Organisation : Lily Foundation
Scholarship Name : Application for High School/ College SMILE Scholarship
Applicable For : High School (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Grade) & College StudentS
Website : http://lilyfoundation.org/all-project-list/smile-scholarship/
Application Form : http://lilyfoundation.org/archive/applicationformcurrent.htm
SMILE Scholarship:
Lily Foundation encourages our selected families to help others in their community while they receive help from the foundation.
Related : Lily Foundation SMILE Scholarship 2015-16 : www.scholarships.net.in/1000.html
For High School Students :
Selected high school students (grades 9-12) of India and neighboring countries are awarded a monthly stipend of Indian Rs. 600/- throughout their high school years. Award is based on both need and merit (merit-cum-means).
Annual academic achievement, judged by grades and overall academic performance in school, will determine award eligibility for the following year. A Mentor Evaluation as assessed by the student’s assigned mentor helps us track the student’s general progress and activities during the year.
For College Students :
Selected college students (starting from first-year college) of India and neighboring countries are awarded a monthly stipend of minimum Rs. 1500/- throughout their college years. Award is based on both need and merit (merit-cum-means). Annual academic achievement, judged by grades and overall academic performance in school/college, will determine award eligibility for the next year.
The student may be asked to return half of the award money in zero-interest easy installments beginning one year after graduation when he/she should have found a job. The money thus realized will be used for re-gifting to new students.
Rules :
1. The scholarship award is for a High School student (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Grade) or a college student.
2. The Board of Directors decision is final on candidate selection.
3. The scholarship is normally awarded for the current full academic year, which is likely to be continued through the end of the High School grades (10th Gr for Secondary or 12th Gr for Higher Secondary) or the college years. However, it needs to be endorsed for continuation by the foundation every year.
4. The foundation retains the authority to cancel the scholarship any time during the year if there is a reason, such as inaccurate or false info in the application, wrong conduct during the year etc. Any incomplete answer against any item automatically assumes the lowest point possible.
5. The scholarship is a non-refundable grant (part refundable for college) that will be spent toward the student’s tuition, books, transportation and other education-related costs. College students sign 50-50 Regift promissory note (contact office).
6. The foundation has the right to use student -provided data in the application and data generated in the following years after the first award for its own promotion (including marketing).
Requirements:
A. The student must completely fill the application (except for the approval) in OWN English hand-writing. DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEM BLANK. Applications filled by others’ hand-writing will be rejected.
B. The application for the scholarship must accompany the following as attachments:
1. One recent passport-size face-only photograph of the student – write name on the back
2. [If possible] one photograph of the family in front of the family house
3. Original or a photocopy of the student’s last annual exam report card from the school [Translate/ annotate in English if it is in another language]. DO NOT SEND EARLIER YEARS’ REPORT CARDS.
4. On Application Supplement Form write the student’s involvement in community, school and home activities – attach testimonials. Examples of these activities are: Organize blood donation camp, lead environment cleaning, Sports team member or captain, Organize clubs /associations; Participate in dramas or Play musical instruments; Help family by earning money etc. Send testimonials as you keep achieving.
5. Headmaster’s recommendation [If unavailable, state the reason on a separate sheet, and send two recommendations instead – one from your teacher-in-charge and one from a respectable person who knows your family personally.] Note, recommendation is not a character certificate.
6. In student’s own hand-writing One-page request-letter explaining why he/she deserves this scholarship.
C. [Continuity Clause] After every year’s final exam, the student MUST send the original or a photocopy of the report card attested by a teacher to the foundation’s India office (or US office for outside India students) within two weeks of distribution. Better grades are expected every year. If there were any additional extra-curricular activities during the year, then submit an update in the supplement form.
NON-RECEIPT OF ANNUAL RESULT WILL AUTOMATICALLY CANCEL THE AWARD. Note: For 11th Graders promoted to 12th Grade, sending a testimonial (annual marksheet or Headmaster’s letter testifying the student is enrolled in the 12th Grade and no exam conducted) to the foundation in time will be considered in absence of a marksheet.
