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Scholarship Application

Ida Ballard Simon (IBS) Scholarship Policies and Procedures

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

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

3. IBS Scholarship Application Deadline Date Extended to: June 5, 2026.

4. Priority will be given to complete applications submitted online by Deadline Date: June 5, 2026.
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 (two Essay Topics, 1 page for each essay are required and 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 June 5, 2026, 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: June 15th – 19th, 2026.

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 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.

1000 Word Essay –Topics and Format:

  • Priority will be given to complete applications submitted online by Deadline Date: June 5, 2026.
  • Please choose one of the following topics as an Essay Topic
    • Format: PDF
    • Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12 pt
    • Line Spacing Option: 1.0
    • Margins: 1 inch on all sides

1. Describe an experience in which you demonstrated leadership, a commitment to service, and made a meaningful, lasting impact on your school or community.

2. Describe an experience that influenced your decision to pursue your specific field of study or trade.

3. Describe your most prominent achievement, and how does it relate to your field of study.

4. 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.

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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