L’Salle Harvey Scholarship

It is with great pleasure that the University of Pennsylvania Veterans Upward Bound Program announces its L’Salle Harvey Veteran Scholarship competition.

The award is made in honor of L’Salle Harvey, a former Veterans Upward Bound Program participant, and made possible through a generous donation from his family.

Veterans Upward Bound will be awarding 3 individual scholarships of $1000 each to undergraduate veterans attending school in the Fall of 2024.

Awardees will be presented with a Certificate of Merit at an honors ceremony. Payment of the scholarship will be provided once proof of enrollment and attendance is received for the fall semester. Checks will be made payable to the awardees.

• Must be a veteran of the United States Armed Forces.
• Must have more than 180 days of Active Duty Service, or a service-connected disability.
• Applicants must live in one of the following counties: Philadelphia, PA; Bucks, PA; Chester, PA; Delaware, PA; Montgomery, PA; Burlington, NJ or Camden, NJ.
• The applicant must be admitted to, or currently enrolled in, an institution of postsecondary education, seeking an undergraduate degree.
• Prior to receipt of the award, the award recipient will provide UPenn VUB with verification of actual enrollment in a postsecondary institution.
• All required application materials and supporting documentation must be completed as directed and submitted by March 30^th, 2024.
  • Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
• Applicants can only submit one application each academic year.

Each application will be reviewed and scored by employees of the University of Pennsylvania Veterans Upward Bound program. The three applications with the highest average scores will be awarded.

The application will be scored on the following categories:

Application essay (10 Points)

Each essay will be rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, by multiple readers. The results will be tabulated to determine the awardees, and the names will be submitted to UPenn VUB Director. Essay instructions and criteria can be found in this document.

Activities/achievements (5 Points)

Each applicant will be awarded up to 5 points for activities and achievements including, but not limited to, honors and awards, public service, community involvement, participation in UPenn VUB.

Competitive Preference: Financial need (2 Points)

Each application will be awarded 2 points if they qualify as a low-income individual as determined by the U.S. Department of Education. (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/incomelevels.html)

Competitive Preference: First generation (2 Points)

Each applicant will be awarded 2 points if they self-identify and attest to being a first-generation college student as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965. (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/triohea.pdf)

Competitive Preference: First year (2 Points)

Each applicant will be awarded 2 points if they self-identity and attest to being an undergraduate student starting their first year of college.

All materials must be submitted either through the official application form, or by email The University of Pennsylvania Veterans Upward Bound program.

The initial materials include:

1. Online Scholarship Application Form: Found at this link. 
2. Application Essay: Can be submitted in the Scholarship Application Form or emailed to vetupward@pobox.upenn.edu

We will contact you for the following:

1. DD214: To verify eligibility for Character of Discharge and Active Duty Service
2. Income Attestation: If applying for Financial Need competitive preference.
3. First Generation Attestation: If applying for First Generation competitive preference.
4. First Year Attestation: If applying for First Year competitive preference.
5. Evidence of enrollment in an undergraduate program at a post-secondary institution.

All materials must be submitted no later than 11:59pm EST, March 30^th, 2024.

Please carefully read the prompt and construct an essay following the formatting and prompt. The essay can be submitted in the Scholarship Application or emailed to vetupward@pobox.upenn.edu

Prompt:

Reflect on the transformative power of higher education: as a veteran, explain how pursuing a college degree can shape your future and contribute to your personal and professional growth. Discuss the unique perspective and experiences you bring to the college community and share your vision for making a positive impact on society through your educational journey. In your essay, reserve space to explain why this scholarship money would make a difference to you. Be sure to discuss your academic goals while in school, and your career goals following graduation.

Formatting:

• 1-inch margins
• 12-point font
• Times New Roman font
• Between 600 and 750 words