The mission of the Florida State Elks Association C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship is to provide financial support for the educational needs of Florida high school seniors without which they would not be able to achieve their educational goals. The scholarship targets students who have a 2.30 - 3.59 unweighted GPA. These students have demonstrated leadership through participation in school activities, community service, and citizenship. Consideration is given to those students who have shouldered extra responsibility such as working throughout their high school careers to help provide support of siblings or family.
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship award from the C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship Fund, you must be a student in the graduating class of a high school or its related equivalent. Seniors graduating at semester (December) must apply during the application year before they graduate. Applicants must be a resident of the state of Florida and be a United States citizen. The C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship is open to students who have maintained an un-weighted GPA of 2.30 to 3.59. Students with an un-weighted GPA above 3.59 cannot apply. Annually, the Florida State Elks Association (FSEA) will offer scholarships to deserving graduating senior applicants in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 per recipient. These scholarships are funded by grants from the Elks National Foundation and fundraising campaigns by Florida Elks Charities with total funding expected to be about $106,000 per year. At no time will total annual scholarships exceed funds that have been received for that year.
