Albany Firefighters Community Assistance Fund (AFFCAF) Scholarship

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION (18KB pdf)

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTAL OF MATERIALS:

Packet must be postmarked by March 14, 2008 and mailed to AFFCAF, PO Box 1864, Albany, OR 97321.

Hand-delivered packets may be dropped off at the Fire Services office at City Hall, 333 Broadalbin SW, Albany, no later than 5:00 p.m. March 14, 2008.

The Albany Fire Fighters Community Assistance Fund (AFFCAF) awards three educational college scholarships directed to West Albany, South Albany, and Santiam Christian High School seniors.

SCHOLARSHIPS

AFFCAF will award three $500 scholarships for college tuition. Available funds will be utilized to the fullest, with the award stated as a general scholarship of up to $500.00 for a specific academic year. Direct scholarship funds will be a voucher to the school they will be attending and to be used by the student to cover any educational expenses. Students receiving an academic scholarship for one year are eligible to re-apply for additional years based on the student’s performance, financial need, and overall merit in relationship to other aspiring applicants.

BASIC STUDENT APPLICATION QUALIFICATIONS:

Students residing in areas served by the Albany Fire Department.
For use at an accredited college.
Successfully complete high school or equivalent course of studies.
College-bound students must have completed all preliminary applications and have been accepted at a qualified college.
Have established a minimum of 2.75 GPA (as computed on a 4.0 scale) or better in junior and senior years of high school.

Exception to GPA: If exceptional circumstances or financial need dictate, the AFFCAF Scholarship Committee can award a scholarship to a student who does not meet the GPA criteria.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

The AFFCAF Scholarship Committee is not limited to an exact set of criteria in evaluating nominees; however, the following general guidelines will be used:

Involvement in extracurricular/volunteer/community activities = 15%
“A Commitment to Community” Essay (500 to 750 words) = 25%
Financial need = 25%
Character references = 10%
Academic excellence = 20%
Overall packet = 5%

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND EXTRACURRICULAR/VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Applicant should cite any extracurricular/volunteer activities performed in the community in which they reside related or unrelated to educational major. Examples may include tutoring, clubs, student involvement, student government, sports, work experience, involvement in community service, or charitable organizations, etc.

ESSAY: “A Commitment to Community”. Choose from one of the examples cited above to write your essay.

The essay must be original work by the applicant and all sources cited in a “work cited” section at the end of the essay. The essay, once submitted, becomes the property of AFFCAF and may be printed in City of Albany publications with the writer’s credit.

The essay will be judged for subject relevance, factual accuracy, creativity, interest, and completeness of thought and proofs.

FINANCIAL NEED: Please state your financial need clearly on the attached application form.

CHARACTER REFERENCES: Letters from three character references to be provided with the completed packet.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Students with high academic achievement will receive additional consideration.

OVERALL PACKET: The packet shall include the essay, application, cover letter, three character references, and a copy of your last report card. The packet will be evaluated for packet appearance, readability, and completeness.

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