Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation

THE ROBERT B. AND SOPHIA WHITESIDE SCHOLARSHIP

HISTORY
The Whiteside Scholarship was established in memory of Robert and Sophia Whiteside by the will of their daughter Marion Whiteside Meining. Robert Whiteside was a pioneer Duluth lumberman and mining executive active in the formation of the city of Duluth.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
A. Who May Apply
High school seniors graduating from schools, including home schools, in Duluth and who seek admission to any fully-accredited, degree granting college or university may apply.

B. Financial Need
Financial need is not a consideration.

C. Academic Criteria
Applicants should be in the top 10% of their high school class.

D. Number, Value and Duration of Awards
Numerous scholarships will be awarded annually. In 2008, awards were for $6000. This amount can be adjusted based on the financial aid practices of the college the recipient chooses to attend and the amount of other grants received. Generally, the annual award is divided into two installments, half for fall, half for spring. Depending on the availability of funds, full-time summer school attendance may be awarded if sufficient credits are earned.

E. Payment
The award is paid directly to the recipient.

F. Other Awards
Students who receive other awards must submit a financial statement to the Scholarship Administrator. The Whiteside award will be based on the maximum verified need up to the full amount of the basic award.

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Applicants should complete the DSACF Common Scholarship Application. The complete application must be received to the DSACF by January 15th. That day our office will be open for hand delivery until 5:00pm. Electronic submissions and postmarks must be stamped before midnight. Late applications will not be considered.

DETERMINATION OF AWARDS
The Whiteside Scholarship Committee will select individual scholarship recipients. This committee is made up of representatives of the Duluth school system and community. They will base their decisions on the applicant’s academic record (including grades, course of study, test scores), written recommendations and extra-curricular activities. In addition, students will be interviewed by a representative of the Whiteside Scholarship Committee. Primary emphasis is on high scholastic achievement. Character, leadership and the promise of contributions to the betterment of society are also considered.

AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
Names of recipients will be announced as early as possible. Each applicant will receive an individual communication with the results of the committee’s decision regarding his/her application.

APPLICANT/RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The majority of communication between applicants/recipients and the scholarship administrators will take place via email. Applicants/Recipients are required to have and regularly check their email and notify the Community Foundation of any changes to their contact information.
All recipients of Community Foundation administered scholarships are expected to acknowledge acceptance of the award promptly. In most cases, this acknowledgment will take two forms, completion of an Acceptance Form provided by the Community Foundation and secondly, a thank you letter/card to the founder of the scholarship fund. The Community Foundation will provide names and addresses as needed. If unable to accept the scholarship, the committee should be given that information and a reason in a prompt manor.
A recipient must complete enough credits to be recognized as a full-time student in each semester an award is made. Likewise, a satisfactory grade point average must be maintained.
If the student receives funds from their institution due to non-completion of a term or not attending full time, these funds are to be returned to the scholarship committee. If the college requirements are not met, but there is no refund, the scholarship grant will be forfeited for the next term.
The high standards of character on which a scholarship was originally granted must also be maintained.
Recipients understand that the Whiteside Trust and/or the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation may use scholars’ names, photographs and any portion of application essays for use in scholarship publicity, such as broadcast media, websites, newspaper, radio, etc.
The DSACF Scholarship Committee hopes that recipients recognize and appreciate the contributions their award has made to their futures. It further anticipates that, in the years to come, recipients find some way to give back to the community that provided them with these opportunities.

RENEWAL
The scholarship is renewable for three additional years, provided satisfactory scholastic standing (a GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) at the conclusion of the first year and a 3.0 GPA at the conclusion of each academic year thereafter) is maintained.

During the late spring, each recipient will receive a renewal application which must be completed and returned - along with a certified transcript reflecting the most recent academic year - to the scholarship committee. Renewals will not be considered until both documents are received. All scholarship awards will cease when the recipient attains an undergraduate degree.

View the first scholarship description.