Ensuring The Future Of The African American
Male
2015-2016
Rays of Hope
Scholarship Application
Ensuring The Future Of The African American Male
www.blackprofessionalmen.org
Black Professional Men (BPM), Inc. was established in 1991 as a 501 (c)(3) organization
based in Baltimore, Maryland. BPM’s objective is to address the social, economic and
political awareness needs of the African-American community, especially those of the
African-American male.
BPM's mission is to "Ensure The Future Of The African-American Male"
We strive to create initiatives that impact the African-American male in his personal and
professional development based on the following:
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Youth and Community Development
Economic Development
Health
Technological Advancement.
Rays of Hope Scholarship Program
The Rays of Hope Scholarship Program, sponsored by BPM, was established in 1993 to
provide financial assistance to African-American male students that have consistently
demonstrated exceptional character and academic performance. In addition, the Program
seeks students who participate in school or community activities and exhibit strong
leadership and communication skills.
Scholarships shall be awarded on a one time basis only. All funds awarded shall be used
toward the completion of academic studies and student selection shall be bases upon
requirements described in these guidelines. Funding for scholarships is primarily derived
from BPM’s annual Rays of Hope Scholarship Breakfast. The amount of $1,000 shall be
awarded to each selected scholar.
However, the Rays of Hope Scholarship Program scholarship is about more than money.
The program includes workshops, mentoring, and periodic communication between BPM
representatives and our scholarship recipients. Our objective is to recognize African
American Male Achievement and provide support for the continued academic, social and
career success of our BPM Scholars. We expect our scholars to be full participants in our
scholarship program. Parents, guardians, educators, and advisors are asked to support
our program and its policies.
All African-American male students, meeting the requirements described in these
guidelines are eligible regardless of family income. Awarded funds shall be forwarded
directly to the recipient’s institution of choice. In cases where the student is the recipient of
other scholarships, the funding shall be allocated in following order of need:
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Tuition
Books
Fees (admission, activity, lab, etc.)
Personal Educational Needs (school supplies, tutoring services, etc.)
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The expressed purpose of the Rays of Hope Scholarship is to provide education assistant to
the student. BPM will only award cash directly to the recipient under extreme
circumstances and after proof that all educational financial expenses have been paid by
other sources (e.g. full scholarship). BPM will be the sole authority in the decision to make
cash awards. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Members of BPM and their immediate family members are not eligibility for these
scholarships.
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Black Professional Men, Inc. 2015-2016 Scholarship Guidelines
The applicant must:
Be an African American male (legal United States citizen)
Be a Baltimore City or Baltimore County resident
Attend a Baltimore area high school (Baltimore City or Baltimore County)
Be classified as a senior or received a GED equivalent
Be at least a college freshman or equivalent by the fall/winter 2015 term
Be officially accepted by an accredited academic program at either an accredited two-year or four-year college
or university
Be officially enrolled in such a program within the next academic year following high-school graduation, unless
otherwise approved by BPM
Be officially enrolled as a full-time student, if declared a dependent of parent or guardian, as defined by the
selected institution’s policies (e.g., a minimum of 12 credit hours for both Fall and Spring semesters/quarters)
Have at least a 3.0 grade cumulative point average (GPA) in the subjects Math, English, History ,and Science
weighted on a 4.0 scale (“B” average).
Submit a complete application package postmarked no later than December 1, 2014. Incomplete or late
applications will not be considered. All applications are required to have phone numbers (home or cell) and
email addresses.
A Complete Application Package Must Include:
BPM Scholarship Application Form: A photocopy of the scholarship application form is acceptable
Essay: Typed, 12 pt font, double-spaced, essay not exceeding two pages on the topic:
"How will you use your education to ensure the future the African American Community? Explain"
Written Recommendation/Character Reference: Please submit a written recommendation/character
reference from two of the following: supervisor, coworker, community leader, teacher and counselor. One
letter must come from the school’s counselor.
Transcript: The transcript must indicate an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher as described below. High school
seniors must submit their current high school transcript that includes grades up to the first quarter senior year
(first marking period). The G.P.A. analysis will be based only upon grades from the sophomore, junior and first
quarter core courses that include: Math, Science, English and History. Electives classes will not be used in
eligibility considerations. Students who have taken advanced, gifted and talented/college credit courses will
receive additional (2 points) credit provided that they obtained an overall B average in the course or courses
taken. Most current SAT or ACT scores are required. December test scores are not acceptable
Applicants not currently enrolled: Submit a transcript from the last high school attended as a graduate..
