Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau

MP Farm Bureau Scholarship Guidelines

MARSHALL-PUTNAM FARM BUREAU SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES

The Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau Board of Directors has elected to provide a collegiate scholarship for members or dependents of members of the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau, Henry, Illinois. The amount will be $500 for one year. The scholarship is intended to help defray tuition, room and board, fees and other necessary expenses normally experienced by college students. This scholarship may be used in addition to any other financial aid the student may receive. This scholarship, hereafter to be known as the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau Scholarship, began in the year 1975 and will be granted annually thereafter at the discretion of the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau Board of Directors. The guidelines that follow have been developed to govern administration of the scholarship.

1. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements: (a) the applicant must have been a resident of Marshall or Putnam Counties for the full 2 years immediately prior to the date of high school graduation, (b) the parent/s or legal guardian/s whom have legal custody of the applicant and claim the applicant as a dependent must have been a resident of Marshall or Putnam Counties for a full 2 years immediately prior to the date of the applicant’s high school graduation, (c) the parent/s or legal guardian/s whom have legal custody of the applicant and claim the applicant as a dependent must have been a member of the Farm Bureau somewhere in the State of Illinois for at least 4 years immediately prior to the date of the applicant’s high school graduation and for the final 2 years of this 4 year period must be a member in good standing of the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau.

2. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of scholastic ability. This will be
determined by adding 6 times the applicant’s high school grade point average, as computed by local officials of the high school being attended at the end of 7 semesters, to the applicant’s ACT composite score. An applicant who is a foreign exchange student will have his grade point average computed after completion of either 5 or 6 semesters, whichever is greater, in his local school. The eighth semester may not be used for computing grade point average. In the event of a tie in determining scholastic rank the scholarship will be equally divided between the applicants who have tied. Should any of the above recipients elect to relinquish their portion of said scholarship, the remainder will be granted to the other recipients.

3. To maintain the scholarship a student must enroll in and complete at least
12 hours of college work per semester, or 12 quarter hours per quarter and
maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale or 3.0 or above on
a 5.0 scale each individual semester or quarter. Failure to maintain these
guidelines each semester or quarter will require that the recipient relinquish the
scholarship. Each scholarship can be used for up to 2 consecutive semesters or
3 consecutive quarters, at which time that particular scholarship will terminate.
The scholarship committee reserves the right to waive the rules regarding
consecutive attendance, minimum class load, or grade point average in cases of
sickness or accident to the recipient or his immediate family, or other special
extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control as approved by the
committee. Explanation of any such special extenuating circumstances must be
provided to the Scholarship Committee in writing.

4. Payment of the scholarship funds will be made at the beginning of each
semester or quarter after the student has presented evidence to the chairman of
the Scholarship Committee that he has (a) enrolled for at least 12 semester or quarter hours and (b) submitted a copy of his grades for the previous semester or quarter (does not apply to first semester). If a student fails to attend school for at least 9 weeks, he will be obligated to refund one half the amount awarded him at the beginning of the semester or quarter.

5. Application must be made by February 15th of the student’s senior year.
Applications received late will go to the bottom of the scholarship eligibility list in the order of date received. Any member of a given high school graduating class who has previously applied for the scholarship will be eligible for any of the unused portion of the scholarship in order of scholastic rank as described above, should the original recipient relinquish the scholarship. A student having received written notification that he is eligible for the unused portion of the scholarship shall have 20 days from receipt of such notice to reply in writing as to his intent to use the said scholarship. Such student receiving the unused portion of a scholarship may use said scholarship until the total life of the scholarship consisting of 2 semesters or 3 quarters is completed. Upon receipt of the scholarship such student must meet the same guidelines as the original recipient for any subsequent college work during the life of the scholarship.

6. Scholarship payments will not be made for summer sessions and grades during
the summer session will not be counted in meeting requirement of a C average per semester or quarter.

7. Once a scholarship is awarded, the recipient is entitled to use said scholarship
for its entirety subject to these guidelines. Once a scholarship is relinquished, the recipient is no longer entitled to reapply.

8. The scholarship may be used at any school or institution on the approved list of
schools as published by the Illinois State Scholarship Commission, or an equivalent out-of-state school as listed by the Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

9. This scholarship may be used in addition to any other scholarships, grants, loans, or other types of financial aid the student may receive.

10. Recipients of a GED Diploma may apply for the scholarship only if they have
completed 7 semesters of high school work and have taken the ACT test. Any such applicant will be placed in competition with graduating seniors in the year in which they receive their GED Diplomas.

11. The Scholarship Committee will annually make a recommendation to the
Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau Board of Directors suggesting the recipient of the scholarship based upon the guidelines by April 15th.

12. The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to make judgments on cases not
covered in the above guidelines.