OVERVIEW

TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS

The Madge Lewis Scholarship Foundation (MLSF) has 2 types of scholarship programs that are currently offered to eligible

applicants.

A. Regular Scholarships

The Regular Scholarship is the Foundation’s flagship program for which the organization was originally set up. This

scholarship is offered using available funds from the organization.

B. Named Scholarships

In 2018, the organization established a named or commemorative scholarship that allows an individual to donate funds for a

scholarship, named after an individual they wish to honor and remember.

E.g. an individual or an organization could donate funds for a scholarship in the name of their father or a Pastor who made a

significant contribution to education in the community.

This scholarship can be a ‘one-time’ offer (in a year) or it could be for a number of years, awarded annually.

SPECIFICS ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP

(a) Scholarships are awarded for one (1) year.

(b) Applicants must submit a new application for each successive year.

(c) Applicants MUST be Residing in the State of Florida.

(d) Scholarships are available for undergraduate programs only.

(e) The method and schedule for processing applications will be determined by the Officers and Board of Directors.

(f) Successful applicants will be announced at the time and place designated by the Officers and Board of Directors.

(g) In any year if there is a named scholarship to be awarded, both the regular and named scholarships will be awarded at the

same time.

(h) Successful applicants are publicly acknowledged, including posting their photographs on the various media platforms that

MLSF uses.

Open Call

• Scholarships may be applied for during the period January 1 – March 31 each year.

• 2 months prior to the start of the application submission period, advertisements are placed on the MLSF websitevand on their various social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, X, Instagram) and letters are sent to colleges and universities in different counties within Florida.

• A completed application form must be submitted online with all required attachments uploaded no later than March 31st each year.

• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• At the end of the application submission period, a message will be displayed on the system that applications are closed.

Required documents (attachments)

• Official Transcript

• Two letters of recommendation (from current or Final Year teachers)

• Copy of letter of admission or proof of current enrollment for college or institution

• Essay on topics decided by the Scholarship Foundation Officers and Board of Directors

* The essay topics will be posted for each application period.

Completeness check

• Each application is reviewed for completeness and eligibility when it is received. If application is incomplete, it will not be accepted.

• The selection team reviews all applications, performs an evaluation of each and assigns a score to each applicant.

• A formula is used to evaluate and rank applicants for shortlisting.

Evaluation/Shortlisting

• The selection team uses the ranked list to identify the top candidates and generates a short list of applicants.

• Assess finalists

…this may be the top 3 candidates or the top candidate that the evaluation team may want to speak with about

how they feel about receiving the scholarship and how it will be able to help them. This is not intended to be a

part of the evaluation unless it is thought necessary.

• Final Selection

The selected candidates with scores and necessary notes are submitted to the board for final determination of the scholarship recipients.

Recipient Notification

• All scholarship recipients are notified via a phone call to congratulate them and inform them of the amount of the scholarship and followed up with an email informing them of their selection, the amount of the award, specifics of any requirements and/or conditions and the process of awarding the scholarship.

• Recipients will be required to sign an acceptance document which will include applicable student information to facilitate the payment of the funds to the institution.

Notification of applicants that are not selected

• All applicants are to be notified of the outcome of the scholarship award.

• Applicants who are not successful must be thanked for participating in the process and be informed that they were not successful this time but that they can apply in the future.

Disbursement

• The institution that the applicants will be attending must be communicated with about the award of the scholarship. The process of disbursing the funds to the institution must be obtained from the appropriate department in writing including any forms that must be completed by MLSF and/or the scholarship recipient.

• Following receipt of this information, the funds must be disbursed consistent with the timing and any other requirements of the institution.

• A copy of the letter and information about the payment submitted to the institution are sent to the recipient for their records.

Public Announcement

• MLSF must make public announcements in their various media outlets of the selection and award of the scholarship(s) to recipients. Photographs of the applicants receiving the award must be published on the various media platforms.

Progress Monitoring

• Recipients are required to provide an update on their progress for each semester by submitting the data via a link to be provided on the website. This will be used to determine if subsequent applications from recipients will be considered for future awards.

Feedback Collection

• Recipients may be asked to complete a short survey on the application, notification and award processes.

Documentation Phase - Record Keeping

• For transparency and proper record keeping, the actual process as it took place must be documented so that it can be reviewed in the audit process and for any other review process.

Evaluation of the process

The board should use this documentation to assess the effectiveness of the process and document the outcome of the assessment. This should be used for improving future processes.