ScholarshipProgram Manual

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM MANUAL

Scho larsh ip Program Manua l 1

This manual is intended to be a guide to all Sertoma clubs who run scholarship programs in their community. A college education is not a promise of a better job or a happy life, but it could be important when helping a student on the path to a successful and fulfilling future. Scholarship programs are also a great way to help students in your community who are actively involved, while allowing the club to be a recognized name in the local high schools, colleges or universities.

WELCOME


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Funding ______________________________________ 3 Criteria _______________________________________ 3 Application ____________________________________ 3 Requirements _________________________________ 4 Eligibility _____________________________________ 4 Judging ______________________________________ 4 Announcing the Award Recipient _________________ 4 Disbursements of Funds ________________________ 4 Samples ______________________________________ 5


Funding Scholarship programs can be funded in two ways.

1. A club may establish an endowment fund where the value of the fund above the original gift value may be used to give a scholarship each year. This will require a large original cash outlay for the club. The club must raise or obtain enough donations to establish an endowment large enough to have earnings each year at the level of scholarship being given out. Remember, in this option the original gifts into the endowment cannot be used for the actual scholarship or any other purpose of the club.

2. A club may use funds raised annually to support a scholarship. The club is required to only use funds that have not been designated for a different purpose by the donor. This requires only the amount of the scholarship as a cash outlay each year, but does require that the money be raised each year to keep the scholarship in perpetuity. The club must commit to the scholarship in advance each year.

Criteria Criteria are very important for a scholarship program. This determines who may apply and be awarded a scholarship. The club may establish any criteria they want for a student to apply. Once established, the criteria must be written down and followed during the application year. The criteria may be changed once a year after the award has been given and before the application is published for the next deadline. While the club may determine the criteria, the following are suggested areas to consider. Criteria based upon sex, religion or race should not be considered as that goes against the Sertoma non-discrimination policy.

GPA - a 3.2/4.0 scale is considered a B average for reference. Hearing health needs or disability Hearing health or other degree being obtained High School graduating from College or University entering

Application The club must establish a written application for the student to fill out. This application must include the criteria for obtaining the scholarship, the application deadline, school year in which the money can be used (should only be the following academic year do not say that they can claim at any time during their schooling), all required materials that must be submitted with the application and contact information for questions and submittal. The club may not ask for personal information that does not relate directly to the criteria of the scholarship. This includes pictures and medical records, except for verification of a certain disability to determine if the student is qualified.


Requirements The club may require the student to submit items with the application as long as it directly relates to the criteria of the scholarship. This can include transcripts for GPA or school verification, medical verification of a disability, written recommendations from schools or the community, verification of community service, etc. The club may also ask for a written statement from the student. The application should be clear regarding what the statement should be about and length. Eligibility Once the Sertoma club has established the criteria necessary for a student, they must determine the eligibility of certain individuals. Children of club members will have to be determined, in advance, if they are eligible to apply. This could be a very tricky situation. If these students are determined eligible to apply, the club must make sure its judging process is void of all bias. If there is a perceived bias by the community in awarding the scholarship to only children of the club, other students who have been denied can come back against the club. While the club will only have to show there is no bias in the judging process, this can be a very expensive legal battle. It is the recommendation of Sertoma, Inc. that direct family members of the Sertoma club not be eligible for the scholarship. It is good for the club to have this in writing with their scholarship materials. Judging The club should establish a 3-5 member judging committee from the community. If there is a medical criterion for the scholarship, at least one judge must be a medical professional specializing in that area. The other judges should be in the field of education or similar occupation. The contact or members of the Club cannot be a judge. The judges must receive all their information in a blinded, partially blanked out, form to prevent bias in judging. The best way to do this is to blind all name and address information of the student from the application copies that go to the judges. The judges copies can then be numbered so if a question arises you can look up the information by number. Announcing the Award Recipient The scholarship recipient should be notified in writing. The letter should ask the student for the address of the school to mail the check to and the student ID number. Once notified the Club may wish to have a formal presentation. Disbursement of Funds The club may never write the check directly to the student. Scholarship checks must be sent directly to the college or university the student will be attending. The IRS has many regulations regarding the taxation of scholarship funds. If the student uses the funds for


