Time to apply for scholarships!

[Vince]

Now that the robot, animation, chairman's award, Woodie Flowers essay and all other parts are done - it is time to think about yourself and college scholarships.

This year 4.3 million dollars in scholarships are available exclusively for FIRST participants with the complete list of scholarships detailed in the FIRST manual.

For sponsors to keep offering FIRST scholarships, they need to see people applying for the scholarships they offer. If people don't apply, the scholarships will disappear because the sponsors are not getting a return on their investment.

As one who has been closely involved with the 7 "transportable" ASME scholarships, I assure you that the scholarship offers are proportional to the demonstrated interest. This is real money that is on the table for the taking.

I've included details on the ASME scholarship below in an effort to drum up applications. As of today, there are only 2 applications for these 7 scholarhips - the due date for the scholarships is a March 1 postmark.

Needless to say, your chances are pretty good, but you have to submit an application to get a scholarship.

Best of luck to all - Vince

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ASME-ASME AUXILIARY FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS (7)

To recognize and reward students whose FIRST experience has inspired an interest in pursuing an engineering career, ASME International (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers) will award seven (7) $5,000 scholarships to high school seniors active on FIRST teams, who are nominated by ASME members or student members who are also active with FIRST. These awards will be for the first year of study (nonrenewable) in an accredited* Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Nomination and Student Eligibility
Members of ASME may nominate one student per FIRST team. Students must be:
• Graduating high school seniors active on FIRST teams
• Planning to enroll full-time in an ABET-accredited or substantially equivalent* Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology program, no later than the fall after their senior year in high school.

Nomination Requirements
Applicants must complete the ASME/ FIRST Scholarship Nomination Form, downloadable from the ASME Education web page 7 $5K ASME Scholarships Attached to the
form should be the following:
• A nomination letter from an ASME member or student member attesting to the student’s technical, creative and leadership contributions to the FIRST team
• Evidence of the student’s outstanding academic performance and other relevant activities (Resume with GPA information or transcript are both acceptable)
• Financial Data worksheet (Page2 of downloadable Nomination form) as evidence of financial need.

Submission Requirements/Deadline
• Submit FOUR (4) COPIES of the nomination form and accompanying materials.
• Materials must be postmarked by March 1, 2004 and sent to:
Dawna Schultz
Education Department
ASME International
Three Park Avenue, 23-S1
New York, NY 10016-5990
Tel: 1-800-THE-ASME (1-800-843-2763)
Fax: 1-212-591-7411
E-mail: schultzd@asme.org

[JVN]

Vince,
Excellent idea starting this thread.


Clarkson University also likes throwing money at FIRST participants!

CU gives out tons more money than they announce (I believe they give out the most FIRST scholarship money of any school).

What harm is there in applying?
I love Clarkson, and you could too!

Scholarship Info below:
FIRST Scholarship Application
Clarkson University will award up to 12 merit scholarships to selected high school seniors that have been a member of a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology ) robotics team. Recipients will receive a scholarship of up to $6,000, and may be eligible for the Clarkson University Leadership or Achievement Award but no additional merit scholarship awards from Clarkson. To apply for the Clarkson University FIRST Scholarship, students must do the following by March 3, 2004:

• Have a minimum overall high school average of 85.
• Complete the Clarkson University admission application (the $30 application fee will be waived for FIRST scholarship applicants).
• Complete the Clarkson University FIRST Scholarship application.
• Provide three recommendation letters, two from high school teachers and one from an adult leader of your FIRST team.
• Submit an essay relating to your FIRST experience.

Awards are renewable for students in good academic standing for four years while attending Clarkson:

• Printable FIRST Scholarship Application - (92K Adobe Acrobat Acrobat PDF) (download instructions)

More information about Clarkson University at www.clarkson.edu