AAUW Local
PRESENTATION
Scholarships: Best
HEADLINE
Practices for Best
Results
Presentation Subhead
Gloria Blackwell
Vice President, Fellowships, Grants, and Global Programs
The Importance of Educational
Funding
Students need support now more than ever.
• Rising costs of tuition and other academic expenses.
• Approximately two-thirds of all college students graduate
with student loans with an average of $26,000 per borrower.
• The Project on Student Debt estimates that 206,000
Americans graduated from college with more than $40,000 in
student loan debt during 2011.
• The unemployment rate for college graduates in 2011 was
8.8%.
– Four-year college graduates are experiencing less unemployment and earning
higher salaries than their counterparts with only a high school diploma.
There is a process…
• Establish a committee
• Decide what type of scholarship(s) should be offered
and their selection criteria
• Funding Source
• Recruitment & Application Process
• Selection & Award
• Alumnae Outreach & Program Assessment
Establish a committee
Role of the committee:
• To set policies and guidelines.
• To guide the criteria and process.
• To define your mission and your goals so that the
motivation and purpose of your program is clear and
specific.
Type of scholarship(s) and
selection criteria
• Find out what other local funding exists and where gaps exist.
• What level? High school, undergraduate, graduate, technical
school, etc.
• Based on financial need, academic achievement, high school
attended, intended major, and/or geographical location?
• Will you provide assistance for tuition only, or with for expenses as
well?
• How long is the commitment--renewable, or single year award?
• How many awards?
• How much per award?
• University-based?
Funding Source
• Need to raise funds annually?
– Give out scholarship every two years?
– Will this be a part of the committee’s role?
• Funded via a trust, endowment?
– Endowment through College/University
Fundraising Best Practices
• Comply with IRS rules on charitable contributions:
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p526/index.html
• Ensure that you are being transparent about your
selection process
• Consider setting up relationships with local Colleges
and Universities
• Remember: AAUW National is liable and responsible
for the branches and their fundraising activities
Recruitment & Application
Process
• Plan your time frame for announcing the program,
distributing and accepting applications, and allocating
awards.
• Criteria may determine outreach strategy (i.e., continuing
student-advertise at local univ, HS student-go to HS
guidance office).
• You want to fairly and fully publicize the applications
process.
• Decide on online application, receiving documents,
transcripts, etc., plus verification.
Selection & Awards
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Evaluation Committee
Evaluation Criteria
Notification of Awardees
Documentation and payment
Program Assessment & Alumnae
Outreach
• Staying in touch with Recipients
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Feature in newsletter
Invite to events
Spring break contact
Send holiday cards
Mentor/job advice
Solicit program feedback
• Networking with each other and AAUW
• Use for applicant recruitment