Application procedures
Scholarship Committee
All scholarships awarded by or through PAEF are processed by a scholarship committee appointed by the PAEF President and approved by the Board of Directors. The Scholarship Committee shall be composed of at least five members, two of which shall be Granite County teachers. A PAEF representative shall serve as chairman. Other members may come from the Board of Directors or citizens of the greater Granite County area.
Eligibility
Any resident of Granite County is eligible to apply for scholarship support to finance post-secondary education goals. In addition, graduates of Granite High School or Drummond High School are eligible to apply for financial support throughout their academic careers regardless of current residency. Be sure to read each scholarship description for applicable criteria. Note the difference between Granite County resident or student and Granite High School student. Applicants complete one application and check all scholarships for which he/she is applying. Writing contests for 7/8, 9/10 and 11th graders through adults require separate applications.
Application for Scholarship
In the month of February, the Board of Directors shall prepare a news release summarizing current-year available scholarships. At that same time, information and application forms shall be made available on this website. The application packet must be completed in its entirety or it will not be considered for award. PAEF has developed a Scholarship Application Checklist to aid in the application process -- which is located as the last page of the current-year application. For returning students, please update your letters of reference to show growth through the past year -- college students, get letters from current instructors and employers. Submit an official copy of transcripts -- photo copies don't always show up well. Some scholarships require extra work; possibly, a separate application, essay and letters of recommendation. Some may require a separate addressed envelope to be forwarded to the donor.
Evaluation Process
Applications shall be evaluated according to the procedures established by the Scholarship Committee. The first step of evaluation is to check for complete application requirements. Those that are not complete are not evaluated for content. We have turned away applications without the required letters of recommendation or correct application form. Be sure to check the date at the top of the application.
Evaluation takes into account the following criteria in the order listed:
1. personal character, 2. growth potential, 3. quality of school activities, 4. quality of community activities, and 5 financial need, in addition to any other special criteria required by the scholarship donor or Board of Directors. Procedures used by the Committee shall be captured in writing and made part of the records of the deliberations each year, and shall be maintained a minimum of three years. At the end of deliberations, all application materials shall be destroyed with exception of the application and essays of selected (and alternate) scholarship recipients.
Award Procedures
Public announcement of award recipients shall be released at a special reception to be held prior to the graduation commencement exercises for the current-year graduating classes. Each recipient shall be notified immediately by letter and shall be invited, with their families, to the reception. Before the award is sent to the college of student's choice, a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) must be signed by the student which describes the terms and conditions of the award. Funds may only be sent to institutions for tuition, books, fees, room and board on campus, and course-related supplies. No funds will be awarded to students directly unless stipulated by the donor of a specific award. In the event a scholarship recipient does not fulfil the terms of the MOU, any funds recovered from the scholarship shall be forwarded to the next year's scholarship pool of funds. Click here to see a copy of MOU.
Special Instructions
Use the Application Checklist to make sure your application packet is complete. Incomplete packets will not be considered by the scholarship committee. The completed application packet must be returned no later than the last Friday in March to:
PAEF
P. O. Box 900
Philipsburg, MT 59858
Students who are selected to receive a scholarship shall be asked to attend a special reception in their honor, along with family members. The reception location and date shall be communicated to the recipients.
Thank the Donors
The PAEF Board of Directors encourage recipients to send "Thank You" letters to the donors. In the past, we have lost valuable donors and scholarships when donors have not received recognition of their generous award.