Application

Applications must be received no later than Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

To apply for the Markowski-Leach Scholarship please read the following information sheet. If you have read and agree to all conditions and requirements you may then proceed to the online application. If unable to complete the online application you may submit an alternative version via the PDF application located below.

Information Sheet

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE:

All applications must be received by the Markowski-Leach Scholarships Committee, via e-mail or post at the addresses listed below, no later than Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Applications will be reviewed by the Committee and awardees will be selected in early May. Notification will be sent to all applicants about the status of their applications by the end of May. Status inquiries can be made by e-mail or post.

PURPOSE:

The Markowski-Leach Scholarship Fund was established under the terms of a bequest from the estate of Mr. James Leach in memory of Mr. Leach and Mr. Thomas Markowski. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarship awards to gay and lesbian persons attending San Francisco State University, Stanford University or University of California at Berkeley as undergraduate or graduate students. According to the terms of the bequest, award recipients will have been determined by the Scholarship Committee to be likely to:
“…make a substantial contribution to society, thereby enhancing society’s perception of gay and lesbian people as well as increasing the gay and lesbian community’s self-esteem…”
Study in gay or lesbian related fields is not required. Successful candidates will demonstrate leadership and a commitment to excellence in their service, employment, or scholastic endeavors. “Commitment to excellence” is meant to include dedication to enhancing personal effectiveness in the pursuit of ideals for the benefit of oneself and others. “Leadership” is meant to include things such as defining a situation in a revelatory manner, holding a position of guidance, helping to forge consensus, coalition building, or being a dynamic force for change. Endeavors cited need not be limited to lesbian and gay related activities. Successful candidates will further show dedication to a goal that will allow them to contribute to the betterment of society. Visibility as an out lesbian or gay man is considered crucial to the possibility of the successful candidate becoming a role model for other lesbians or gay men.

AWARD:

The award for the 2008-09 school year will be $1,250. This amount will be divided by the number of terms in the recipient’s school year. Award checks will be given to enrolled recipients at the beginning of each term through their Financial Aid Office.

ELIGIBILITY:

The eligibility rules governing the competition for The Markowski-Leach Scholarships include the following:

  1. Applicants shall be gay and lesbian persons. Applicants shall, by their completion of and signature on the scholarship application, certify their status as lesbian or gay.
  2. Recipients must be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students at San Francisco State University, Stanford University, or University of California at Berkeley during the academic year in which the award will be disbursed. Applicants need not be enrolled at the time of application, however, which will occur in the spring preceding the award year.
  3. Recipients must be enrolled in a program that leads to an undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, or to a state teaching credential.
  4. Undergraduate recipients must be enrolled full-time as defined by their institution for each term in which they receive an award. Graduate recipients must be deemed by their schools to be enrolled and must demonstrate progress toward their degree during the award period.
  5. All undergraduate recipients must have earned a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 in all prior college level coursework. (High school students applying for admission will be considered eligible upon admission to an affiliated University.)
    Graduate recipients must be eligible to enroll in a graduate program at their campus.
    Note: Academic transcripts need not be provided. The Financial Aid Office at the student’s campus will verify eligibility.
  6. Recipients must meet all satisfactory academic progress requirements normally applied by the institution for its federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
  7. Applicants must meet all material submission requirements and deadlines that are included in the annual announcement of the competition. It is expected that an applicant must provide the following documents in order to be considered for the award:
    a. Completed and signed Application Form with general demographic information.
    b. Written statement describing how the student meets the requirements of the scholarship program as described in Section C of the Application Form.
    c. Names of two references to support assertions made in the candidate’s statement. Actual letters of reference are not required with the application.
    d. Any other documents subsequently requested by the Scholarship Committee.
  8. Applicants may include additional information to support their application, including documentation of activities cited in their statements. The statement, however, will be the primary vehicle for candidate evaluation.
  9. By their signature on the acceptance letter, award recipients agree to the use of their names and
    general information in news releases and promotional information about The Markowski-Leach Scholarships.
  10. The Scholarship Committee shall have responsibility for interpreting these polices, making decisions regarding the competition, and for candidate selection.

Please make a selection.



PDF Format

Click Here to download the Information Sheet and Application in PDF format (You can click here to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat.)

Applications must be received by the Selection Committee no later than the deadline date. PDF applications can be mailed or sent as an email attachment. The mailing address is:

MLScholarships@gmail.com (please include "Markowski-Leach Scholarships" in the subject line)

or

The Markowski-Leach Scholarships
PO Box 13315 - PMB #206
Oakland, CA 94661-0315