Event
2024 Senior Scholarships
Applications due online by 11:55 pm, March 31
The generosity of our congregation allows FUMCR to award scholarships to our graduating high school seniors. This year, all applications will be filled out and submitted online. Applications will be reviewed by our scholarship committee, and scholarships will be awarded on May 5 at the senior luncheon. Attendance at this luncheon is mandatory to receive any scholarships, so please mark it on your calendars.
We are very blessed at First United Methodist Church Richardson to have an abundance of bright, talented, and dedicated youth in our Senior Class of 2024. We are also blessed to have a congregation that is committed to our youth and their future.
Through the generosity of members of our congregation, we have many scholarships available to graduating high school seniors. Scholarships range from $500 to $8,000.
Application Guidelines
The application linked below applies to all our of scholarships. The application asks a series of questions to determine which scholarships the applicant qualifies for based on their specific circumstances, and our scholarship committee awards each particular scholarship to the student that best qualifies.
All applications must be submitted by 11:55pm on March 31.
For all of the scholarships available, the applicant must:
• Be a graduating high school senior in good standing
• Be attending a four-year university, two-year community college, or skill training program in fall of 2024
• Be active in a ministry of First United Methodist Church Richardson through regular participation, service, or leadership. This does not have to be specifically with the youth program.
Membership at FUMCR is not necessary for applicants, but it is favored by the committee.
Specific scholarships are available for children of single parent households and for applicants involved in Choir at FUMCR. To be considered for those funds, applicants must indicate their eligibility by checking the appropriate boxes on the application.
Writing Guidelines:
• All essays are to be 300 words or less.
• All essays must be submitted on ONE document.
• All essays must be typed in a clear font, double spaced, and sized at 12pt.
• Each essay must be separated by a title or heading indicating which prompt the essay is answering.
• Every page of the document must have both a page number and the student’s full name on it in the header or footer.
• If any quotes are used, they must be cited appropriately using MLA format.
The application cannot be submitted without everything listed below, and your progress cannot be saved. Please have these items ready BEFORE you begin the application.
What you need to apply:
• An unofficial high school transcript
• A small color photograph of yourself
• A resume listing: your involvement at FUMCR, employment and community volunteer activities, extra-curricular activities, and honors/academic distinctions
• Two letters of reference from someone other than a family member. Such as teachers or someone from school, a church member or family friend. These letters can be uploaded as PDF documents, or if the recommender prefers, they can be emailed directly to Rev. Julia Castleman, jcastleman@fumcr.com. These are the only optional documents to submit. Student Ministries Staff and the Youth Choir Director are not able to provide references for this application.
• One PDF document with three short essays, following the prompts below. Please follow the writing guidelines above.
1) Tell the committee how being a part of First United Methodist Church Richardson has shaped your faith and life.
2) Tell the committee the role that missions and service has played in your life up until this point.
3) Tell the committee either about how you’ve shown leadership outside of the church, or about how your experiences with FUMCR will impact your future.
4) Optional additional essay: If you would like to be considered for any of the choir-specific scholarships (in addition to the others), please write an additional essay of about 300 words informing the committee of the way choir has impacted your faith and life.
Applications are due no later than 11:55pm, March 31, 2024. All requested information must be received for your application to be considered. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for any scholarship.
Your answers to these questions will be used only in connection with your application to the First United Methodist Church Richardson Scholarship Funds. The Information gathered on the form will only be divulged to the selection committee for their deliberation.
