SLFCU Scholarship Competition
$4,000 Top Prize
SLFCU members attending college in 2024-2025 are invited to apply for our 30th annual 2024 Scholarship Competition with a top prize of $4,000. Applicants must be new or returning students attending an accredited institution and must have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Previous winners are welcome to apply.
SLFCU also seeks 30 members to volunteer as judges and help choose this year’s winners. Learn more and sign up to volunteer at the bottom of this page.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
The first-place winner of SLFCU’s 30th Scholarship Competition will receive a $4,000 scholarship for college expenses. Nine awards will be given, with a combined award total of $12,000. Winners will be announced in September and publicly listed on slfcu.org/Scholarships, and featured in SLFCU’s quarterly Dollars & Sense email. Tax liability on prize monies is the responsibility of the recipient.
ELIGIBILITY
The 2024 SLFCU Scholarship Competition is open to SLFCU members in good standing* who:
- Will be new or returning full-time students in the 2024 – 2025 academic year to a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at an accredited institution. (Note: Associate and doctoral degree candidates are not eligible to participate in the competition.)
- Are the primary account holder of an SLFCU savings account (not a beneficiary of a custodial account)
- Are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States
- Are not SLFCU employees or volunteers
- Have won previous SLFCU Scholarship Competitions
*Good standing is defined as a member who has not been denied services or is in arrears with the Credit Union.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- An original essay addressing the topic: “What are some of the most pressing financial issues facing young adults today and what can they do to overcome them?” Your essay must be 500 words in length or less.
- A PDF copy of the applicant’s latest grade transcript showing a current cumulative grade point average (high school or college) of at least 2.5, along with the applicant’s name and school.
- A concise résumé in PDF format that lists the applicant’s academic honors, sports, extracurricular activities, accomplishments, volunteer activities, and work experience (as applicable).
- One (1) letter of recommendation provided by an adult (teacher, counselor, coach, employer, etc.) to whom the applicant is not related.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
SLFCU will only consider completed applications received by Monday, May 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. MST. The applicant should:
- Click START OR MANAGE YOUR APPLICATION below to start or resume an application.
- Save and upload all documents (grade transcript, résumé) as PDFs. Please do not include your name anywhere within the essay’s content.
- Enter their reference's email address in the designated section of the application. He or she will receive an email from SLFCU’s vendor, Submittable, with a link to upload their reference letter in PDF format. The applicant should ask the person writing the letter of recommendation to include their full name on the document. They must upload their letter by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 2024.
Note: Most schools and businesses filter incoming emails. Emails from SLFCU’s vendor (Submittable) may be sent to a spam folder or be potentially rejected altogether. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the letter is submitted successfully.
START OR MANAGE YOUR APPLICATION
SCHOLARSHIP JUDGE REQUEST
SLFCU seeks 30 volunteer judges to help select winning entries for the 2024 Scholarship Competition. Judges will score student essays through a secure online process. If you are an SLFCU member at least 18 years of age and are not related to any of the applicants, we invite you to apply to volunteer to help choose our winners. Judges who applied in 2023 may apply with the same Submittable account username and password.
Essay judging dates
- Round 1: June 10 – 28, 2024
- Round 2: July 8 – 26, 2024
Essay judging criteria:
- How well the essay addresses the topic
- Writing mechanics: spelling, grammar, punctuation, format, etc.
- Thought organization, clarity, and logical flow
- Originality