SCE Federal Credit Union Foundation Scholarship Program

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1 SCE Federal Credit Union Foundation Scholarship Program The SCE FCU Foundation is offering college scholarships to young adults with financial need who demonstrate hard work, dedication, community involvement and a drive to succeed. The SCE FCU Foundation Scholarship Program encourages students from families of modest means to pursue higher education in order to learn a trade or establish a career. The program is open to qualifying students that meet the applicant eligibility requirements listed below. From the applications received, ten applicants will be selected to each receive a $1,000 scholarship and ten applicants will be selected to each receive a $500 scholarship. APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY 1. Applicant is a high school senior (on track to graduate in current school year), or a high school graduate under 24 yrs or a college undergraduate student. 2. Applicant has solid plans to attend an accredited college, university, trade college or vocational school. 3. Applicant demonstrates genuine financial need, to be confirmed by a representative of the applicant s current school in the section on page Applicant has an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher. 5. Applicant demonstrates strong community involvement and leadership qualities. 6. Applicant has completed an SCE FCU Foundation financial literacy workshop OR two online courses. (Online financial literacy courses available at Must pass course quizzes with a score of 90% or higher.) 7. While applicants are welcome and even encouraged to join SCE FCU, membership in SCE Federal Credit Union is not an application requirement for this scholarship. SCE FCU membership is not a criterion for this award, and your membership status will not be considered in the selection process. However, SCE FCU membership IS required prior to scholarship funding. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient and are not a member-owner of SCE FCU, you ll need to open a membership account with SCE FCU to activate your scholarship award. Here s why We strongly believe that credit union membership can significantly contribute to smart management of your personal finances. We are confident that access to our competitive and convenient financial services will give you an advantage over traditional banking products and programs. The benefits of SCE Federal Credit Union membership include: Participating as a part-owner of a banking cooperative. The Credit Union isn t owned by a group of stockholders, we re owned by our membership. Every single member owns an equal share of the Credit Union whether they have $1 or $1 million on deposit. When you do your banking with us you re a part owner, and our success benefits you. A full range of low- or no-fee financial services including savings, checking, investments, loans, credit cards and financial management tools Plenty of convenient ways to access your money: FREE debit card called a Visa Check Card combining your ATM card & checkbook FREE online banking with Bill Pay & ealerts FREE mobile banking apps for your smartphone, with Deposit Anywhere remote deposit service Nearly 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs, including at most 7-Eleven stores across the U.S. Several local branches open weekdays and Saturdays Hundreds of shared branches nationwide How to apply for your own SCE Federal Credit Union membership: Open a Prime Savings account with a minimum of $5, which establishes and secures your membership. This amount is refundable if you ever close your account with SCE FCU. (For scholarship applicants, we will waive our usual $10 donation requirement to the SCE FCU Foundation.) You can open a Prime Savings account in any of our branch locations, or by downloading the application and following the mail-in application instructions at scefcu.org/join-us.

2 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION CHECKLIST The following items must be submitted by April 30, Application form (attached) 2. Essay on your choice of one of three financial scenarios 3. Two letters of recommendation from teacher, counselor, or community organization (Letters should be personal in nature, not generic. The more descriptive the letter is, the better.) 4. Official school transcripts of grades SELECTION PROCESS The selection committee appointed by the SCE FCU Foundation will use the following criteria to select scholarship recipients: 1. The applicant s level of financial need 2. The applicant s overall academic performance, as well as his/her plans for pursuing a trade or career 3. The applicant s understanding of personal finance concepts 4. The applicant s commitment to volunteerism and community involvement 5. The combination of all application elements, which shows the applicant s drive to overcome adversity, take advantage of opportunities for improvement, be successful in his/her chosen career and make smart financial choices. The SCE FCU Foundation has the final responsibility for selecting recipients, and decisions of the Foundation are final. DISCLAIMERS All scholarship awards are one-time awards to be used for the following school term. The scholarship will be awarded for the Fall semester/quarter of the current year, and it will be issued upon receipt of verification of student enrollment and verification of SCE FCU membership. Verification of student enrollment is due no later than September 30, Awards will be issued and mailed directly to the college, university, or trade/vocational school the recipient is attending. The Foundation may contact scholarship recipients if additional information is needed. Forfeiture of Awards: Students who do not complete the required information, who fail to submit verification of enrollment, who fail to enroll for the fall term immediately following receipt of award, or who fail to provide timely verification will forfeit their award. Due to budget limitations, the Foundation is not obligated to hold over or delay awards from one academic term to another. The SCE FCU Foundation reserves the right to change or terminate this program at any time, without notice. The Foundation is not responsible for lost applications, lost verification of enrollment, or information or materials misplaced or delayed through the mail or other delivery processes. Once submitted, all information and materials become the property of the SCE FCU Foundation and will not be returned. (We recommend you keep a copy of the application and supporting materials for your files.) All information will be kept confidential. Children of SCE Federal Credit Union employees and board members, and children of SCE FCU Foundation employees and board members, are not eligible.

