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Scholarship Application

Ida Ballard Simon (IBS) Scholarship Policies and Procedures

1. All applicants MUST be 2025 graduating seniors from a public school within the City of Memphis.

2. Applicants MUST receive a high school diploma during the 2024 – 2025 school year and have proof of acceptance and enrollment to any College, University or Technical / Trade School for the upcoming 2025 – 2026 school year.

3. 2025 IBS Scholarship Application Deadline Date Extended to: April 25, 2025.

4. Priority will be given to complete applications submitted online or postmarked by Deadline Date: Friday – April 25, 2025.
Applications must be submitted online.

5. Applications will be considered COMPLETE when ALL of the following documents are received:

  1. Letter of recommendation from a teacher.
  2. Letter of recommendation from a non-relative.
  3. An Official Transcript which includes the cumulative grade point average, class rank and class size (if not available, ask guidance counselor for percent ranking in class).
  4. ACT and/or SAT score
  5. Completed application with essays (required Essay Topics are referenced within this document)
  6. Attached photo (preferably, graduation photo)
  7. Acceptance letter from College, University or Technical / Trade School

NOTICE: If any of the aforementioned supporting documents are not received by the published deadline date April 25, 2025, the application WILL NOT be given priority status with respect to the distribution of scholarship awards.
 
6. Each applicant is:

7. Tentative Interview Dates will be scheduled for: May 6th – May 8th , 2025

8. Failure to schedule AND attend the scholarship interview will result in a LATE and INCOMPLETE application. No written or verbal confirmation will be provided for the interview.

9. All information submitted on the attached application will be considered confidential and will not be used for any purpose other than to determine scholarship awards.

10. All information received shall become the property of the Scholarship Committee.

 

Ida Ballard Simon 2025 Scholarship Application

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Address*

Section 1: Financial Need

Section 2: Academic Achievement

Will be determined from required official transcript.
Please see Section 5 for required document uploads.

Section 3: School Activities & Honors

List your membership in high school organizations and clubs:

List high school honors, awards & recognitions:

Section 4: Community Involvement (Do not duplicate School Activities if listed above.)

List your community involvement activities:

List the College, University or Technical / Trade Schools to which you have applied. Please indicate the ones to which you have been accepted.:

If yes, please provide acceptance letter. Upload files in the Documents section below (Section 5)

Scholarship awards are final, non-repeating and non-transferable. Any awards not collected will not transfer to the next calendar semester or year.

Essay Topics:

  • Please choose two of the following topics as Essay Topic(s)
  • Please limit your response to one full, type written page
           (Format: PDF, Font: Size 12, Line Spacing Option: 1.0)

1. Describe your greatest personal accomplishments and obstacles that you had to overcome, be specific and give detailed information that will allow the reader to visualize the importance of your achievement.

2. How have your family, cultural background, or community influenced your values and beliefs?

3. Describe what you know about saving money, good vs. bad credit and their impact(s) to one’s lifestyle.

4. Describe a personal experience that influenced your decision to pursue your specific field of study or trade.

5. What motivates you to pursue your academic and career goals, and how do you stay focused on them?

6. What is your most prominent achievement, and how does it relate to your field of study?

Section 5: Required Document Uploads

Required Document list: (please upload all that are applicable)

  • Letter of recommendation from a teacher.
  • Letter of recommendation from a non-relative.
  • An Official Transcript which includes the cumulative grade point average, class rank and
  • class size (if not available, ask guidance counselor for percent ranking in class).
  • ACT and/or SAT score
  • Completed application with essays (required Essay Topics are referenced within this document)
  • Attached photo (preferably, graduation photo)
  • Acceptance letter from College, University or Technical / Trade School
Drop files here or
Max. file size: 20 MB.

    Section 6: Verify that the information in this application is accurate and true by signing below.

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    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
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