Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Southeast Michigan Community Foundation
Introduction
The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Scholarship Program exists to help students from communities served by the Chamber pursue undergraduate studies. Each year up to two renewable awards of $1,000 apiece will be granted to students beginning their first year of college in the fall. Award decisions are made with guidance from the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Scholarship Program Advisory Committee.
Overview of Award Purpose and Special Designation
The Fund was established to provide post-secondary scholarships to qualified residents within the Chamber’s service area and to support other charitable activities in Southern Wayne County. The scholarship fund was formed with donations from the Chamber, its member businesses, and private contributors. Currently, the Fund is being used exclusively for scholarships. Starting with the 2002–2003 scholarship year, the Chamber designated the career-technical scholarship in memory of Heinz Prechter, a nationally recognized entrepreneur and civic leader closely associated with the region.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be under 22 years of age.
- Be a senior at, or a graduate of, a high school located within the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber geographic area.
- Be entering their first year of college in the upcoming fall term.
The Chamber’s service-area communities include: Allen Park, Belleville, Brownstown, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Charter Township of Huron, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Sumpter, Taylor, Trenton, Van Buren Township, Woodhaven, and Wyandotte.
Applicants should plan a career in business or a technical field.
Selection Priorities and Criteria
The Advisory Committee will select recipients based on the following considerations:
- Academic record: consistent strong performance in high school, or noticeable academic improvement year-to-year, with a cumulative equivalent of at least a 2.5 grade point average for the final two years or at graduation. School attendance will also be considered.
- Involvement: participation in extracurricular activities, community volunteer work, and paid employment.
- Program-specific priorities: the Committee intends to award one scholarship to a student who followed a vocational/career-technical curriculum in high school and one scholarship to a student who has overcome an at-risk barrier during their education.
At-risk barriers include any of the following (as applicable):
- Single-parent household or family difficulties as documented by an outside agency
- Economic disadvantage, as defined by Federal Health and Human Services poverty guidelines
- Physical disability
- Recovery from substance abuse
- Former offender
- Teen parent
- Ward of the court or former foster child
- Enrollment intent: an applicant must be applying to or accepted as a full-time, first-year student in an accredited post-secondary certificate or degree program. Eligible institutions must be tax-exempt educational organizations under the Internal Revenue Code.
All awards are made without regard to race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Award Terms and Conditions
- If a recipient withdraws from the educational institution, the scholarship will be canceled and any unused funds must be returned to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
- If a recipient decides to attend a different qualifying institution than originally indicated, the award will remain valid provided the Foundation is informed in advance. The new institution must be either an accredited, tax-exempt educational entity or an accredited, non-exempt educational institution that is a member of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber.
Scholarship Payment Procedures
- Payments will generally be sent to the financial aid office (or equivalent office) of the tax-exempt educational institution in the institution’s name. If a recipient attends a non-exempt member institution of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber, payment will be made directly to the student after the Foundation receives certification of full-time enrollment from the institution.
- Disbursement will occur after all of the following have been completed:
1) The recipient signs and returns the Terms of Grant Agreement to the Foundation.
2) The recipient notifies the Foundation of the college/university where they will enroll.
3) The college/university verifies the student’s enrollment.
4) The college/university verifies that awarding this scholarship will not reduce previously awarded grant aid to the student, except where required by federal or state law.
- Scholarship awards may have state and federal tax implications and will be handled in accordance with applicable tax guidelines.
Renewal Policy
- Recipients may apply for renewal of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Scholarship for up to three additional years (a total of four years of eligibility) provided they remain enrolled full-time in an accredited degree or certificate program, maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5, and continue to meet the program’s other requirements. Renewal is not automatic.
- If a renewal application is denied, the student will no longer be eligible to reapply.
- Continued residence within Southern Wayne County is not required for renewal eligibility.
- The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan will contact renewal-eligible recipients prior to the close of the academic year in which they received their award.
How to Apply
- Complete and submit your application online at http://cfsem.org/scholarships.
- March 15 is the priority deadline for applications.
Contact and Review Process
Award determinations are made with the assistance of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber Scholarship Program Advisory Committee, which reviews applications and recommends recipients based on the criteria above.
(For full instructions, required documentation, and the online application, visit http://cfsem.org/scholarships.)