Scholarship Program
The submission deadline for the 2011 Scholarship Application of The Portuguese Foundation, Inc. is March 15, 2011.
The Portuguese Foundation's Scholarship Program was started in 1992 to assist students of Portuguese Ancestry in financial need who excelled in their academic studies. The Foundation believes that education is the most important element in achieving one's full potential in life.
This year will mark the Foundation's 20th scholarship banquet and it is proud to award another series of scholarships to deserving students in Connecticut. The Scholarship Committee has the most difficult task of sorting through several impressive applications every year, to choose the year's current recipients. The students come from all the major metropolitan areas of Connecticut, and as usual all applications submitted are stellar, making the selection process all the more difficult.
The Foundation continues to be committed to assisting students of Portuguese Ancestry on a statewide level. Including the recipients from this year (2010), a total of $167,000.00 has been given out to 122 worthy students. The Foundation has given awards to students not just from larger cities such as Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Naugatuck and Waterbury, but also to students from Ashford, Farmington, Newington, Shelton, Wallingford and Wethersfield, to name a few. In all, more than 32 cities and towns are represented.
The Portuguese Foundation, Inc. is proud to incorporate two new scholarship awards that were started this year. The first is the Fernando Madeira Memorial Scholarship which is awarded to a student majoring in musical studies. The second is the Convivio Caldense Scholarship which is awarded to a student who traces his or her ancestry to the Conselho de Caldas da Rainha. Specific criteria for each of these awards can be found on the menu bar to the left.
Along with the application, the student must submit a number of documents to insure a fair and unbiased evaluation is made:
- An essay describing financial need (300 words or more)
- An essay detailing proof of Portuguese Ancestry and interest in the Portuguese Language and Culture (300 words or more)
- Two letters of recommendation
- High school and/or College transcripts
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or a copy of most recent Federal Income Tax return for parents and student
- A Scholarship Aptitude Test (SAT) Report
The requirements of the scholarship program are as follows:
- Student must be of Portuguese Ancestry (i.e. proof of birth of one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent)
- Be either a U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident
- Be a resident of the State of Connecticut
- Be applying for, or currently in College
- Be a full time student in an undergraduate degree conferring program or a part time student in a Master's or Doctorate Program
- Cannot have previously received more than four Foundation scholarships
The scholarship committee evaluates all of the submitted materials with emphasis given to financial need and student academic performance. Eighty percent (80%) of the total potential score is decided on an objective basis through the use of pre-established rating criteria approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors. The remaining twenty percent (20%) is scored on a more subjective basis. This is where a student's application is vital to the selection process. Often the determining factor or factors in awarding a scholarship is found in the dissection of the application. The Committee discusses these factors and a scholarship may be awarded on the basis of a student's overall academic excellence or on the student's acute financial needs.
Financial need is determined by income level. Transcript scores are based on grade point average. These two factors carry the greatest weight in the evaluation process. The SAT scores are given the second highest consideration. The items scored on a subjective basis are the essays, the preparation of the application form, and finally the two letters of recommendation.
Our mailing address is:
The Portuguese Foundation
P.O. Box 331441
West Hartford, CT 06133-1441
The 2010 Scholarship Committee was made up by Jose "Zak" P. Bravado, Manuela Freitas and Gabriel R. Serrano.