items other than IRS determined school purposes the student is required to pay federal and state taxes on this. Any money received by the school that the student does not use for this purpose the school is required to notify the student of possible tax consequences. If the club gives the money directly to the student the club would not know if this is taxable. Remember to put the student ID number on all correspondence, including the check, so the school can post it correctly. Also put contact information for the school to call if there is question regarding the student or funds received. If the student decides not to attend school or drops out, then the school must refund the club any unused portion of the scholarship funds. Samples The following are samples of an application, letter to the judges, judging grid, results sheet, award letter and a letter to be included with the check to the school. The club is welcome to use and revise these samples as necessary to match the clubs scholarship. Sample Application 1

My Sertoma Club Scholarship for Students Who Meet Criteria

Academic Year XX-YY Scholarship Program $1,000 scholarship to cover tuition, books and supplies. The funds may be used for any term, including the summer term, during the awarded academic school year. Qualifications

Must be a citizen of the United States of America. Must be either entering college on a full time bases or currently attending college

on a full time basis at a college or university in the United States of America. Must be pursuing a bachelors degree in any discipline. Associates degrees,

community colleges or vocational programs do not qualify. Must have a minimum 3.2 on a 4.0 scale un-weighted GPA or be at least 85% in

all courses. o For high school students entering college this is cumulative GPA for

grades 9-11 and first semester of 12th grade. o For students currently at a freshman level in college it is cumulative GPA

for grades 9-12 and first semester of college. o For college students who are sophomores or higher it is your college

transcript for all semesters completed. Must submit application and all required materials in single envelope by deadline

date.


Deadlines All scholarship applications and requested materials must be received at My Sertoma Club by May 1st of scholarship year.

If the deadline falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be used as the deadline date.

My Sertoma Club will not acknowledge receipt of applications. If you want to verify it was received send the application via Certified U.S. mail or any carrier that has tracking ability.

Faxes are not accepted.

Notification to Recipients All scholarship recipients will be notified by the end of June each year. We cannot send out lists of recipients to those who do not receive a scholarship. We only notify recipients, no notification means the student did not receive the scholarship. Required Materials The following items are required to complete the application process. These items must be submitted in a single envelope in the order listed. All items received separately will be discarded. Any additional items will be discarded.

Application - must be on the original form, typed and signed Statement of purpose stating how this scholarship will help you achieve your

goals. (1 page maximum.) 2 Letters of recommendation from hearing professional, teacher or school official. High School or College transcript. Transcript must be from school, but not in an

official sealed envelope. GPA stated on application must be verifiable from transcript. Transcripts must

have school name printed on it. 1 additional copy of all above items must be included. Copy must blind all

references to the students name and address. Mailing Address My Sertoma Club Scholarship Program Address City, State Zip


Sample Application 2 My Sertoma Club

Scholarship for Students Who Meet Criteria Academic Year XX-YY

Student Information Students Name_________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________ State _______ Zip ____________

Phone __________________________ E-mail ________________________________

College or University Information School the student will be attending or is currently attending on a full time basis leading

to a bachelors degree.

Name_________________________________________________________________

Degree _______________________________________________________________

Anticipated date of graduation from degree program ___________________________

Total credits required for degree program ____________________________________

Estimated total credits taken during XX-YY academic year ______________________

Current Information Cumulative GPA (as described on information sheet) _______/4.0 scale or ________%

Please answer the following questions in the space provided - attachments will be

discarded.

Honor/Awards Received __________________________________________________

Community Volunteer Activities ____________________________________________

Interscholastic Activities __________________________________________________

Extracurricular Activities (include jobs held) ___________________________________

Signature ________________________________________ Date ________________


Sample Letter to Judges May 7, 2004 Judges Name Judge Address Judge City, State Zip Dear Judge: Thank you for agreeing to select the $1,000 My Sertoma Club scholarship for XX-YY. This educational assistance is for students who insert key criteria here. At this time we have funding to award 1 scholarship. This year we received XX applications. All applications have been pre-screened to verify they meet all criteria. Pre-screening includes verification of required minimum GPA, inclusion of all required documents per application and that all directions in the application were followed. Please report the results to me on or before Date. We set no rigid criteria for financial need, area of study, etc. The application is designed to provide the relevant facts about each student. You, as a professional who understands the abilities and educational challenges of these students, are in the best position to determine the importance or weight of these different factors. We rely on your background and experience to help us honor high achieving students who will serve as role models for other young people. Students who are following their educational/career dreams are of the greatest interest to us, not necessarily those with the best grades or least funds. Enclosed you will find the following

