How to Apply for a WASDA Scholarship
Now accepting 2024 applications!

In order to apply for the WASDA and/or Matt Stager Memorial Scholarships, please carefully review and follow the below instructions.

Please note that the Scholarship Application process is entirely digital, meaning application materials will not be accepted via mail or email. Please submit the Application with required materials online in advance of the deadline(s) outlined below:

  

Application Materials

Materials completed and submitted by the Applicant:

  • Completed Application:
  • Essay Prompt (Minimum 500 words): What is an activity or cause that you are passionate about and why? How has your involvement in it shaped who you are? How would you apply this in your college education program and career?
  • Two Letters of Recommendation from persons who are not related to you but have knowledge of your academic achievements.
  • WASDA Member Verification: Provide contact information for the Primary Contact at your Parent / Grandparent / Guardian's WASDA member company to verify their employment.
 

Materials completed and submitted by the High School Counselor:

  • Completed Counselor's Report:
  • Copy of Official High School Transcript
  • Standardized Test Scores (ACT and/or SAT), if applicable 
  • Two Letters of Recommendation, if applicant cannot submit

It is the Scholarship Applicant's responsibility to ensure all application requirements are met. All components must be completed and submitted online by the deadline in order for the application to be accepted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered and extensions cannot be granted.

 

Step by Step Instructions

Scholarship Applicants:

  • Read these application instructions in full on the WASDA Scholarship Page – How to Apply.
  • Determine which Scholarship(s) the Scholarship Applicant is eligible to apply for:
    • WASDA Scholarship: Distributor and Associate member companies
    • Matt Stager Memorial Scholarship: Distributor member companies only
  • Review and write an Essay (minimum 500 words) answering the following questions:
    • What is an activity or cause that you are passionate about and why?  How has your involvement in it shaped who you are? How would you apply this in your college education program and career?
  • Request Two Letters of Recommendation by instructors or other persons unrelated to the scholarship applicant.
  • Complete the PDF Application Form linked below.
    • This Application Form is a editable PDF that allows the Scholarship Applicant to download and open the PDF on a computer and directly complete the document online. A PDF-editor is not required. Once the form is complete, please save the document on a computer as it will need to be submitted to WASDA online.
    • The Scholarship Applicant may wish to download the PDF Application Form, print, and fill out the form. If this process is preferred, please write legibly. Once the form is complete, please scan the document as it will need to be submitted to WASDA online.
 
Download the PDF Application Form Here
 
  • Once the above steps and required materials are completed, the Scholarship Applicant will complete the Digital Application Form to upload the Scholarship Applicant’s required materials.
    • To proceed with the Digital Application Form, the Scholarship Applicant will be required to enter an email address and a password to create an account. 
    • Please note that all application materials are required to be uploaded at the end of the Digital Application Form. The Digital Application will not submit unless all materials are uploaded.
    • Please complete the Digital Application Form in one sitting. The Form will not be saved if the Scholarship Applicant begins the process and exits before submitting. Once the Form is submitted, Applicants will not be able to edit the digital application.
    • Once the Digital Application Form is successfully submitted, the Scholarship Applicant will receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. The confirmation email may get stuck in a Junk/Spam folder. If the Scholarship Applicant would like additional confirmation, please reach out to WASDA at [email protected].
 
Complete the Digital Application Form Here
 
  •  Next, the Scholarship Applicant should contact their High School Counselor and provide them with the below materials:
    • Two Letters of Recommendation, if the applicant cannot submit.
  • Lastly, the Scholarship Applicant should follow-up with their High School Counselor to confirm that all materials were submitted to WASDA on the Digital Counselor’s Report Form prior to the deadline(s).
 
 

High School Counselors:

  • Download and complete the PDF Counselor’s Report Form linked below.
    • This Counselor’s Report Form is a editable PDF that allows the Counselor to download and open the PDF on a computer and directly complete the document online. A PDF-editor is not required. Once the form is complete, please save the document on a computer as it will need to be submitted to WASDA online.
    • The Counselor may wish to download the PDF Counselor’s Report Form, print, and fill out the form. If this process is preferred, please write legibly. Once the form is complete, please scan the document as it will need to be submitted to WASDA online.
 
