Four $250 scholarships are available for the fall 2013 semester, honoring students who have made significant volunteer contributions to the community.
The scholarships, which are open to all USF St. Petersburg students, were created by Student Government and will be awarded by the USF Financial Aid Committee.
Funds for the first round of scholarships come from the USF Sun Dome Account. The account, which currently holds about $10,000, is based on USFSP’s volunteer efforts at Sun Dome events, such as selling concessions at basketball games. The volunteer hours put in allow money to accrue and be set aside for uses determined by SG. Since the money does not come from activity and service fees, it can be used toward any project.
“It shows that we are more than putting in bronze bulls and sports. It shows that we care about students and academics,” said SG senator Steven Bird, who sponsored the bill to create the scholarships.
SG worked with offices throughout the USF System to establish the scholarship. Student body President Mark Lombardi-Nelson and Regional Vice Chancellor Julie Wong organized the student side while Associate Director of Financial Aid Erin Dunn worked with the financial aid office in Tampa to set up the award account.
The scholarship bill began as an award for outstanding students who displayed financial need and extracurricular involvement through campus organizations. As the bill developed, the requirements shifted in order to meet aid criteria from the Sun Dome and the Financial Aid office.
After the first round of scholarships are awarded, SG plans to seek of funding from an alternative source so the original eligibility criteria can be used.
“With our own fundraised money, we will be able to set up this original scholarship criteria that we wanted to set up for that dedicated student that has given back to our community,” Lombardi-Nelson said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to grow the account and grow the amount.”
Once the scholarships are awarded, recipients need to write thank you letters and report on their academic progress.
The application for the Sun Dome scholarship will be available next week. Students may access the application through the USFSP Privately Funded Scholarship site. The deadline to apply is April 12.
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