XX applications (pre numbered- use this number in all correspondence to us) Scholarship Judging Grid (if you choose to use) Results Sheet

Please review the applications carefully, making notes on the Judging Grid as necessary. Select your top YY applicants plus 1 alternate from the entire group. Write your choices on the Results Sheet and mail or fax it to my attention by June 18, 20XX. If you would prefer to e-mail your results please send to Club Representative E-Mail. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us. Sincerely, Club Representative Title in Club Contact Information Sample Judging Grid


My Sertoma Club Scholarship for Students Who Meet Criteria

This grid is simply an organizing tool to help judges evaluate the scholarship applications. There is no requirement to use this form if the judge has their own system of ranking. Judges Can: Rank the students for each requirement, noting the applicants rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd) Use a scale of 1 to 10 to award the applicants points for each item Devise their own system for evaluating the applications.

1. Academic Achievement ____________________________

2. Statement of Purpose ____________________________

3. Letters of Recommendation ____________________________

4. Vision/Direction of Career ____________________________

5. School Activities ____________________________

6. Extracurricular Activities ____________________________

7. Overall Merit ____________________________

8. Total Points __________

9. Applicants Rank __________

Notes:

We look to honor high achieving students who will serve as role models for other young people who are hearing impaired. Students who are following their education/career dreams are of the greatest interest to us, not necessarily those with the best grades or least funds.

Please return your ranking by June 18, 20XX

Club Representative Title in Club Contact Information


Sample Judges Ranking Sheet

My Sertoma Club

Scholarship for Students Who Meet Criteria

Ranking Sheet

Rank Application Number

One ________________

Two ________________

Three _______________

Four ________________ Five ________________

Six _________________

Seven _______________

Eight ________________

Please return your ranking by June 18, 20XX

Club Representative Title in Club Contact Information


Sample Notification Letter June 18, 20XX Student Name Student Address Student City, State Zip Dear Student: On behalf of My Sertoma Club, I am delighted to announce that you have been selected to receive our scholarship for the XX-YY school year. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You will receive $1,000 to help cover your educational expenses for the XX-YY school year. Our records indicate you will be attending School. Please let us know as soon as possible the school address and contact name for the specific department your funds should be mailed to. If the school has any further instructions regarding acceptance of scholarship funds please inform us of those instructions. Upon receipt of this notification your funds will be released to the school. Please note that these funds are to be used for your direct educational expensestuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment and other expenses associated with your courses of instruction during the XX-YY school year. Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, scholarship funds used for anything other than the above expenses may constitute taxable income to you. We authorize your school to report any non-educational expenditures of these funds to the Internal Revenue Service and to withhold any applicable taxes. If you withdraw from school at any time for any reason, please notify me immediately so we may arrange a refund of any unused funds to My Sertoma Club in accordance with the schools standard refund policies. Also contact us if your address or phone number changes. Again, congratulations! Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. Sincerely, Club Representative Title in Club Contact Information


Sample Letter to College August 13, 20XX School Name Attn: School Office that accepts scholarship checks School Address School City, State Zip RE: $1000 Scholarship for Student and Student ID#. My Sertoma Club recently awarded the above student a scholarship for the school year XXYY. These funds may be used at the students discretion any time for tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment or other expenses required for the students instructional courses during the XX-YY. Under current tax laws, scholarship funds used for anything other than the above expenses may constitute taxable income to the student. We authorize you to report any non-educational expenditure of these funds by the above student to the appropriate tax authorities for the payment or withholding of any applicable taxes. If the student withdraws from your institution for any reason during the XX-YY year, please notify me immediately so we may arrange a refund of any unused funds to My Sertoma Club in accordance with your institutions standard refund policies. Sincerely, Club Representative Title in Club Contact Information Encl: $1,000 My Sertoma Club check Cc: Student

ScholarshipProgram Manual

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