Beginning the business of applying for scholarships can be a confusing and time consuming process. We want to make it easier for you to understand what you need to do regarding applying for a Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarship. We also want to help you avoid unnecessary work.
Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes encourages all students to pursue a Christian education. Each student should decide which school to attend based on personal preference, the advice of parents and church leaders. Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes does not endorse any one school over another.
Things to know before applying for a Lads Scholarship:
- The deadline for scholarship application submission is February 6, 2012.
- Start early (if possible as early as 6th grade) to keep a good record of the events you enter and place in each year at Convention. Freed-Hardeman University requires a detailed list of yearly events at Convention, as well as the number of years you have participated in the program to consider your application for scholarship.
- Become familiar with the requirements of the school you are interested in. Lipscomb University is the only school that allows students from grades 6 through 12 to apply for Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships. You may apply each year from grades 6-12. The scholarship amounts will stack (add) together and be applied your first year. NO OTHER UNIVERSITY ACCEPTS APPLICATIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FROM STUDENTS YOUNGER THAN SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL. So, if you wish to attend another Christian University and you are in the 6th - 11th grade, wait until you are a senior to apply.
- Please understand that we will only submit your application to two universities if you request that to be done. Otherwise, your application will only be submitted to your first choice. We limit submission to only TWO universities. The reason you are limited to two submissions is because the universities take great care in offering these scholarships, and it is possible that someone else may be denied a scholarship in order to offer the scholarship to you. It is simply not fair to accept a scholarship that you will not be using and someone else not receiving a scholarship because of it. At least one university divides out of ONE sum of money for their scholarships, so they take these very seriously.
- If you do change your mind about attending a university after accepting a scholarship, make sure your assigned admissions counselor at that university is aware of that, so that they can redistribute that scholarship to someone else.
- Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships are not personal property. It is not possible to put them on hold. If you accept a scholarship and then do not enroll as a freshman, you have forfeited your entire scholarship at that university. If you do enroll, but after a year or two decide to quit for a while, you will lose the rest of your Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarship. You cannot transfer scholarships to other universities or transfer them to other people in your family.
- Universities do not accept applications from already enrolled college students for Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships. They are strictly offered to high school seniors (except for Lipscomb. Also, students entering graduate school are not eligible for Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships.
- If you receive a contract with your scholarship, read that document carefully. Remember that you have something required of you when you accept that scholarship. The contract will require you to attend Convention and also to work in whatever duties you are assigned. We only assign scholarship recipients a small amount of work, as we also want to them to be free to participate, judge and help mentor other students in their Convention events. Scholarship recipients are required to register with either their home congregation or another participating congregation that attends convention.
- We do not require scholarship recipients who attend Harding University to attend Convention if they are participating in or attending Spring Sing.
- Please make sure you send in your application by the deadline. We still receive calls from students in June wanting to apply for a scholarship to start school in August. All scholarship awards are already decided when Convention happens each year. After that, all the funds have been allotted.
- We have removed some of the requirements on the application. While we think it is important that you study the manual, we are no longer requiring use of the manual in completing your application and paperwork. Also, make sure that you provide at least one church reference (elder, minister, Lads teacher, etc.) and one school reference (principal, teacher, etc.).
- A valid email address must be included on the application so that we can confirm that the application has been received and is being processed. All application receipt notifications are sent via email, so if you do not include an email address you will not receive notification that your application has been received. If you do not receive notification within two weeks of submission, please email or call 334-215-0251.
Special information regarding Harding University:
- Please note there is a limit of 20 Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships per year given at Harding University.
Special information regarding Faulkner University:
- Faulkner University offers Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships in varying amounts. Qualifying students will be awarded scholarships after completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as February.
- Students will be awarded Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarships at Faulkner on a points-based system, evaluating the number of years they have participated in Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes and the number of Bible-oriented events in which they participated. The other scholarships for which they are eligible will be taken into consideration as Faulkner compiles the total scholarship package. Each student will be recognized on stage for having obtained the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarship, but amounts will not be listed on the award. The admissions office and financial aid office will contact the student regarding the total scholarship package.
- As part of the requirements for receiving a Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes scholarship at Faulkner University, the student will be required to work two hours per week (at a time convenient for the student) for the six weeks prior to Convention and also two hours at Convention. The student could possibly be called in to work for special projects at other times of the year. These new requirements will take affect beginning with the incoming freshmen class for the 2011-2012 academic year. Current scholarship recipients at Faulkner University will continue with their agreed upon requirements.