Foundation

NIRSA Foundation Student Scholarships: It's never too early to start

Seventeen scholarships offer wonderful opportunities for NIRSA Student Members

Student Members, it's not too early to start planning to attend the 2008 NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Expo April 2-5 in Austin, Texas. And, what better way to start planning than to apply for one of 17 NIRSA Foundation Scholarships that will cover the cost of conference registration?

These scholarships are made possible by the past and ongoing generosity of the many NIRSA Members and Associate Members, Corporate Partners, and friends of recreational sports who have helped build the NIRSA Foundation endowment to its present level of $916,000.

The 17 scholarships are as follows:

• Corporate Partners Scholarships
  • Woodway — 1
  • Sports Imports — 1
  • Star Trac — 1
• William Wasson Founders Scholarship — 2
• Sonia and Max Gartenberg Scholarship — 1
• SoCal Scholarship — 2
• Salado Consortium (Texas) Endowment Scholarship — 2
• General NIRSA Foundation Scholarships — 7

Ready

If you have a passion for recreational sports, a desire to advance your professional knowledge, a solid academic record, current involvement in NIRSA and recreational sports at your university, and the support of your institution, all that's left is to apply.

• To be eligible for a NIRSA Foundation Scholarship, you must be a graduating senior or a graduate student in good standing with plans to pursue a career in recreational sports.
• Current NIRSA membership is required.
• SoCal applicants must be a Region VI undergraduate or graduate student.
• Salado Consortium Endowment applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in coursework from a university/college in the state of Texas.
• Scholarship winners may receive an award as an undergraduate and as a graduate student, but not in consecutive years.

So, start the process now! The NIRSA Foundation Scholarship deadline is January 15, 2008. Scholarship winners will be notified in early February. The entire process is online.

Set

As you prepare your application, keep these thoughts in mind:

• Discuss this opportunity with recreation professionals at your institution. Seek their input, advice, and support. You will need a letter of recommendation for the scholarship.
• You will be evaluated on your past and present involvement in NIRSA and recreational activities at your university. Yes, there is still time to strengthen this area of your application by attending state and regional workshops and through other student volunteer opportunities at the state, regional, and national levels.
• If you haven't taken the time to reflect upon and begin planning your career objectives, now is a great time. The Scholarship Review Committee will ask you to provide this information with your application.

Go

To steal the tag line from a famous athletic shoe company—"Just do it!" What's stopping you? Get the application ball rolling!