D. [Co-curriculum Clause] Each student should write during two vacations every year at least 2 book-reports (one in summer and one in winter) on books of at least 100 pages on lives of great personalities in the world and send them to India Office. Essays on contemporary issues are also acceptable instead of a book-report.
E. The student must immediately report to the foundation any change of home address, school/college change name and address or dropping out of school for any reason. Change of school info from Secondary to Higher Secondary MUST be informed. Notify immediately if the student does not plan to appear at a scheduled exam. Failure of this requirement automatically forfeits the possibility of award continuation.
F. All communications with the foundation initiated from the student side must be by the student himself/ herself (not parents) unless the foundation has requested in a different manner. English is the medium of communication.
G. Supporting documents and testimonials, not originally written in English, should be translated into English. Annotation only translation is also acceptable instead of full translation.
Note:
Your provided data may be utilized by the foundation for fundraising.
Explanation of Items in the Application:
Item 2: If you cannot be contacted by this number through repeated attempts, your application is liable to cancellation.
Item 5: State the college year, example, BE-Electrical 1st year, 2nd year etc.;
Item 5A: Your expected date of completion of the full term
Item 7: If exact rank is not available, then provide estimate, such as 30th out of 80, or a percentile, such as top 10%. Ranked list puts the student with the highest marks as No. 1.
Items 12, 13, 17, 20: Provide full address including P.O. , District, State and PIN code. Also provide email address when possible.
Item 14: Do not put any other teacher’s name please.
Item 15: Be specific in occupation, explain nature of job such as share-cropper, small farmer, vegetable vendor, clerk in a govt organization, private tutor, small business owner, hawker, taxi-driver, tea-stall owner, house maid, cook in restaurant etc. Avoid vague description such as service in a private firm.
Item 18: You must include a salary certificate/ income certificate from appropriate authority, namely, employer, Panchayat or an equivalent govt. body.
Item 20: References should not be related to you and should be holding positions of responsibility. You must include contact phone numbers. References should sign (initial) to show their consent. At least one Reference should be from teaching profession. If you want to change any Reference later, you may inform the office giving two new names with details and briefly explain WHY you needed to change.
Item 21: Keep receipts as you go for verification by the office on demand.
Item 22: If you do not have a bank account in your name, try opening one. Else, you may provide an alternate payee name and address where the cheque should be mailed to.
Note:
Testimonials are important, but providing extra documents not expressly asked for here will be considered lack of understanding on your part and thus a disqualification. NEVER MENTION YOUR CASTE OR RELIGION ANYWHERE.
Foundation Officials, please note:
1. DO NOT consider an application that is not filled properly and completely.
2. DO NOT consider an application that has any missing (A, B) requirements.
3. Select a Mentor. One of the two references may be chosen if others are not available.
4. Disposition applications with comments – particularly those not approved.
5. Emphasize on Headmaster’s/ Principal’s comments – Academic strength, Economic background and Extra-curricular activities.
6. Administrator, precisely determine the school-year [college year], class and % of total score or grade average in the submitted mark-sheet. Next year’s review will compare against this score.
SMILE Scholarship Application 10-point Checklist :
** Have you filled the application fully by yourself using your own hand-writing?
** Are all items in the form answered?
** Have you stated all family members’ relationship with you?
** Have you enclosed Headmaster’s recommendation letter?
** Have you enclosed Family Income Certificate from Panchayat or equivalent govt. authority?
** Have you given your contact telephone number?
** Have you enclosed a certified photocopy of the most recent annual exam report card?
** Have you enclosed a letter in a plain paper written by you in your own hand-writing justifying why you deserve the scholarship?
** Are References’ phone numbers provided? Is one of them your Headmaster or a school teacher?
** Have you read and understood Page 5 of the form fully?
If any of the items in the above 10-point checklist is NO, then DO NOT SUBMIT the application.