List and Briefly Describe Awards, Extra-curricular and Community Service Activities: Please list these
on the application form. Your resume should provide enough information to allow the scholarship review
committee to understand your accomplishments. Community service activities with leadership skills are very
favorably looked upon during consideration. Must be typed in a resume format
Two Self-addressed, Stamped, #10 Business-size Envelops with First Class Postage Properly Affixed. We
will use the first to acknowledge receipt of your application and the second to provide results of the
competition. All applicants will be notified no later than January 15, 2014.
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Black Professional Men, Inc. 2015-2016 Scholarship Evaluation Process
The contents of the application package will be evaluated based on weighted scores. The criteria
will be:
BPM Scholarship Application Form: Completeness, readability, spelling, grammar
Essay: Addresses assigned topic, readability, sentence structure, spelling, grammar, clear,
concise and complete expression of thoughts/subject matter
Written Recommendation/Character Reference: Addresses desired characteristic traits
described in these guidelines. Reference should provide descriptive examples, circumstances
and accomplishments that demonstrate these character traits.
Transcript: Cumulative GPA, number of advanced, gifted & talented, and/or college credit
courses taken. Special attention will be placed on Mathematics, English, Science and History
courses taken. The first quarter grades of the senior year are required. Most recent SAT or
ACT scores are required. December SAT scores are not accepted
Awards, Extra-curricular and Community Service Activities:
Academic
acknowledgements, student organization memberships and offices, tutoring, mentoring,
volunteering, organized sports and special recognitions. Must be typed in a resume format
Each student will start with the maximum 100 allowed points and the selection committee will
deduct points from the weighted scores based on each committee member’s judgment of the
severity of deficiencies. The final tally will be made to produce an average score which will
form the basis of scholarship awards.
Mailing Information:
Place all of the above materials unfolded in the same 9" x 12" (or larger) envelope.
Please: No Staples, No Paper Clips, No Folding.
Mail the complete application package to:
Black Professional Men, Inc.
P.O. Box 23851
Baltimore, MD 21203-3362
Attn: Scholarship Committee
For additional information
Questions? call: Rod Carter 443-469-2413
Make sure that your application package is postmarked no later than December 01, 2014
Scholarship applications can be downloaded at BPM’s website, www.blackprofessionalmen.org
NOTE: Applicants receiving this scholarship are required to be present at all BPM scholarship
events leading up to and including the BPM Rays of Hope Scholarship Breakfast. By accepting
this scholarship, the applicant is expected to comply with these terms. The required events and
schedule will be provided at the time the scholarships are awarded. Failure to comply can result
in rescinding of the scholarship award. Also it is suggested that if invited to any invitational
events it is suggested that an applicant and parent would attend. Non attendance could a
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deciding factor in the final decision in qualifying for a scholarship. A personal interview could
be deciding factor in the final selection for the 2015- 2016 BPM scholarship
All applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2014.
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Black Professional Men, Inc. 2015-2016 Scholarship Application
Name:
Last
First
Middle
Address:
Number & Street
City
State
Zip
Email
Telephone: (Include Area
Code):
12
School Now Attending
Current Grade Level
School Address
City
State
Advanced Placement
Principal (Full Name and Title)
College Prep
Zip
Business
Curriculum
Name of Parent(s) or Guardian(s)
Parent(s) Address (if different from above)
City
State
Zip
What college course of study do you desire to
pursue?
(Engineering, Science, Computer Science, Math, Business, etc.)
What is your career goal?
Have you been or are now employed?
Type of Work
Yes
From
Month
Year
No
To
Month
Year
Hours
Per
Week
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School
Year
Summer
Job
APPLICANT’S NAME
(print)_____________________________________________email________
I understand that the consequences for withholding information requested on this application or
knowingly providing false or incomplete information will disqualify me from receiving Black
Professional Men Inc. assistance. I, therefore, certify that the statements made on this
application are correct and complete to the best of my knowledge.
SIGNATURE______________________________________________________________
Applicant's Signature
Date
PRINTED NAME:__________________________________________________________
Parent / Guardian
Date
SIGNATURE:______________________________________________________________
Parent / Guardian Signature
Date
*Parent signature is required for all applicants under the age of 18 years.
Parental Comments:
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Write an essay addressing the following topic (limit to a total of three pages):
"How will you use your education to ensure the future the African American Community? Explain"
Please type (double space) your essay. Attach essay to this application.
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