Our Mission
The mission of the Florida State Elks Association C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship is to provide financial support for the educational needs of Florida high school seniors without which they would not be able to achieve their educational goals.
The scholarship targets students who have a 2.30 - 3.59 unweighted GPA. These students have demonstrated leadership through participation in school activities, community service, and citizenship. Consideration is given to those students who have shouldered extra responsibility such as working throughout their high school careers to help provide support of siblings or family.
Please direct all questions about the C. Valentine Bates HOPE Scholarship to
Joseph D. "Joe" Pepe, PDD, at jdpepe@aol.com.
The 2025 application period opens August 1, 2024
with applications due by January 17, 2025
GENERAL INFORMATION
Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship award from the C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship Fund, you must:
- Be a student in the graduating class of a high school or its related equivalent.
- Seniors graduating at semester (December) must apply during the application year before they graduate.
- Be a resident of the state of Florida.
- Be a United States citizen.
Students Targeted:
The C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship is open to students who have maintained an un-weighted GPA of 2.30 to 3.59. Students with an un-weighted GPA above 3.59 cannot apply. We are looking for students who have demonstrated leadership through participation in school activities, community service, and citizenship. Special consideration is given to those students who have shouldered extra responsibility such as working throughout their high school career to help provide support for siblings or family.
Competition:
Boys and girls will compete for identical awards.
Awards and Amounts:
Annually, the Florida State Elks Association (FSEA) will offer scholarships to deserving graduating senior applicants in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 per recipient. These scholarships are funded by grants from the Elks National Foundation and fundraising campaigns by Florida Elks Charities with total funding expected to be about $106,000 per year. At no time will total annual scholarships exceed funds that have been received for that year.
Scoring:
The following Merit Standards will prevail:
| Scoring: | |
| Financial Need | 600 points |
| Scholarship | 400 points |
| Employment | 150 points |
| Leadership | 100 points |
| Essay | 100 points |
| Community Service | 50 points |
| Honors and Awards | 50 points |
| Extracurricular | 50 points |
| TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS | 1,500 points |
The Scholarship:
The scholarship is presented with the understanding that the recipient will enroll in a 4-year undergraduate program of study at an accredited American college or university, a junior college, an accredited vocational/technical training program, or enter a First Responders’ Academy. Upon receipt of verification of enrollment and proof of class attendance from the proper school officials, the FSEA will issue a check in the amount of the award which will be forwarded to the college, university, or community college to establish a credit in the name of the recipient.
Restrictions on Use of Scholarship:
There is no restriction for the use of the scholarship. It may be utilized for tuition, books, lab fees, tutoring, room & board, transportation, food, uniforms, etc.
Unacceptable Conduct:
All scholarship recipients are expected to be good citizens of their community. These principles of law and order and morality are supported by the Order of the Elks. Therefore, unexpended credit is subject to withdrawal by the FSEA if the conduct of the student is contrary to these principles.
Applications Become Property of the FSEA:
After completing this application, please save a copy for your records. All applications become the property of the Florida State Elks Association.
Award Distribution:
Scholarship funds must be disbursed within two years of award decision.