Download the PDF Counselor’s Report Form Here
 
  • Acquire the Scholarship Applicant’s Official High School Transcript.
  • Acquire the Applicant's Two Letters of Recommendation, if they cannot submit the documents for any reason.
    • This step is not required if the Applicant uploads their own Two Letters of Recommendation.
  • Once the above steps and required materials are completed, the Counselor will complete the Digital Counselor’s Report Form to upload the Scholarship Applicant’s required materials.
    • Please note that all materials are required to be uploaded at the end of the Digital Counselor’s Report Form. The Digital Counselor’s Report Form will not submit unless all materials are uploaded. The required materials are outlined below for reference:
      • PDF Counselor’s Report Form, which includes copies of the student’s ACT and/or SAT scores, if applicable
      • Copy of Official High School Transcript
      • Two Letters of Recommendation, if the applicant cannot submit
    • Please complete the Digital Counselor’s Report Form in one sitting. The Form will not be saved if the Counselor begins the process and exits before submitting. Once the Form is submitted, Counselors will not be able to edit the digital application.
    • The Digital Counselor’s Report Form is a secure platform. The required materials uploaded to the Digital Counselor’s Report Form will only be shared with the WASDA Scholarship Fund Selection Committee and WASDA Staff.
    • Once the Digital Counselor’s Report Form is successfully submitted, the Counselor will receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. The confirmation email may get stuck in a Junk/Spam folder. If the Counselor or Scholarship Applicant would like additional confirmation, please reach to WASDA at [email protected].
 
Complete the Digital Counselor’s Report Form Here
 
  • Lastly, connect with the Scholarship Applicant to confirm that all materials were submitted to WASDA on the Digital Counselor’s Report Form prior to the deadline(s).

 

Ready to Apply?

After reading the application instructions in full, please begin the application process with the Digital Scholarship Application Form. Applications are now being accepted.

Complete the Digital Application Form Here!
 

Application Submissions

 

The completed application and all necessary components must be received by 11:59 PM Central Time on the day of the deadline. It is highly recommended that applicants submit their completed digital application at least one week before the deadline date to elevate any technical difficulties. In addition, feel free to contact WASDA at [email protected] or (630) 672-3670 between Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time if you encounter any issues or have questions.

Prior to the deadline, the Scholarship Applicant should contact their High School Counselor in advance to confirm they have submitted the Counselor’s Report Digital Form along with the required materials. At this time, the Scholarship Applicant should also follow up with all of their references in regard to the Two Letters of Recommendation. It is the Scholarship Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the complete application with required materials have been received no later than the deadline.

The eligible applications will be reviewed by the designated Selection Committee. All applicants will receive a letter of determination via email by June 12, 2024.

After reading the instructions in full, please contact WASDA at [email protected] or (630) 672-3670 if you have any other questions.

 

How Selection Works

  • Once completed scholarship applications are submitted and the scholarship process closes, the WASDA Scholarship Fund Selection Committees gather to review applications.
  • All qualifying applications will have any identifying information including the first and last name and company affiliations redacted from the application before the Selection Committee begins the reviewing process.
  • Redacted Matt Stager Memorial Scholarship and WASDA Scholarship applications are reviewed by the elected Selection Committee members.
    • The Selection Committee will use a rubric to rate applicants based on criteria set forth above to aid in the award process. (Selection Committee members cannot have family members apply for either scholarship during their time on a Selection Committee).
    • The Selection Committee will host a meeting to identify the winners and report back to WASDA Staff.
      • All non-winners of the Matt Stager Memorial Scholarship will be placed into the WASDA Scholarship application pool for additional consideration.
  • All applicants will receive a letter of determination by June 12, 2024.
  • Award Announcements
    • WASDA will announce all recipients on the website and on social media.
    • Winners will be asked to submit their headshot and a personal statement to [email protected] within two weeks of receiving their letter of determination.
 

Important Dates for the 2024 Application Process

  • March 11: Scholarship Applications open.
  • April 8: Deadline for completed Matt Stager Memorial Scholarship application submissions.
  • May 2: Deadline for completed WASDA Scholarship application submissions.
  • June 12: All applicants will be notified of determinations.
  • June 25: All required documents due back from winners.
    • Scholarship money will not be issued until required documents are received by WASDA​.
 

Renewals

Previous winners should aim to have their Official College Transcripts submitted online to WASDA by June 12, 2024. The Digital Renewal Form will be hosted here in May 2024. Please check back for more details in May 2024.

 

Questions?

After reading the instructions in full, please contact WASDA with any questions at [email protected] or (630) 672-3670.