD LUCK! We will be rooting for you!!!