Hawley Scholarship Foundation Policy

Application Process

1. Scholarship applications will be made available to all seniors in or prior to April. Seniors graduating with a Hawley High School diploma will be eligible for the Hawley Scholarship Foundation scholarships.

2. Scholarships will be awarded based on the completed Hawley Scholarship Application Form and Hawley Scholarship Criteria Survey. The exceptions are the James Gruhl Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship which uses the application from the Friends of the Fine Arts and the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Scholarship which is selected using the MSHSL Triple ‘A’ Award application.

3. Henry (Hank) Ford FFA, Human Service, Katie Bjorndahl Memorial, LaVon Ford Education, Lee Eklund Legacy, Lee Eklund Memorial Nugget Football, and Rhett Pavek Memorial scholarships will use additional essay requirements as listed in the criteria section. Bernice Nerby Newton Meyer scholarship will use an additional essay/video/artwork requirement as listed in its criteria.

Selection Process

1. The selection process varies by scholarship. Scholarships are selected in a variety of manners – some with input by the sponsoring organization/business/family and others by a selected committee or group. The HSF scholarship list indicates within the criteria whom selects each scholarship. All scholarship recipients may be approved or rejected by the HSF – Scholarship Selection Committee.

2. Some scholarships are selected without identifying applicant information attached and others include identifying information. Some scholarships will have an alternate recipient indicated.

3. Scholarship awards will be announced at the Hawley Scholarship Foundation reception, the FFA banquet, or Fine Arts Night.

Payment of Scholarships

Eligibility
1. Student must enroll in post-secondary education in the fall following graduation and be continuously enrolled in 12 credits (or the equivalent) per semester (or maintain full-time status if attending a vocational training school) both prior to and in the upcoming semester.

2. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., military training obligations, medical emergency). Recipients wishing to request an exception to any of the eligibility requirements must submit a request in writing to the HHS school counselor by the claim deadline for the scholarship(s). Exception requests will be reviewed by the sponsoring organization with decisions communicated directly to the scholarship recipient.

Payment of Scholarships
1. Most local scholarship check(s) will be awarded upon proof of completion of first term and enrollment in second term. Exceptions to this timeline include:
* Paid at beginning of first year: Hawley Scholarship #3
* Half paid at beginning of first year and half paid at beginning of second year: Jerome Swedberg Machinist Scholarship
* Half paid upon completion of first semester of the first year and half paid upon completion of first semester of the second year: Bernice Nerby Newton Meyer scholarship. To claim second half of this scholarship, a brief written update of the recipient’s plans and college experience must be submitted with the academic records.
* Paid upon completion of the first year: Kim Spaeth Memorial, Arlen L. Haugen Memorial, Roger Kragerud Memorial, Hawley Women of Today, Human Service, Lee Eklund Memorial Nugget Football, and Muscatell Automotive scholarships.
* Paid upon completion of the first semester of the third year: Leona Anderson Scholarship (must still be majoring in education).

2. To claim scholarship money, recipients must provide an unofficial transcript listing both the prior term’s courses and credits and the current/upcoming term’s courses and credits. (Scholarships payable at beginning of first year need only provide first term’s class schedule and credits.) Academic records can be brought to the Hawley High School office in person, emailed to the HHS school counselor, or mailed to the following address: School Counseling Office, Hawley High School, Box 608, Hawley, MN 56549. If you’re unable to pick up your check in person, please provide the address where you’d like your check(s) mailed.

3. Claim timelines:
Checks payable after completion of the fall semester:
* Will be available after January 1 and upon receiving the required academic records.
* Must be claimed by February 28 and must clear the bank by May 1.
Checks payable after completion of the spring semester or prior to starting the first year:
* Will be available upon receiving the required academic records.
* Must be claimed by October 31 and must clear the bank by December 1.
Failure to claim scholarship(s) by the deadline may result in forfeiture of the scholarship and the check being awarded to an alternate recipient, if one was selected.

4. Checks will be issued jointly to the student and the post-secondary institution. Jointly issued checks must be endorsed by the student at the college’s business/financial aid office and then turned over to the college for application to the student’s account.