Emerge Scholarship for International Students, USA

Desription
Emerge has provided more than $200,000 in academic scholarships to more than 50 over the past decade. For 2012, Emerge hopes to award ten $5,000 scholarships..

We will begin accepting applications again in the fall.  To see last year's eligibility criteria and application, click on the Scholarship Applications link below.


Eligibility

1. Scholarship applicants must be accepted into a program of study at an educational institution, as evidenced by a proof of acceptance – either an acceptance letter OR a current school transcript.
2. Applicants must be at least 25 years of age as of the date of the postmark of the application.
3. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, and/or physical impairment.
4. Applicants must complete the application form and essay requirement and must mail all required materials to the address provided. All materials being submitted for an applicant (signed application, recommendation letters and program acceptance letter or current transcripts) must be submitted in one package. All material related to an applicant must note the applicant’s name and email address. The application package must be postmarked no later than Friday, January 6, 2012. No exceptions will be made.
5. Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information. Applications will be evaluated based on the information provided; therefore, all questions should be answered as thoroughly as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
6. Scholarship recipients will be chosen based on a number of criteria, including financial need, other funding received, career/life goals, essay content, leadership and participation in community activities, and honors and awards received. Please see the Additional Information section for detailed information on selection criteria and application requirements.
7. Provided that a valid email address is included, each applicant will be notified of the status of her application no later than February 15, 2012. Only a select number of applicants will be chosen as recipients.
8. Acceptance of a scholarship award constitutes permission for Emerge to use the recipient’s name, biographical information, and photo for publicity purposes.
9. Recipients of scholarships will be responsible for any and all taxes that apply to receipt of a scholarship under the law of their state of residence. Applicants should check with the appropriate state agency or with an accountant or lawyer specializing in tax questions. Emerge cannot answer questions about taxes  

Application Procedure
Please comply with all of the following application requirements:

1. Answer all questions on the application form; incomplete applications will not be considered.
2. Typewritten applications are recommended and preferred; however, handwritten applications will be accepted. Please ensure that your handwritten application is legible. Essays should be a maximumof two pages, one-sided, double-spaced, preferably 12 point, Times New Roman font. If you do not have Times New Roman font, please use Arial. Please avoid cursive fonts, as these can be difficult to read.
3. Applications must be sent via U.S. mail, UPS, FedEx or other postal service and must be postmarked by January 6, 2012. Provided that a valid email address is included, an email acknowledgement will be sent when your application has been received. NOTE: Please plan ahead; do not wait until the last minute to send in your application. When sending your application materials, please ensure you indicate that the requirement for a signature is to be waived. Applications requiring a signature of receipt might not be received. We will not make exceptions to the deadline due to delays in delivery. If you wait until the last minute you risk missing the deadline.
4. Do not send binders, DVDs, cassettes, transcripts, or any other extraneous materials that are not specifically requested by the Emerge scholarship committee.

Recommendations

1. Two letters of recommendation are required. At least one of these should be from someone who knows the applicant in a professional or work-related relationship, including volunteer work. The second recommendation may be personal or professional. Recommendation letters from relatives will not be accepted.
2. The applicant’s full name and email address should be on each recommendation letter.
3. The purpose of the letters of recommendation is to assist the committee in our evaluation and decision-making. Recommendation letters should address the following points: - his/her observation of your level of commitment to pursuing future plans, and your ability to stick with a program once you’ve made a commitment - information about your character that the person would consider important when describing you to a stranger - why he/she is recommending your as a scholarship recipient - what he/she thinks you bring to the table that makes you unique among the many applicants - he/she should

Other

1. Scholarship applicants must submit proof of acceptance from your educational institution – either an acceptance letter OR a current transcript.
2. Upon completion of the application cycle—after the scholarships are awarded—all materials will be shredded and disposed of in order to ensure your privacy and the security of your personal information.
3. Scholarship recipients must submit a photograph—hard copy or digital (preferred) - to the committee after receiving confirmation of the award. This photograph will be used for publicity purposes, and may be included on the Emerge website and in other promotional materials. Hardcopy pictures will not be returned, so please do not send your only copy.
4. Emerge requires an email address for each applicant. If you do not have your own email address, lease provide one belonging to a friend or relative who would be willing to accept and send messages for you. (there are several sites that offer free email addresses, such as Gmail.com and Yahoo.com)
5. Any additional communication that may be necessary regarding the application process will be handled via email.- We have made every effort to include all necessary information on the website and in the eligibility criteria. After reading the information thoroughly, if you still have questions please send an email to us at info@emergescholarships.org You can expect a response within three business days.   - All applicants will receive email confirmation within five business days of receipt of their application.  If you do not receive an email within one week after sending in your application you may email to request confirmation.-  After the selection process is completed and award recipients have been notified the selection committee will send an email to the remaining applicants informing them of their status. Please do not contact the committee to inquire about your status; we will contact you. All applicants will be notified of their status no later than February 15, 2012.- Remember – plan ahead! We have a very tight timeline between the application deadline and when we must make our decision on our 2012 awardees. We will not be able to extend the scholarship deadline to accommodate last-minute applications that do not arrive on time, regardless of the reason.

Submission Deadline
January 6, 2012.

Website Link
http://www.emergescholarships.org./scholarships/apply.php