Scholarships

Application and Materials

2009 Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Application Fact Sheet 2009-10 Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Application Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Reviewer's Rating Sheet

Related Links

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Winners for 2008-09 SAT Information ACT Information Other Scholarship & Grant Opportunities For further information see the US Department of Education OPI Home

Renewal Information

Scholarship Renewal

Staff Information

Carol Gneckow, Program Specialist cgneckow@mt.gov (406) 444-2417 FAX: (406) 444-1373

Program Purpose
The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program is a federally funded program administered by the Office of Public Instruction to recognize exceptionally able high school seniors who show promise of continued excellence in postsecondary education.

Eligibility

• Be a graduate of a public or private secondary school or have received the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma (GED)
• Be a Montana resident
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Has applied or been accepted for enrollment at an institution of higher education
• Certify that he/she is not ineligible to receive assistance as a result of default on a federal student loan or other obligation
• File a Statement of Selective Service Registration Status
• Completed and signed a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program Application

Application Deadline
Postmarked by March 6, 2009

Average Award
$1,500 per scholar
Scholars are selected in a manner that ensures an equitable geographic distribution of awards within Montana.

Period of Award

• Scholarships are awarded for a period of not less than one or more than four years during the first four years of study at any institution of higher education eligible to participate in the program.Scholars may plan to attend an institution of higher education that is public or private - within or outside Montana. A student attending a military academy is ineligible to receive a Byrd scholarship.
• A continuing Byrd scholar must be in good standing with his/her institution of higher education and must have completed and returned a renewal form to the Office of Public Instruction along with an official transcript for the past college year.

Fun Facts about the Montana Byrd Program

• Last school year there were 130 students who applied for the Byrd Scholarship from 79 high schools.
• The number of Byrd Scholarship recipients enrolled in colleges/universities during the past reporting year total 76.
• The main emphasis for selecting a Robert C. Byrd Honor Scholar is to provide scholarships for study at institutions of higher education to outstanding high school graduates who show promise of continued excellence, in an effort to recognize and promote student excellence and achievement.
• Information about the ACT and the SAT can be found on the Related Links box to the right of this Web page.

Brochures

2009 U.S. Senate Youth Program Montana Brochure William Randolph Hearst Foundation Brochure

Related Links

For further information see the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Web Page 2009 Montana Announcement Press Release 2008 Montana Press Release 2008 Montana U.S. Senate Youth Honors Scholarship Winners OPI Home

Staff Information

Carol Gneckow, Program Specialist cgneckow@mt.gov (406) 444-2417 FAX: (406) 444-1373 United States Senate Youth Program PowerPoint

The U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Program is sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and administered by the Office of Public Instruction. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the Advisory List of National Contests and Activities.

Scholarship
The William Randolph Hearst Foundation believes it is in the public interest to encourage these outstanding young people to continue their educational development. To this end, the foundation will make available to each of the 104 delegates selected to participate in the program a $5,000 college scholarship award for undergraduate studies, subject to specific conditions and requirements.

One Week in our Nation’s Capitol

The United States Senate Youth Program will be held in Washington, D.C., March 7-14, 2009.  The 104 student delegates will visit the Senate, House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon and other Washington sites.  The William Randolph Hearst Foundation will pay all expenses for the Washington Week, including transportation, hotel accommodations and meals.  The military services will provide specially selected men and women officers to serve as escorts for the student delegates while in Washington.

College Scholarship
$5,000
Two Montana high school students and a first and second alternate.

How to Qualify

• Be a junior or graduating senior in a Montana high school
• Currently serving in an elected or selected capacity in any one of the following student government offices at their Montana high school for the 2008-09 school year
  • student body president, vice president, secretary or treasurer
  • class president, vice president, secretary or treasurer
  • student council representative
  • Boys/Girls state delegate
• Be a permanent resident of the United States
• Be a Montana resident

Montana Requirements

• Interested students should see their high school counselors to sign up for the qualifying exam.
• Potential awardees compete for this scholarship by taking a 50-point exam on current politics, American History, and the U.S. Constitution.
• The top ten scorers are then required to record videotaped responses to a set of questions provided by the Office of Public Instruction, U.S. Senate Youth Program staff.
• Two delegates and two alternates are chosen from the ten semifinalists.

Notification of scholarship application information is sent in September to all public and private high school counselors and student body presidents. The deadline for taking the 50-point exam is in early October.