Frank Wilcox Scholarship Award

The Frank L. Wilcox Rising Scholars Academic Scholarship Fund

Purpose:

The purpose of the Frank L. Wilcox Rising Scholars Academic Scholarship Fund is to provide one-time financial aid for qualifying students who are current residents of Monroe Housing Authority’s public housing communities to attend an accredited institution for higher education.  The scholarship’s main purpose is to award academic excellence and encourage high school students to pursue higher education upon graduation from high school. 

Timeline:

The scholarship will be awarded once annually for the current academic year.

Duration:

One-time award per student.

Terms:

$6,000.00 annually to be distributed evenly among six (6) qualifying applicant/recipients, ($1,000.00 per recipient – one recipient per community) for each of the following MHA public housing communities):  Lock-Breece Place, Johnson-Carver Terrace, Foster Heights, Burg Jones Lane, Robinson Place, and Miller Square.

Funding

1. Monroe Housing Authority, non-HUD funds, through the Monroe Housing Authority’s Facilities Trust.
2. Donations from corporate, community, educationally-based donors.
3. An initial deposit of $12,000.00 will be made by Monroe Housing Authority using non-HUD funds from the Monroe Housing Authority’s Facilities Trust account.

Selection Criteria:

• Open to graduating high school seniors and recent high school graduates.
• Must be a current resident of Monroe Housing Authority’s public housing program at the time of application and award.
• Must have shown continued academic achievement by maintaining a 2.9 grade point average.
• Must submit a completed application and components prior to the deadline.

Administration & Monitoring

• The Scholarship Committee – a scholarship committee consisting of five members of the community-at-large will be established to read applications, determine the best candidate(s), and then vote for approval.
• All recipients will be notified by U.S. mail at the address of record on the application within ten (10) business days of the committee’s selections.
• A designated member of Monroe Housing Authority’s staff will oversee the program and periodically review it to ensure it is serving its purpose.  An annual report of the program’s performance will be provided to the Executive Director and the Board of Commissioners.

Application Procedures

• Applications will be made available online at the Monroe Housing Authority’s website, at each public housing community’s management office, and at the main office. 
• Applications will be made available each year between April 1^st and June 30^th.  Monroe Housing Authority will post notices at each community promoting the scholarship and encouraging participation from all qualified residents.
• Deadline to submit applications will be July 31^st of each year.
• Applications can be mailed to:  The Monroe Housing Authority, 300 Harrison Street, Monroe, LA 71201 or hand-delivered to any public housing community’s management office or the MHA administrative office.
• Deadline to submit applications is July 31^st.
• Recipients will be notified in writing by U.S. Mail addressed to the recipient at the address of record listed on the application.  Note:  Applicants must be a current resident of Monroe Housing Authority’s public housing program at the time of application and scholarship award.
• A public notice announcing the scholarship recipients will be posted on the Monroe Housing Authority’s website each year.
• Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the accredited institution with a memorandum stating the recipients’ name and student id#.

The Application Packet (Application form and components)

The Application Packet must be complete and consist of the following:

• The Application Form (attached)
• An essay or personal statement telling about the applicant and the applicant’s plans for after graduating college
• A list of awards and achievements
• A description of community and social activities
• Copies of high school transcripts
• Letters of recommendation from teachers, advisors, employers, etc.