IMPROVING YOURTEXAS FFA

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationTimeline

Know your Area TimelinesArea CheckState Scholarship Selection Process: Austin, TX

May 23rd-24th

State Scholarship Selection Process: Interviews at Degree Check June 9th

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPlanning

Start when students are freshmenKeep up to date recordsOngoing processStart taking ACT and/or SAT end of sophomore

year but for sure junior yearDownload application and make sure the student

qualifies before completing the entire application.Download application early and start working on

it as soon as possible, give yourself time!!!2016 Texas FFA Scholarship Application will open

as close to January 1st as possible.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationFilling Out Application

Secure 2 copies of transcript and test scores 1) Official Transcript, signed and sealed for application 2) Working copy, to use to check and write on

All papers with any information on them must have raised crimp seal (Example: Official Transcript, College Board Score Report, etc.)

Follow directions and be accurate and truthfulBe specific and fill each area up as much as possible.

Start with freshmen year and go to senior year in order.Once complete, set it aside for a couple of days and

come back to it to check for mistakes, misspellings and other problems.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationApplication

Page 6 Questions 17 My planned career is:________________________

Be very specific and elaborate to fill it upPage 7

Listing Courses for College Credit Use the college course name (ex ENG 1301, Math

1314)Page 8

Agriculture Courses Use the course names as they appear on the high

school transcript (ex PRINAFNR)

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 9 LDE

Type in Event Name, place, and put a number under participation column 1,2 or 3. Be specific!

Page 10 CDEType in Event Name, place, and put a number

under participation column 1,2 or 3. Again, be specific!

Page 11 or 12 FFA AchievementBe specific, Page will look different next year

(possibly)Offices up top, committees on bottom, 1 page

maximum. Make sure to have an accomplishment listed.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 13-14 FFA Achievements

Be specific, start with freshmen year and build up, make sure you have remarks listed for each activity.

Page 15-16 Summary of SAEPBook one and five are short books (Book 1 Aug-

Dec, Year 1 Book 5 Jan-May)List SAE only Placement, Entrepreneurship,

Exploratory (no classes as in past).List Scope, #of head, hours worked or researched,

and money earned.SAE Narrative: answer the question be thorough

and specific.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 17-18 SAE Achievements

Be specific, accurate and truthful, X under levelPage 19 Financial Need

Be truthful! This will be verified. Answer all areas and questions.

Page 20 Financial Need NarrativeMost points lost on this page. You must explain your

answer in essay below. Be specific and use as much of the space as needed. (limited to 2000 characters). If your student does not feel that they have a circumstance that applies, then discuss their motivation for applying for the Texas FFA Scholarship.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 22 Summary Page

All of this page is automatically filled out. Just check to make sure that the information transferred correctly.

Page 23 Scholarship Agreement pageLegal Contract must be filled out, read, and

signed by all parties.Make sure to read questions 1-8 at bottom and

be able to fulfill each one or you could lose scholarship if awarded (Must attend State FFA Convention and banquets to receive scholarship).

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 24 Score Sheet

Nothing to do: Make sure GPA, Test Scores and EFC Number transferred correctly to this page.

Page 25 ChecklistLook at this page carefully.You must write the word “YES”, No check marksThis is where you should catch all mistakes

Page 27 Signature PageGet all signatures and information

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationPage 26 Record of Unweighted GPA

Important Page Type class names just like the transcript (ex ANATPHYS,

ADVANSC, ALG 1) Grade as is on transcript and Credit as is on transcript ½ or 1,

if your school has a yearly average use it and a 1, if your transcript only puts semester averages(no Yearly) list the class twice with each grade and ½ credit on both.

Check this sheet and transcript by putting pencil check marks on it to make sure it is accurate, then erase the checks.

Any grade on transcript goes on this page, 8th grade classes for high school credit, college classes etc. Pass/Fail classes do not.

All decimal grades should be rounded up. Ex: 95.5% should be recorded as 96%.

Texas FFA Scholarship Application Common Problems at Area and State Checks:

Transcript does not match application-even one letter in a course name, decimal in a grade or credit, etc. has to be corrected if it doesn’t match perfectly

Submit an application that won’t need “corrections” once it reaches the state office

Make sure that you double check EVERYTHING. Transpose errors are very common.

If your supporting documentation does not have the appropriate raised crimp seal, we can’t accept it.

If you update the application after a check, update the materials. Always make sure everything matches.

EFC, course names and credits, class rank, number in class, are the most common errors!

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationInterview

Questions are Posted on Texas FFA WebsitePrint them and practice them Official Dress to the T1st Question: “Tell us about yourself” (90 seconds max)Student will draw 3 questions. Know how to answer them!Filling out HLSR Financial Aid Verification Scholarship

Form Be Truthful and accurate. Houston checks this, and your

student will lose the scholarship and the award will be re-assigned if recorded incorrectly.

This is not a “gotcha” it insures that all applicants are meeting donor requirements.

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationShow Good ExampleShow Bad Example

Questions and Answers

Texas FFA Scholarship ApplicationBrent Lankford State Scholarship Chairman

blankford@ponderisd.netSchool (940) 479-8356 Cell (903) 814-0745

Stephen Scitern State Scholarship Vice Chairmansscitern@anson.esc14.netSchool (325)823-4413 Cell (325) 721-5161

Kaleigh Burnett State Scholarship Coordinatorkaleigh@texasffa.orgOffice (512)480-8045