The Howard Club of Southwest Florida, Inc. Scholarship Awards Program is open to students, in Southwest Florida, requiring financial assistance to successfully matriculate Howard University’s undergraduate or graduate programs (“Applicants”). The application review and scholarship selection process will be managed by the Scholarship Committee of the Howard Club of Southwest Florida, Inc. (“The Committee”).
Application and Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship (“Scholarship Award”), you must be a U.S. citizen (or legal resident) graduating or recently graduated (in the last 2 years) high school senior, a student already enrolled in Howard University’s under graduate or graduate programs or a student enrolled in another college or University seeking to transfer to Howard or enroll in one of its graduate programs. All Scholarships Awards shall be approved for use in an academic degree-granting program at Howard University. To compete for a Scholarship Award, you must first complete the Application Form (you may use additional pages to complete your answers, if necessary). You must also provide other documentation as described below. You must complete your Application and email it along with all supporting documentation to The Committee Chairperson. After you have submitted your application, you may also be requested to participate in an interview.
Other Documentation
The following additional items must be included with your application: (1) An official school Transcript; (2) A short Essay; and (3) Two Letters of Recommendation.
- Transcript – Your Transcript must be sent directly from your current or most recently attended high school or college to the address listed on the Application.
- Essay - Your essay must be limited to 500 words. Your essay should make a connection between higher education and your personal, academic and career aspirational goals, articulate how you plan to achieve those goals and how the Scholarship Award will fit into that plan. Your Essay should highlight your:
- Engagement – discuss extracurricular volunteer, internship, work or research experiences or other experiences that add to
your academic pursuits.
- Leadership – discuss your role in, or contribution to, any experiences discussed.
- Sense of Purpose – provide evidence of having a sense of direction and an understanding of how that sense of direction
has developed through past experiences.
- Letters of Recommendation - Your Letters of Recommendation may come from many sources: teachers, counselors, ministers, community members, employers, etc. Letters of Recommendation may not come from a family member. One of your Letters of Recommendation should come from volunteer experience. The Letters should also provide context for assessing your potential for managing college level studies at Howard University.
Financial Need
Financial need is an important component of your application and of your Scholarship Award eligibility. In determining financial need, The Committee will not rely solely on fixed family income levels, but will incorporate a composite of criteria that includes:
- Other sources of funds or scholarships available to you.
- A parent’s, guardian’s, or relative’s ability to supplement a portion of your tuition and/or other education related expenses.
- Your ability to defray a portion of your tuition and/or other education related expenses through part-time jobs or internships.
The decision on financial need will be based on a comparative assessment of how all Applicants address the criteria above.
Application Review and Scoring
To complete its application review process, The Committee will review, rank, and score all Applications and notify you of the status of your application. The Committee will weigh several criteria when evaluating your request for a Scholarship Award. These criteria will include:
- Scholarship – excellence in academic performance
- Essay – a demonstration of aspirational goals and interests
- Service and Leadership – evidence of a commitment to support the world around you
- References – evidence that you have impressed others to champion you
- Financial Need – demonstration of a critical need of the scholarship award
Disbursement of Scholarship Awards
The amount of each Scholarship Award shall be at the discretion of the Howard Club of Southwest Florida, Inc. and be subject to the total funds available and the number of Applicants to receive Scholarship Awards each year. Scholarship Awards will be disbursed directly to Howard University. The Scholarship Award must be used within 12 months of being awarded.