Spouses’ Club offers scholarships Published Jan. 24, 2011 By Fort Richardson Spouses' Club News release JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Fort Richardson Spouses' Club Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to deserving applicants to further their education at an accredited undergraduate institution. The FRSC awards these scholarships on the basis of academic achievement, personal achievements, community service, and a submitted essay. A scholarship award may be used only for the payment of tuition, books or school fees (to include room and board). Availability The number of scholarships and their value will be determined at the discretion of the Scholarship Selection Committee. These scholarships are available to either graduating high school seniors or currently enrolled students for full-time undergraduate studies. Eligibility To be eligible applicants must attend high school within the Anchorage School District, attend high school within the Mat-Su School District, attend an accredited home-school program, or attend any accredited college. Applicants must also be a family member possessing a valid military identification card (Department of Defense Form 1173) who is the son/daughter/spouse of: An active-duty military service member assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson; an active-duty military service member on short tour assignment originating from JBER; active-duty military service member with terminal assignment at JBER; a Reserve component service member assigned to a unit on JBER; a National Guard member assigned to a unit on JBER; a Department of the Army or Department of Defense civilian employed at JBER; a retired military service member residing in the Anchorage or the Matanuska-Susitna Borough or an FRSC member. Applicants are ineligible to receive a scholarship if any of the following apply: Accepting a military academy appointment Accepting an ROTC scholarship Accepting a one, two, three, or four-year full scholarship (i.e. full tuition, room and board) Accepting a partial scholarship that when combined with the FRSC scholarship, would exceed a full scholarship at the institution to which they enroll. Completed applications must be typed or handwritten on the forms provided, other formats will not be accepted. Application requirements Applications must contain all of the following: The selection committee will not consider incomplete applications. Applications may be typed or handwritten. Completed scholarship application form with required attachments Guidance counselor/academic advisor's statement-including academic grade point average (GPA) and ACT or SAT test scores Personal experiences & service (school, athletic, work or community service) Two letters of recommendation Essay If applicant is a spouse continuing education several years after graduating from high school and unable to complete any of the requirements specified in B-1 then contact the scholarship chair at frscscholarship@gmail.com. Completed scholarship applications must be mailed to: Fort Richardson Spouses Club Attn: Scholarship Chair P.O. Box 5524 Fort Richardson, AK 99505 It is recommended that applications be mailed as certified mail with return receipt requested. All application materials should be mailed as one complete packet and must be postmarked by March 14, 2011. Selection process The Scholarship Selection Committee is comprised of five members: Executive Board member of the FRSC General member of FRSC in good standing A school administrator or faculty member Spouse of a senior non-commissioned officer Active-duty military member All committee members will assess each application in the following areas and based on these guidelines, scholarships will be awarded to the highest scoring candidates. Candidates will be scored on a numerical scale. Areas of assessment include: Academic achievements Activities, non-academic achievements and community service Reference letters Essay Extra points will be awarded if the applicant is an FRSC member or the spouse, son or daughter of an FRSC member. Completed applications must be typed or handwritten on the forms provided other formats will not be accepted. The scholarship selection committee reviews each application and awards scholarships anonymously. Scholarships will be awarded without regard to race, religion, sex, age, color, marital status, lawful political affiliation, labor organization membership, or physical handicaps. All decisions made by the selection committee are final. The FRSC will pay scholarship awards directly to the undergraduate institution identified by each scholarship winner upon enrollment. If awarded a scholarship, students must furnish proof of enrollment in an institution of higher learning (i.e. a copy of the letter of acceptance on the institution's letterhead stationary). The committee must receive the information in writing no later than Jan. 31, 2012; otherwise the Committee reserves the right to cancel any scholarships. Scholarship recipients will be notified of selection by the FRSC Scholarship chairperson no later than April 11 and invited to attend an award presentation ceremony. Applicants with questions are encouraged to contact the Scholarship Chair at frscscholarship@gmail.com. (Editor's note: the Anchorage and Mat-Su School Districts do not endorse these materials or the viewpoints expressed in them.)