Application

USATF Southern Association Scholarships shall be awarded to USATF member youth athletes who have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from an accredited high school or documented home school program in the current USATF competition year. The athletes shall have competed in an eligible USATF program for a minimum of three (3) consecutive years

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Candidates for a scholarship must meet the following eligibility criteria, and must have:

• A current USATF membership in the year the application is submitted in accordance to USATF Rule 300.1 (c).  Unless the athlete has competed three consecutive years prior and are unable to compete due to aging out of the youth division, thus not requiring a current membership because they are not allowed to compete as a youth athlete.
• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better at the end of the current academic school year.
• Must be a graduate student of a local high school or documented home school program within the Southern Association.
• Must have been an *ACTIVE participating member within the Association for the past three years.
• Must have been accepted by an accredited institution of higher learning (ex. technical or vocational institute, junior or community college, college, university or comparable) recognized educational institution duly licensed by a state.

*Active being defined as having competed consecutively in at least 50% of USATF sanctioned meets including Invitational meets, the Association Championship, and the Southern Association Junior Olympic Outdoor Track and Field Championship meets for the past three years.  Waivers may be granted at the discretion of the scholarship committee for injury, educational related activities, and Covid-19.
NOTE:   Membership chair will verify membership status prior to forwarding the application to the Scholarship Committee Chair.

THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit a complete application package post marked on or before July 31, 2022.  A complete application is one that includes the following:

• Completed application form
• Official High School Transcript
• Accredited institution of higher learning acceptance letter
• A short essay/explanation (300 or more words) addressing the following:

1. Why you should be a recipient of a USATF Southern Association scholarship
2. Your professional career objectives, and
3. Any addition information which may assist the selection committee

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Only complete applications post marked on or before June 30, 2022 will be considered.  Our selection method is based on the following criteria:

5. Academic Achievement (GPA) (verified by school transcript) – 10%
5. Quality of Applicant’s Essay (Content, Structure, and Grammar) – 30%
5. USATF Membership History – 20%
5. Participation in USATF Southern Association sanctioned meets – 30%
6. College/University Acceptance Letter – 10%

 

AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarships will be awarded after the chosen scholarship recipient completes his/her first term at an accredited institution of higher learning.  Verification of term completion must appear on school letterhead.  The verification should be submitted at the conclusion of the first term.  Once the Scholarship Committee receives the verification, the scholarship check will be presented to the club on behalf of the scholarship recipient. Scholarship checks will be awarded after February 28, 2023. These scholarships are awarded on a one-time basis only.
 
One scholarship per family for current school year
 
Scholarship application packages MUST BE SUBMITTED to the address listed below:
 
USATF SOUTHERN SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
C/O MARIAM CLAYTON, CHAIR
P. O. BOX 4695
BATON ROUGE, LA 70821

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