Scholarship
Management Resources™
Scholarship
programs provide essential financial support for today's college students
at a time when a college degree is required
for more workforce positions but obtaining a degree depends heavily
on financial means.
Managing
a scholarship program, however, is complex and time-consuming.
It requires creating and maintaining a network of high school and college
contacts; tracking applications; working with selection committees;
distributing funds; monitoring academic performance and continuing financial
need; and reporting to the provider.
Scholarship
Management Resources (SMR) provides a service for clients to outsource
the management of their scholarship programs to an experienced team
with an established network of higher education contacts and a record
of success. SMR efficiently and cost-effectively facilitates a
range of programs for its clients, corporations, trust officers, foundations,
service or affiliation organizations, and individuals.
The
criteria for managed scholarship programs meet the requirements of the
client and may differ from the Ohio Scholars Program® standards.
For example, students attending any accredited institution of higher
education in the U.S. may be eligible. Programs may be funded
annually or supported by endowments or trusts. SMR's financial
records and processes are audited annually.
Scholarship
Management Resources will provide any or all of the following services:
- Develop policies,
procedures and timelines for new scholarship programs.
- Assist in marketing
and promoting the scholarship program to the target population in
specific high schools or colleges, churches, service clubs, corporate
offices, etc.
- Create and maintain
a web-based application.
- Identify outstanding
scholarship candidates and select scholars.
- Verify with client
that scholars meet scholarship criteria.
- Notify scholars
and colleges/universities of awards.
- Distribute funds
to scholars' colleges/universities.
- Work with financial
aid offices to verify appropriate use of funds and avoid violation
of NCAA regulations.
- Monitor student
success, ongoing eligibility, and financial need.
- Provide status
reports and thank you letters from scholars.
Corporate
Clients
Corporate clients
often choose to fund scholarships for students from their communities
or create a scholarship program for children of employees. Employee
scholarship programs have a significant positive impact on corporate
loyalty and employee retention. As the human capital crunch escalates,
more corporations are expected to turn to scholarship programs as an
effective way to retain a talented workforce.
Additionally, outsourcing
the corporate scholarship program helps to avoid issues of perceived
favoritism by putting scholar selection in the hands of experienced
people who will match scholars with your strategic goals.
Foundations
& Trusts
Foundations and trust
officers find that using the services of SMR allows them to focus on
the core elements of their responsibilities. Outsourcing scholarship
activities can also provide a clear separation between donors and the
selection process, making it easier to comply with the restrictions
placed on scholarship programs in the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
Your
partnership with Scholarship Management Resources will provide a customized,
cost-effective and proven solution to managing your organization's scholarship
program.
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