Heartland Chapter – Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc
Richard Podlesak Memorial Scholarship
Policy Statement – Scholarship Program
General:
It will be the policy of the Heartland Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners,
Inc. to establish, maintain, and promote a Scholarship Program. The intent of this program will be
to further the post secondary education of students who are likely to pursue a profession that will
allow them to further the detection, deterrence, and investigation of white collar crime. The
Chapter scholarship will be known as the Richard Podlesak Memorial Scholarship in
recognition of Richard Podlesak, a charter member of the Chapter and a Certified Fraud
Examiner who actively promoted professional certifications within the investigative and security
industries. The Chapter Board of Directors will designate annually the number and amounts of
scholarships to be awarded during each year.
Eligibility Criteria:
Persons eligible to apply for the scholarship must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 hours per
semester, or equivalent on a quarterly or otherwise basis) in an accredited college or university
(community colleges included) and must have a majoring in accounting, business, criminal
justice, or similar field of study as determined by the scholarship committee. The student(s)
selected and awarded scholarships will be paid scholarship funds after successfully completing
the semester for which the scholarship was awarded. To receive reimbursement student must
furnish the Chapter grade reports with a 3.0 or better average (and have maintained that average
at the time the scholarship is awarded) and evidence of completion of 12 semester hours.
Selection Process:
The Chapter Board of Directors will appoint a scholarship committee comprised of at least three
active members of the Chapter who will review and rank submitted applications. The committee
will recommend for approval to the Board of Directors candidates to be awarded the
scholarship(s) authorized by the Board of Directors. Criteria that will be used during the
selection process for the scholarship will include but not be limited to:
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Grade point average (official transcripts for high school or collegiate courses
completed).
Community service.
Extra-curricular activities.
Three letters of recommendation (one must be from a Certified Fraud Examiner
or member of the Heartland Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud
Examiners, Inc.). Others may be from faculty members, academic advisors, or
work supervisors.
Brief essay on why the individual deserves to be awarded the scholarship and
how fraud awareness will enhance their professional career including why they
are interested in the detection, deterrence and investigation of white-collar crime.
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Administration:
The scholarship nomination committee will be responsible for:
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Providing scholarship applications and eligibility criteria to colleges and
universities in the areas served by the Heartland Chapter of the Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc.
Review all applications and rank candidates based on the selection criteria and
make recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval candidates to be
awarded the scholarship(s) authorized by the Board of Directors.
Furnish any required information regarding the scholarship to the national
headquarters of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
The sponsoring Chapter member will be responsible for:
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Notifying the winner(s) of their selection as the scholarship winner, after
approved by the Board of Directors.
Recognize recipient(s) and present scholarship documents at applicable Chapter
meeting including furnishing information on how the applicant can contact the
Chapter Treasurer to obtain reimbursement after successfully completing the
semester for which the scholarship was awarded.
Maintenance of Scholarship Fund:
The Chapter Treasurer will establish a bank account to maintain monies designated for the
scholarship. These monies will be segregated from other Chapter funds, but will be kept in
accordance with standard procedures as outlined in the Chapter bylaws. The bank account
designated for the scholarship fund will have no more than $10,000 in it at any one time.
Monies designated for the scholarship fund will be funded, as designated by the Chapter’s Board
of Directors, from proceeds received by the Chapter from the Chapter’s Annual/Biennial
Conference and seminars of the national Association of Certified Fraud Examiners hosted locally.
Additional monies donated by companies or individuals specifically designated for the
scholarship fund will only be deposited into the account established for the scholarship.
The Chapter’s annual IRS 990 filing, which is available for the public to review, will include the
annual distribution of scholarship fund.
The scholarship recipients will be published and
announced by the Chapter’s standard communication methods.
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