The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship

According to USA Today, the average price for tuition and fees at a four-year private college or university has outpaced the rate of inflation by more than 3 percentage points. One way for college-bound students to offset these rising costs is by pursuing scholarships. One scholarship academically excellent students of high character should consider is the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship.

About the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship

The GE-Reagan Foundation College Scholarship is sponsored in part by General Electric (GE) and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, an organization established by the U.S.’s 40th President himself to continue his legacy and promote the principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. Students receiving a GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship are academically adept and have shown outstanding leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship.

The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship has the distinction of being named in U.S. News and World Report’s article Check Out 4 Huge Scholarships Worth $10,000 or More. Each year, the scholarship program selects approximately 20 winners to receive a reward of up to $10,000 which is renewable for up to three additional years, meaning winners can receive up to $40,000 in college funding over the course of their degree program. Additionally, winners are invited to participate in special awards programming and ongoing leadership development opportunities.

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Applicant Requirements

To qualify for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship, applicants must be U.S. citizens attending high school in the U.S who plan on attending a four-year college or university in the U.S. Homeschooled students and students living on U.S. Armed Forces bases are eligible as well.

Applicants are expected to have demonstrated an aptitude for academics and are required to possess a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Additionally, students should demonstrate leadership, drive, and integrity, as well as citizenship in the classroom, community, and workplace.

Prestigious and competitive, applicants for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship should take care to follow the guidelines and instructions carefully, answering all questions as completely as possible.

Below is the required documentation and information required—along with the application—to apply for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship:

• Most recent transcript
• An accounting of a student’s extracurricular and volunteer activities
• A student’s work history
• The name and email address for the student’s guidance counselor
• The name and email address for the student’s parent or guardian
• Because financial need factors into the award, the most recently filed tax return of a student’s parents is required
• A short written statement about the student’s educational and career objectives
• The student’s thoughts on leadership for a short essay

If a student is selected as a semifinalist, they will be asked to furnish:

• A current and complete transcript of their high school grades
• The first two pages of the most recent 1040 on which they’re declared a dependent (financial need is a consideration in selecting awardees)
• A nomination form and letter of recommendation from someone of high standing in the community, such as a high school principal, elected official, or executive director of a nonprofit

Students selected as finalists will be interviewed by a member of the selection committee via Skype or telephone.

Tips for Winning Scholarships

Be Detail Oriented: The devil is in the details when it comes time to apply for scholarships, and everything from missing a deadline to incorrectly filling out a form can keep a student from winning a valuable award. Aim to have your scholarship application submitted in advance of the official deadline and double-check all of your information to make sure it’s correct prior to submission.

Build a Profile: Building a profile of a student’s accomplishments, activities they participate in, and interests can be a big benefit to a student applying for a scholarship. This profile, or resume, can be used to craft an essay, help individuals writing letters of recommendation, and create a unifying message for a student’s interests and accomplishments.

Professional Persona: Speaking of creating a message, now is the time to clean up social media profiles of any inappropriate material. Keep in mind, if the judges check an applicant’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account, their internet presence will be the image they connect to their scholarship application. Additionally, make sure your email address presents a professional appearance—for example, scholarship applications should not be sent from an email address like [email protected].

Research the Scholarship: Read a scholarship’s website, brochure, and any news articles you can find about it and use that information to figure out what their ideal candidate looks like. Possessing an image of a scholarship’s winning applicant allows students to tailor their application to its interests and stand out against other candidates. Past winners are a great way to gauge what a scholarship program looks for in an applicant, and most major scholarships post short bios about past winners on their website. Here are 2018’s GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship winners. 

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