PLC & Top Scholarships

PLC offers many scholarships to fully participating students over the course of their undergraduate career.  Though the first year award is modest, $1,000, students do have the opportunity to apply or be nominated for a number of other scholarships that can substantially help fund their undergraduate education at the close of their freshmen year.  Below is a list of available scholarships primary to PLC students, however, many other private scholarships are available and can be found on the Office of Financial Aid page of the University of Colorado Boulder. All PLC allocated scholarships are dispersed through the Office of Financial Aid, and are calculated directly against the cost of tuition.

* PLC Academic Good Standing Requirements:
(1) Minimum GPA 3.0
(2) Full course load; 12 credits- undergrads, 9 credits-grad students
(3) Full PLC program participation.

Please review the PLC-SAP Scholarship Eligibility Policy

PLC First Year Scholarship - Base Merit Scholarship
Incoming students will receive $1000 ($500/semester).  This monetary support is based on student enrollment in PRLC 1810 in the fall semester and PRLC 1820 in the spring.  Students also have to maintain a full course load (12 credits or more) and a minimum GPA of 3.0.  If any of these specifications are not fulfilled, the scholarshiped will be reversed.

FirstBank Scholars
Each year, new freshmen are nominated by the Director of PLC and then submitted to the scholarship committee at FirstBank, which then selects 5 students to grant $3,500/ year for 4 years, for a total of $14,000.  All recipients must fulfill PLC minimum scholarship requirements*, and be Colorado residents upon initial enrollment.

El Pomar Scholars- Student Leadership Experience (SLE)
El Pomar Foundation awards 4 students each year, for 2 years, with an annual award of $2000.  Two students are chosen as freshmen to enter the program as sophomores each year.  Students are El Pomar Scholars for 2 years, fulfilling all El Pomar SLE requirements and PLC minimum scholarship requirements.*

Alvin G. Flanagan & Walker Family Foundation Scholarships
Every spring, Cecil Walker travels to Colorado and to CU Boulder to interview approximately 30 Business, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Presidents Leadership Students for scholarships from both the Walker Family Fund and the Alvin Flanagan Fund.  Scholarships range from $500 - $3,500, and are allocated in the following academic school year.  PLC students must maintain minimum scholarship requirements.*

Michael Hoelscher Memorial Scholarship
The Hoelscher Memorial scholarship is an annual award of $2,000, to either a junior or senior PLC student that exemplies the love of life, learning, and adventure of late PLC Alum, Michael Hoelscher.  The Hoelscher family connects with each recipient and gifts them the book made in Michael’s honor, For the Love of Mike. Recipient must maintain PLC minimum scholarship requirements.*

Ball-PLC Scholars
The Ball Foundation awards $2,500 to 4 students, from any discipline, to provide assistance as PLC students work to become leaders in their field.  Current PLC freshmen apply and interview for 4 awards allocated the following academic year.  Recipients must fulfill all requirements of the Ball-PLC Scholars program and maintain PLC minimum scholarship requirements* to remain eligible for funding.

William A. Douglas Endowment & PLC Enrichment Fund Scholarships
PLC Enrichment Fund scholarships are awarded to PLC students based on situational and project needs.  Funding can be applied for as second semester freshmen, sophomores , juniors , and first semester seniors. Awards are granted based on the following criteria for a student on a semester basis:
     - Students are in good academic and program standing
     - Project/Opportunity will allow student to enrich their academic/leadership development, especially in their field of study; and/or complete PLC and the Minor in Leadership Studies

Students can apply for scholarships of up to $1000 per semester.  Enrichment funding amounts and numbers awarded will vary by available resources, the number of applications received, and by adherence to the criteria listed above.  Enrichment Funds are allocated each semester through the Office Financial Aid against the cost of tuition.  Awards cannot be allocated as cash/check nor can they be awarded during the summer.

PLC Enrichment funds can be used for various purposes, with all funding restrictions listed below.  Categories of funding are as follows:

• Base Funding – A student is currently enrolled in a PLC course and in need of additional scholarship funding.  A $500/semester scholarship is applied toward tuition during the semester you are enrolled in the course.  This cannot be awarded previous to the semester nor retroactively.
• Abroad Funding – Funding support for an abroad/international leadership/academic experience (primarily in academic major)
• Research Funding – Funding to perform research on/off campus that requires extra expenses (this can be used in conjunction with an Honors Thesis and/or a Walkabout). 
• Travel Expenses for Professional/Academic Conference – Funding for travel costs and/or expenses, for academic or professional conferences to further academic and professional development.
• Special Service Project Support – Scholarship support to allow you to pursue unpaid, long-term service projects. Long-term is defined here as 3 months or more (this can be used in conjunction with an Honors Thesis and/or Walkabout).
• Walkabout Intensive Support – Funding to allow for an unpaid W.I experience, where the position would present a financial hardship due to lack of paid work in the given time-frame.

PLC Student Fellow
Juniors, and seniors in the program can fill one of many different positions as a PLC Student Fellow.  Positions are both semester and year-long commitments depending on assignment.  Students receive between $250 - $2250 for their committment to the job/experience for the academic year.  Positions include: Academic Advisor, 1st Year CA, Multi-Level CA, Global Inquiry CA, Global Issues CF, Recruitment & Selection, Design & Media, Community Fellow, POD Director, Experiential Education Fellow.

Annabelle K. Lutz Voss Scholars
Each year, the 2 students who serve as the Asst. Directors of Experiential Learning will be named Voss scholars and recognized for their year-long commitment to connecting PLC students with the broader Colorado community  and directly contributing to programming excellence through experiential education. (AY 15-16)

David A. Van Landschoot Family Scholarship
A rising PLC junior is nominated for his/her selfless participation and contribution to the PLC program in their first two years on campus.  This student receives a one-time $1000 award in recognition of excellence demonstrated toward  the betterment of PLC.

Top Scholarships

PLC students are often perfect candidates for top undergrad and graduate scholarships such as the Goldwater, Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.  Below are the lists of the TOP SCHOLARSHIPS, linked to the official CU website dedicated to these scholarships:

The Top Scholarships office supports the following undergraduate scholarships:

• Astronaut (for Math Science and Engineering students only)
• Goldwater (for Math Science and Engineering students only)
• Truman (for students interested in careers in public service)
• Udall (for students interested in environmental careers, or Native American students interested in Tribal Policy or Tribal healthcare)

The Top Scholarships office supports the following graduate scholarships:

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Junior Fellows Program
• Winston Churchill Scholarship
• Gates Cambridge Scholarship
• Jacob Javits Scholarship
• Marshall Scholarship
• Mitchell Scholarship
• Pickering Scholarship
• Rhodes Scholarship
• Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
• Soros Fellowship

Recommendations from the Top Scholarship office to ALL APPLICANTS:

- Visit Deb Viles in the Top Scholarship Office for the best advice on which scholarships you are best qualified

- Start preparing and planning now, even for graduate scholarships

- Make close relationships with professors from your academic discipline for good recommendation sources

- Practice interview and presentation skills whenever possible

- Practice answering questions appropriately and succinctly (about 1 minute)

- Develop your own definition and be able to communicate your own definition of LEADERSHIP

- Be able to articulate specific examples of your own applied leadership experience i.e. examples of how you made decisions, implemented those decisions, and how your actions made a difference on the organization /situation, and what you learned.