Puerto Rican Cultural Society of Charlotte PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship Application Packet
Proud of your Puerto Rican heritage? Cultural backgrounds represent more than just a country or birthplace they reveal a family's history, a way of life, and a unique upbringing. With your ethnicity, you carry a story into the future that's thousands of years in the making. If your family comes from Puerto Rico, this gives you the opportunity to lower academic expenses and represent your family's heritage with pride. The Giraud family is proud of their Puerto Rican heritage and founding the Puerto Rican Cultural Society of Charlotte. They are committed to higher education and it is their goal that through this scholarship they can help a deserving Puerto Rican student to attend college and fulfill their dreams. The purpose of the PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship Program is to assist a Puerto Rican student in completing their undergraduate or graduate college education. Toward this end, the PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship funded by the Giraud Family awards a $500 scholarship to a student of Puerto Rican Heritage. Award decisions are made by the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rican Cultural Society and a member of the Giraud family. Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria to be eligible for the PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship. Candidates must: o Be of Puerto Rican heritage. o US Citizen o Be enrolled in an accredited college, university, or community college in North or South Carolina. o Have lived at least one year in North or South Carolina at the time of application o Must write a 300-500 word essay o Volunteer 20 hours for PRCSC within 1 year of receiving the award. 1. Each submission is read and rated by the PRCSC Education Committee and a member of the Giraud family. 2. From the higher-rated submissions, semi-finalists are selected. 3. Each semi-finalist is interviewed by the PRCSC Education Committee and a member of the Giraud family.
4. The Board of Directors and a member of the Giraud family selects the finalist. The PRCSC Founder s Scholarship is awarded based upon the applicant s: - Demonstrated leadership qualities - Involvement within and on behalf of the Latino community - Clarity of direction and goals - Overcoming personal challenges and obstacles - Academic achievement - Financial Need - Ability to volunteer 20 hours to PRCSC within one year of award. Please read through this entire document to familiarize yourself with the process and insure your eligibility before completing the application process. Applications must be mailed to: Puerto Rican Cultural Society of Charlotte 628 Griffith Rd Attn: PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship Charlotte, NC GUIDELINES - Incomplete submissions will be disqualified. - One Essay - Completed Application - Two Letters of Recommendations - College Transcripts (official preferred). May be sent separately if required by institution. - Resume or CV (required for Graduate Students) Timelines Application deadline July 15, 2016, Award Fall 2016 at PRCSC or other designated event Essays are weighed for 65% of the total application score.
2016 PRCSC FOUNDER S SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION Who Can Apply? Students of Puerto Rican or Hispanic ancestry who are high school seniors, high school graduates, GED recipients, or college students pursuing an undergraduate or post-graduate education are encouraged to apply. To be considered students must have a 2.5 or higher GPA. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis with consideration given to academic record, extracurricular activities, work experience, community service, financial need, and an essay. Award: $500.00 awarded annually and is payable to student. Scholarships are awarded in the fall at a PRCSC event, or other event that has been designated beforehand. Recipient is strongly encouraged to attend this event which will be formally announced in your award letter if selected. Requirements: 1. The application must be written legibly or typed. 2. The application must be filled out completely. 3. The essay must be typed. 4. Must provide proof of current enrollment or letter of acceptance. 5. Mecklenburg students will be given priority. 6. Scholarship recipients will be notified by mail and honored at a local event in the fall. 7. Recipients must make every effort to attend the awards presentation event. 8. Recipients must agree to contribute 20 service hours to PRCSC. A service agreement will be completed upon receipt of scholarship. Deadline: All applications must be postmarked no later than July 15, 2016. Supporting documents such as letter of recommendation, transcript, letter of admission, etc. must be received on or before July 15th. An original completed application, transcript, proof of enrollment/acceptance and a 300-500 word essay must be included. Essay: Imagine yourself ten years from now. What role will you play and how will you impact the social justice issues facing Latinos and more specifically Puerto Ricans? Please address the issues you most want to impact, such as inequities related to health, social, political, environmental, academic, economic; immigration; education; gender; etc.
Mail completed application to (entire packet at once): PRCSC, Attention Founder s Scholarship 628 Griffith Rd. Suite A Charlotte, NC 28217
Application Form (Please Type or Print Clearly) -applicant Name: Last First Middle Address: TELEPHONE: ( ) EMAIL: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Ancestry: Gender: (Circle One) Male Female Father s Full Name: Mother s Full Name: Name of High School Last or Presently Attending: Address of High School Last or Presently Attending: Date of Graduation: (High School): Date of Graduation (College): Month/Year Month/Year College Scheduled to or Presently Attending: I AM CURRENTLY A: chool Senior Undergraduate Student FOR THE 2016-2017 ACADEMIC YEAR: me with parents COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY FOR WHICH AID IS REQUESTED: College/University Name Street Address City State Zip Code Major Field of Study:
Extra Curricular Activities: Community Service: Annual Family Income: Number of Members in Family: Number of students already enrolled in college: How do you plan to pay for your college expenses? Please list any awards and honors you have received (scholastic, sports, etc): Have you applied for any other grants, scholarships, or financial aid? Yes No Have you been awarded any scholarships to date? Please list: Are you or is an immediate member of your family an active PRCSC member? If yes, who? How did you hear about the PRCSC Founder s Family Scholarship? I affirm that all the information provided is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. (Scholarship Packet) Applicant Signature: Date: Parent Signature: (If under 18 years old) Date: