SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

Student Development Opportunities

    

STEM Scholar Travel Grants

STEM travel grants (maximum award $500 per academic year) are available to any student currently receiving a STEM Scholarship.  These travel grants assist with the costs of attending an academic conference, providing students with valuable professional development and networking opportunities.  These funds cannot be used to sponsor research trips.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and notification of status will be sent electronically.

Eligibility:

  • You must be a current NSF STEM Scholarship recipient
  • Be an enrolled, undergraduate student at the time of the application

Student Scholar Responsibilities:

  • Upon your return, submit a 1- 2 page report to the ACA, as well as the office of your institution’s Chief Academic Officer, outlining what was learned and the benefits received.  Please submit reports to awards@acaweb.org.  

 How to Apply:

  • Complete the online application for STEM Travel Grants

 The following items to be emailed to apply@acaweb.org

  • A recommendation letter from a faculty member explaining why you would benefit from attending the conference
  • Letter of Endorsement from your Chief Academic Officer

{Note: For Chief Academic Officers (CAO)}

     *Student travel grants may cover registration, lodging, meals and travel to and from the conference.  This includes the cost rental cars and gas, or mileage on a personal vehicle (calculated at the current federal rate).  The ACA CANNOT pay for alcohol or the expenses of guests or traveling companions. 

NOTE: Only ONLINE applications will be accepted.  Applications received by email, mail, or fax will not be accepted.

Begin Your Application.......

 

 

Colonel Lee B. Ledford Scholarship

 

The Lee B. Ledford Student Research Endowment supports summer research experiences for students enrolled at ACA member institutions. Students in a variety of disciplines have been supported in the past: e.g., English, sociology, history, biology, computer science, and religious studies.
 
The Ledford Awards support many forms of research: laboratory and field work, interviews, analyzing special collections, participant observation, etc. Research proposals with a strong service component are welcome. Library research (particularly using the Bowen Central Library of Appalachia) is strongly encouraged.
 
Applications must have the support of a faculty member who will agree to serve as a mentor to you throughout your research project. Please review the expectations for faculty mentors by referring to the Faculty Mentor Guidelines.
 
The Ledford Endowment provides stipends for students only at a rate of $8.50/hour ($5,120 max) and an allotment of $1,000 for equipment and travel. No funding is available for faculty mentors.
 
The eligible student must:
  • Be a full-time student, returning to an ACA institution for at least one semester following the research term;
  • Have graduated from high school or been home schooled in a designated Appalachian or contiguous county as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov);
  • Have a 2.0 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale.
 
The eligible project:
  • Must receive the endorsement of the faculty mentor and chief academic officer;
  • Cannot have more than two Ledford supported students participating;
  • May include travel necessary to achieve the research goals if the faculty mentor accompanies the student.
 
If you are eligible to apply for a Ledford Scholarship, please review the complete list of application materials and responsibilities.
 
View examples of a previously funded Ledford in Humanities narrative or a Ledford in Sciences narrative
 
 
 *Please submit all reports and updates to awards@acaweb.org. *

2013 applications are no longer being accepted. 

Please check back this fall for 2014 applications.

 

 

Barbara Paul Robinson Scholarship

The Appalachian College Association is pleased to announce the Barbara Paul Robinson Scholarship, named in honor of a New York City attorney who provided services to the association. A scholarship in the amount of $2,500 will be awarded annually to an ACA college student who shows great interest and potential to be an attorney and dedicated to making a positive change in Appalachia.

The successful applicant must agree to write a thank you note to Ms. Robinson (with copy sent to the ACA) and agree to send the ACA a yearly update of their progress while attending law school (1 page or less, due in December). Updates are used to prepare reports and grant proposals, ensuring that the Robinson Scholarship is available in future years. All reports and updates can be emailed to awards@acaweb.org.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a student of an ACA member institution
  • Full-time senior in the spring of 2013
  • Grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale)

A complete application includes:

  • A 500-word essay describing the applicant’s personal and academic background and professional goals as a conscientious attorney, including any steps towards applying for law school or legal internships, if any

The following items to be emailed to apply@acaweb.org

  • Transcript showing grades through Fall 2012 (issued from registrar, unofficial copy is acceptable);
  • Documentation of acceptance or application to law school (A letter of acceptance from the school, an application receipt, etc.)
  • A letter of endorsement from a faculty member on your campus
  • A letter of endorsement from the Chief Academic Officer
 

2013 applications are no longer being accepted.

Please check back in February for 2014 applications.