SAEOPP Scholarship Competition 2022-2023
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The SAEOPP Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that the 2022-2023 Scholarship Competition (to be awarded in the 2023 fall semester) will open as of Tuesday, January 3, 2023 and will close on Friday, March 3, 2023 at 11:55 pm CST.
TRIO Student Scholarships
For TRIO Students we have the SAEOPP Academic and Survivor Scholarship Competitions. The Academic Scholarship is given to those Pre-College and Adult Learner participants who display outstanding academics and community service within their education career. The Survivor Scholarship is designed for students who have overcome major challenges and obstacles to persevere academically.
This year SAEOPP will utilize 3 separate student applications: 1) Pre-College Scholarship Application; 2) Adult Learner Scholarship Application; and 3) Survivor Scholarship Application. TRIO Staff are expected to complete the application for these awards, please read the directions carefully to ensure all information is provided when the application is submitted.
Only ONE application may be submitted per category, per TRIO Project (per individual project, for institutions with more than one project). NOTE: Projects that send more than one application for the same category AND/OR project will be disqualified.
Essay Prompts for each scholarship are as follows:
Pre-College & Adult Learner Scholarship Essay Prompt:
Essay Topic: Please describe in your own words (answer all 4 parts):
1. What character traits do you possess that have helped you to overcome personal adversity?
2. What is your degree of commitment to pursuing a college education?
3. How do you anticipate making a contribution to society?
4. How has your involvement in TRiO assisted in preparation for college and life success?
Survivor Scholarship Essay Prompt:
Essay Topic: (Please describe in your own words. Answer both parts):
How are you a "survivor?" How will NOT receiving this scholarship affect you?
Also, both the Pre-College and Adult Learner Scholarship Applications will require a Leadership Profile. Details here:
Choose 5 (five) of your most important leadership roles and/or honors past or present. Provide the following information about each one:
Leadership Position/Honor (ex. President, Captain, Team Leader, etc.)
Name and location of club, organization, team, community agency, etc.
Length of involvement in club, organization, team, community agency, etc and time commitment on a monthly basis
Description of leadership responsibilities and required skills in this position.
Style Guidelines for All Essays:
In the right header, type the student's first initial and last name
In the left header, type the name of the award (SAEOPP Pre-College Scholarship)
Essay should be between 400-500 words. All essays should have a title. Titles and information in the header do not contribute to the word count for the essay.
Essay should be in Arial or Calibri fonts only, with a 12 point size, and double (2.0) spacing with 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, right)
Sponsors of applications MUST BE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THEIR STATE ASSOCIATION AND SAEOPP (State Association and SAEOPP membership dues must be paid by October 31st annually).
APPLY AT THE LINKS LISTED ABOVE!
Applicants will be judged and ranked in the following categories:
Pre-College and Adult Learner (See Rubric Above)
Essay (content, grammar, format, etc.) - 50 points
Academic performance/scholarship (unofficial transcript & test scores) - 40 points
Honors & awards received, Leadership, School activities, Community/Volunteer service, and TRIO activities - 20 points
Two recommendation letters - 10 points
Survivor (See Rubric Above)
Essay (content, grammar, format, etc.) - 50 points
Financial Need (each applicant MUST submit verification of income or family income) - 30 points
Two recommendation letters - 20 points
NOTE: SPONSORS (TRIO Staff) MUST submit the application. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Submission Deadline: March 3, 2023 by 11:55 pm CST
Each application will be reviewed and rated by the Scholarship Committee (and SAEOPP Board of Directors , if necessary). No applicant's materials will be reviewed by a person from the same state.
Essays are independently reviewed and ranked by three (3) outside (non-TRIO) readers. Scholarship applications with a raw score of less than 80 will not be considered.
If a student is selected, the award will be disbursed after the start of the fall semester 2023 (no earlier than September 1, 2023). Documentation to claim an award includes:
Proof that the student is enrolled/attending classes for the fall 2023 (official verification of the most current fall semester enrollment and proof of two weeks attendance at a postsecondary institution).
An address to mail the scholarship.
A letter of gratitude from the student for the award.
All correspondence and award agreements will be generated from the personal information submitted below. So, please use proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
Award checks, made payable to the student, will be initiated upon receipt of the requested documentation and forwarded to the designated mailing address.
SAEOPP 2023 Scholarship Award Winners will be announced at the SAEOPP 2023 Student Initiatives Competitions!
TRIO Professional Scholarships
For TRIO Professionals we have a $500 scholarship that can be used for academic or professional development. The applicant will complete his or her own application, and must submit all pieces at the same time.
Any award is to be used for educational expenses or to attend professional development.
Nominees MUST BE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THEIR STATE ASSOCIATION AND SAEOPP (State Association and SAEOPP membership dues must be paid by October 31st annually)
Applicants will be judged and rated in the following categories:
Essay (70 points total)
A. Content - 50 points
B. Grammar - 10 points
C. Formatting - 10 points
Resume/Vita (10 points total)
Employment in TRIO - 5 points
Leadership/Mentoring/etc. - 5 points
Honors & awards received, Leadership, Community/Volunteer service, and involvement in TRIO activities - 10 points
One recommendation letter - 10 points
NOTE: Paper applications will not be accepted.
The deadline to apply for all awards is March 3, 2023 by 11:55 pm CST
(applications submitted after 3/03/23 at 11:55 PM CST will not be accepted)
Each application will be reviewed and rated by the Scholarship Committee (and SAEOPP Board of Directors, if necessary). No applicant's materials will be reviewed by a person from the same state. Scholarship applications with a raw score of less than 80 will not be considered.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the results by the end of January. The names and schools of the winners may be printed in an issue of the SAEOPP Sentinel. IN addition, scholarship recipient's essays may be published in the SAEOPP Sentinel.
If using this award for educational expenses, applicants MUST provide official verification of the most current semester enrollment in order to receive the award.
If using the award for professional development, applicants MUST provide official verification that they have registered for a training session to occur within 12 months after notification of receiving the award.
Award checks, made payable to the applicant, and will be initiated upon receipt of any requested documentation and forwarded to the designated mailing address.
Any questions or concerns regarding Scholarship Competitions should be emailed to the SAEOPP Scholarship Committee at scholarships@saeopp.org. This email address is checked daily so a response should expected within 24 hours in most cases.
The SAEOPP Scholarship Committee is happy to serve TRIO Participants and TRIO Professionals and we are excited to award so many well-deserved scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year!
Best,
Stephen D. Keene, SAEOPP Scholarship Committee Chair (2021-2023)
Cherry Stallworth, SAEOPP Scholarship Committee Member
Brittany Dixon, SAEOPP Scholarship Committee Member
Holly Lawrence, SAEOPP Scholarship Committee Member