USASF College Scholarships!

The USASF Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 thanks to the help of our generous sponsors. This scholarship was designed to recognize and reward outstanding All Star Athletes by providing financial assistance to further their college education. This scholarship is open to any college-bound senior (though are not required to cheer or dance in college) that participates with any USASF member program. In addition, applicant must be a USASF Member Athlete.

Applicants must be planning to attend an accredited College/University as a full-time student. Along with their application, they must submit:

1. Essay of 300 words or less (requirements below).
2. UNOFFICIAL high school transcripts.
3. Head shot photo of good quality that can be used in print.
4. Performance video (requirements below).
5. Completed USASF Recommendation Form from your All Star coach;
6. Completed USASF Recommendation Form from your All Star program owner/director.
   (Recommendation forms MUST be from two different people and will be emailed directly to your program owner and coach within 48 hours of your application submission. Please note that these are the ONLY acceptable letters of recommendation and BOTH are required and CANNOT BE FROM THE SAME PERSON.)

COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS & ONLINE REGISTRATION
Please read everything before you apply

Scholarship Awards: (All amounts to be determined at a later time)
We will present 10 Cheer Scholarships and 5 Dance Scholarships

All finalists will be required to attend a final interview at The Cheerleading and Dance World Championship, which will determine the placement of the applicants. THE INTERVIEW WILL TAKE PLACE THE THURSDAY OF WORLDS, April 23, 2020, from noon until 4:30pm at Coronado Springs Resort. Please book your flight accordingly as you MUST be interview-ready at this time. It is applicant’s responsibility to have transportation to the interview. If you find you are unable to do so, please contact Gena Evans immediately for help, as the interview is mandatory.

Scholarship applications must be completed online by February 1, 2020. Performance videos and recommendation forms must be submitted no later than February 8, 2020. NO applications or performance videos will be accepted after the deadline so please apply early. All applicants will be notified by March 20, 2020.  Finalists will be presented at one of the awards ceremonies at Worlds. It will be a formal affair; cocktail attire is suggested.

Duration of the scholarship will be one year. Funds are sent to recipient’s College/University to be used for any reasonable cost related to working on a degree.

In an effort to ensure a fair judging process for all, your name and/or program name cannot be mentioned in your essay, throughout your video, or in the interview. Your profile will be assigned a number throughout the selection process in an effort to stay neutral with all judging. Your application submission will be scored as follows:

Be sure to keep a copy of your application, essay and performance video as a backup.

Essay Requirements (do not mention your name or your program name in your essay): 25 Point Category
ESSAY MUST BE TYPED IN MICROSOFT WORD and uploaded during your online application process.

You must address FIVE bullet points listed below in 300 words or less as one cohesive essay.

• Why are you going to College/University?
• What do you plan to study?
• How has your participation in All Star helped your personal development?
• How do you plan to give back to your community after completing your education?
• How have you helped promote good sportsmanship in All Star?
• What specifically makes you a good role model?
• List the three biggest challenges to image of cheer or dance in our society.
• Formulate a three-step program for improving the image of cheer or dance nationwide that you would recommend to All Star leaders.
• List several suggestions you feel could help improve the All Star.
• Describe any unusual challenges or financial hardships you face in continuing your education.

Essay evaluation criteria

• Clarity of expression (Is the essay well organized, well thought out, and easy to understand?)
• Creative ideas (Does the essay contain unique thoughts and a fresh perspective?)
• Emotional honesty (Is the essay believable?)
• The X-factor (Will others like what she/he says and how she/he says it?)

CHEER AND DANCE PERFORMANCE VIDEOS must be completely non-descript (Must wear generic clothing, background must be completely generic or blurred and may not include any program names, logos, trophies or banners in the background). Failure to do so is subject to disqualification. Your video can be created any way you choose, but using your phone or tablet is the most simplified option. Be sure to hold your camera or tablet horizontally for best results. DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR UPLOADING YOUR VIDEO SUBMISSION WILL BE SENT TO YOUR EMAIL ONCE YOUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT GENA EVANS AT [email protected] IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION.

VIDEO SUBMISSION JUDGING CRITERIA (25 PTS)

Performance Cheer Video Submission Requirements: 25 Point Category
Must be no more than 90 seconds in length
Please DO NOT introduce yourself with your name or your program affiliation in either spoken words or on-screen text.
This is a SOLO Performance. You are the only person allowed in your video.
Must include jumps (not necessary to connect with tumbling)
Must include tumbling (within legal USASF guidelines). No trampoline/rod strip/tumble tramp, etc. tumbling will be judged.
Only skills performed on a standard spring floor will be judged.
No stunting of any kind will be judged.

Performance Dance Video Submission Requirements: 25 Point Category
Must be no more than 90 seconds in length.
Please DO NOT introduce yourself with your name or your program affiliation in either spoken words or on-screen text.
This is a SOLO Performance. You are the only person allowed in your video.
Requirements: A solo performance showing the full range of abilities of the dancer. The routine may include (but not required to include) more than one style of dance and should incorporate the technical skills and expression/emotion appropriate to the chosen style(s).

YOUR ABILITY TO FOLLOW COMPLETE DIRECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS CRITICAL TO YOUR ACCEPTANCE AS AN APPLICANT OF THE USASF COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP REGISTRATION

• Click here to complete the online registration

Thank you to our College Scholarship Sponsors