Scholarship Rules, Procedures and Criteria

Application Deadline: June 30

The Scholarship Program seeks to:

  • Promote interest in ground water study and research projects among high school juniors and seniors.
  • Encourage high school students to consider careers in providing and protecting ground water resources.
  • Highlight the importance of trained specialists to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of America’s ground water resources.

The Award

  • Payment of the scholarship award is made directly to the college.
  • At the expense of the American Ground Water Trust, scholarship recipients may be asked to travel to a national or regional ground water conference or meeting to be publicly presented with their award certificates.

Rules for Application

  1. Applicants must be students entering their Freshman year in a full-time undergraduate academic program of study at a four-year accredited university or college in the United States.
  2. Applicants must intend to pursue a career in a ground water-related field.
  3. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in high school.
  4. The college or university selected for study must offer appropriate courses.
  5. The applicant must either have completed a science or environmental project at high school that directly involved ground water resources or have had vacation or out-of-school work experience related to the environment and natural resources.
  6. Applicants must be US citizens or legal residents of the United States.

Application Procedure

  1. Fill out the application only one time. (You will automatically be considered for all three scholarships.)
  2. Applicants should provide biographical and achievement information by completing the scholarship application form. A teacher at the applicant’s high school must countersign the completed form.
  3. A 500-word essay and a 300-word description of the applicant’s high school ground water project and/or practical environmental work experience must accompany the application (see selection criteria below).
  4. The application must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation.
  5. Application should be received at the American Ground Water Trust by June 30.
  6. Documentary evidence of academic achievements and references will be requested from the finalists.
  7. The Trust will write to all applicants (successful and unsuccessful) at the end of August.

Criteria for Selection

The initial selection of finalists will be based on the following:

  1. The essay – “Ground Water – an Important Environmental and
 Economic Resource for America.”
  2. The description of the ground water related project and/or work
 experience.
  3. The two letters of recommendation.

The final selection for the scholarship award will be based on the above criteria, and the following:

  1. The strength of support provided by the applicant’s references.
  2. A review of examination transcripts and GPA scores.
  3. Written confirmation of acceptance from the college or university.