Criteria for the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship
Application period:
The application period for the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Scholarship is from Monday, July 20, 2020, to Tuesday, September 22, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. (EST).
The applicant:
A. Must have a high school GPA of 3.5 (unweighted) or an overall college GPA of 3.0. A high school applicant must be a senior and have completed the Polk State College admissions process. A college applicant must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours. Any Polk State College student with the required GPA and credit count can apply.
B. Must be enrolled as a Polk State College student (full or part-time) to be eligible to use the funds awarded.
C. Must use the funds awarded for courses, textbooks, or school-related supplies.
Application and Essay Requirements:
The applicant must complete the application and a typed, two-page, double-spaced essay. These items must be submitted electronically by the deadline. The essay should not exceed two pages and should be in 12-point, Times New Roman font, in Word format (i.e., doc. file). A high school applicant must submit a copy of an unofficial high school transcript with the unweighted GPA and all coursework included. A college applicant must include a copy of his or her Polk State unofficial transcript with all coursework and the GPA included.
Submission:
• The applicant can also access the application at the Polk State Cultural Awareness Events page.
• The student must submit the application, essay, and a copy of an unofficial high school or college transcript (as appropriate) electronically to HHM@polk.edu.
• The subject line of the e-mail should read: 2020 HHM Application (name of student).
• The deadline for the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Scholarship is Tuesday, September 22, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. (EST).
Evaluation process:
All essays are read and rated according to the following criteria:
- The student has answered all questions and followed the essay instructions.
- The student has demonstrated the ability to express thoughts fluidly and coherently in written language.
- The student has demonstrated his or her interest in the community.
- The student meets the minimum required GPA and related requirements (see above). The GPA is used to rank applicants in the event of a tie.
Additional information:
- Scholarship recipients are notified and will be expected to collaborate in a short presentation for the Virtual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta Week.
- The scholarship recipient will be announced during the Virtual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta Week scheduled for October 12-15, 2020.
- Please monitor the College’s Events webpage (polk.edu/events) and the College’s social media outlets to stay abreast of the Hispanic Heritage Month events.
The Polk State College Foundation contacts the recipient to provide information about accessing funds for classes or books for the Spring 2021 Term (or later). The scholarship must be used within one year of its award date.