3 SCE Federal Credit Union Foundation Scholarship Program Application deadline: April 30, 2013 Illegible or incomplete applications will be disqualified. Please type or print all information except signatures. APPLICANT NAME Last First Middle Initial HOME MAILING ADDRESS Apt # City State Zip Code Telephone ( ) Birthdate / / address *Your address and/or telephone number will be used to communicate information regarding the status of your application. PARENT OR GUARDIAN INFORMATION NAME Last First Middle Initial Relationship to Applicant Telephone ( ) HIGH SCHOOL School Name Graduation Date: Month Year City State Telephone ( ) Counselor s Name Applicant s Overall GPA (please attach official transcript) COLLEGE OR TRADE SCHOOL Name of college or trade school you plan to attend. (If unknown, please list in order to which you have applied.) Use official school names. Do not use abbreviations. City State City State 4-yr College or University Community or Junior College Vocational/Technical School Major or Course of Study Anticipated Date of Graduation Anticipated Degree Bachelor s Associate s Certificate FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION Eligibility for this scholarship requires completion of basic financial literacy education. Past attendance at one of SCE FCU s financial literacy workshops satisfies this requirement. If you have not attended one of our workshops, you may complete two of our online courses to satisfy this requirement. Please check the applicable statement below: (Only one of the following is required.) I have attended one or more of SCE FCU s financial literacy workshop(s). (Please indicate the month and year you attended the workshop, and the location.) Date of Workshop Location I have completed two or more of SCE FCU s online financial literacy courses. (Online financial literacy courses available at Must pass course quizzes with a score of 90% or higher.) Course Name Date Completed Quiz Score Course Name Date Completed Quiz Score

4 THIS SECTION TO BE COMPLETED BY A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR (from the school you are currently attending) FINANCIAL NEED Please identify the defined measurement standard for determining this student s financial need. (Select one of the following) This student qualifies for the Free/ Reduced-Cost Lunch Program The student s household income is less than 80% of median income for your county by US Census Bureau figures CALIFORNIA NEVADA Los Angeles County 80% of median income is $42,568 Clark County 80% of median income is $41,804 San Bernardino County 80% of median income is $42,768 Other, explain: Briefly describe how this student s status of financial need was verified (ie, participation in Free/Reduced-Cost Lunch Program verified on school records; household income verified via copy of most recent IRS tax filing, etc.) School Administrator s Name and Signature PRINT NAME SIGNATURE TITLE CONTACT PHONE *You may be contacted if follow-up information is needed STUDENT ACTIVITIES & AWARDS Please specify positions held and responsibilities as applicable. (Only list those activities and awards from the previous or current academic year.) HONORS/AWARDS: (Dean s List, National Honor Society, Who s Who, Recognition Awards, etc.) CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS AND OFFICES HELD: (Student Council, Debate, Yearbook, SADD, Sorority/Fraternity, Kiwanis) EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: (Sports, Cheer, Spirit Line, Choir, Orchestra, Band, Scouts, etc.) COMMUNITY SERVICE: (Church or other religious affiliation groups, Big Brothers or Big Sisters, Youth Groups, Volunteer activities, Leadership programs, etc.) MISCELLANEOUS: (Please include any other accomplishments not covered in the other categories) If more room is needed to list all activities and awards, you may attach additional sheets of paper. Do not repeat information already reported on the application form. Include your name, address, and SCE FCU Foundation Scholarship Program on all attachments. CAREER ASPIRATIONS Please describe the career you plan to pursue, and what goals you have defined to achieve it. (Your goals may include education you ve completed or plan to complete, skills training such as apprenticeships or internships, experience gained through field work, etc.) If more room is needed to complete this section, you may attach additional sheets of paper. Do not repeat information already reported on the application form. Include your name, address, and SCE FCU Foundation Scholarship Program on all attachments.

5 FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE ESSAY Please write an essay in 300 words or less using one of the scenarios below. Specifically, explain how you would use wise financial skills for the scenario you choose. *For helpful hints and tips for your essay-writing, visit the section entitled Scholarship Essay Tips on our website at scefcufoundation.org. Scenario 1: You ve been accepted for study at ABC University, and you will need a car to get to and from school. Describe the steps you will take to prepare for this purchase, what you will need to accomplish it, and what assistance you may need/want along the way. Scenario 2: During your college coursework, you have the opportunity to study abroad in Europe for a semester. You ve signed up, and the trip is 18 months from now. This will add an additional $5,000 to your tuition, room and board expenses for that semester. Define how you will prepare financially to pay for the extra costs. Scenario 3: Your scholarships and financial aid are just enough to cover your tuition costs for the first semester but your books and lab fees total $1,000. You work 12 hours a week at your part-time job. You have a personal savings account with $500 and a credit card with a $1,000 line of credit at 18% APR that you keep for emergencies. Explain your plan to pay for your books and lab fees, the reasons for your choices, and what effect your choices will have on your finances for the following semester. Please attach your essay on a separate sheet of paper. Include your name, address, and SCE FCU Foundation Scholarship Essay on your essay sheet. APPLICATION CHECKLIST Please make sure all sections of the application are completed and the following materials are included. Applications with missing materials will not be considered. Official school transcript(s) Financial Knowledge ESSAY Two letters of recommendation from teacher, counselor, or community organization (Letters should be personal in nature, not generic. The more descriptive the letter is, the better.) *DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT: April 30, 2013 REQUIRED SIGNATURES I declare the information provided in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. If requested, I agree to give proof of information given on this form. I give my consent for the SCE FCU Foundation to use my name and/or photo for media purposes regarding its scholarship program. Falsification of information may result in termination of any scholarship granted. I understand that failure to meet all requirements after the awarding of the scholarship may result in forfeiture of the awarded scholarship. Applicant Signature Date *Parent/Guardian signature required only if applicant is a minor Parent/Guardian Signature Date PRINT, SIGN, INCLUDE ALL REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS AND RETURN TO: By Mail: SCE FCU Foundation ATTN: Scholarships P.O. Box 8017 El Monte, CA Application and all required attachments must be received by 5:00 pm on April 30, Postmarks will not be honored. Applications received after April 30, 2013 will be disqualified.