Policy/Scholarship Policy

Purpose

Hacksburg believes membership should be accessible regardless of a person's financial circumstances. This policy establishes a Membership Dues Scholarship (the "Scholarship") to help cover annual membership dues for individuals who would otherwise be unable to join or renew. It defines who is eligible, how recipients are selected, and how the program is administered so that decisions are fair, consistent, and transparent.

Funding Source

The Scholarship is supported by designated funding received for this purpose (donations, grants, and/or board-allocated funds). All contributions to the Scholarship fund will be tracked separately from general operating funds and reported to the Board monthly.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for a Scholarship, an applicant must:

• Be an individual member (or incoming applicant) in good standing, or otherwise meet the membership requirements of Hacksburg aside from the ability to pay dues.
• Submit a complete Scholarship Application (Section 7) during an open application period.
• Agree to fulfill the volunteer service commitment described in Section 6 as a condition of the award.
• Demonstrate financial need as described in the application (Section 4).
• Not have an outstanding, unresolved conduct issue with Hacksburg.

Eligibility does not guarantee an award. Awards are subject to available funds and the review process outlined below.

Selection Criteria

Scholarships are awarded using a two-step priority order. All applicants are first evaluated on financial need; merit factors are used to inform award decisions and, if necessary, to prioritize among applicants with comparable need.

Priority 1 — Financial Need

Financial need is the primary basis for award decisions. Applicants may demonstrate need through:

• A brief self-attestation of financial hardship on the application form, and/or
• Supporting documentation where available (e.g., proof of unemployment, student status, fixed/limited income), and/or
• Household income relative to the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low (80%) income limits.

The organization relies in good faith on the information applicants provide and does not require invasive financial documentation. The goal is to remove real barriers to participation, not to create new ones.

Priority 2 — Merit

Among applicants demonstrating comparable financial need, or when funding is limited, the Committee may additionally consider merit factors such as:

• Engagement with or contribution to Hacksburg or its mission (volunteering, committee service, event participation).
• A brief statement of why membership matters to the applicant's goals (professional, academic, or community).
• Letters of support or references, if submitted.

Merit is a secondary, tie-breaking consideration. No applicant will be denied on merit grounds alone if they demonstrate clear financial need and funds are available.

Award

• A Scholarship award covers up to 100% of the recipient's annual membership dues for one (1) membership year. A shorter time-frame may be used based upon availability of funds.
• Awards are not transferable and have no cash value beyond the dues amount.
• Awards are conditioned on completion of the volunteer service commitment described in Section 6.
• A recipient may reapply in future years; scholarships are not automatically renewed (see Section 10).
• If the Committee determines that partial awards better serve the fund and applicant pool, it may award reduced (partial-dues) scholarships rather than full awards.

Service Commitment

In exchange for a Scholarship, recipients agree to contribute their time to Hacksburg in lieu of paying dues in full. This keeps the program reciprocal and connects recipients to the organization beyond a one-time financial benefit.

Service Requirement

• Each recipient commits to 2 hours of volunteer service during the membership year covered by the award.
• Service may be fulfilled through options such as: staffing or supporting Hacksburg events, serving on a committee, or teaching/leading a class, workshop, or training session for members.
• Where a recipient proposes to teach a class, the topic and format must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors.

Tracking and Verification

• Recipients log completed service hours or activities with the Treasurer, who maintains records for each award cycle.
• Service should generally be completed within the membership year the award covers; recipients who anticipate difficulty meeting this timeline should contact Hacksburg as early as possible to discuss options.

Non-Completion

If a recipient does not complete the agreed service commitment without good cause (as determined by the Committee):

• The recipient will be contacted to discuss the shortfall and offered a reasonable opportunity to complete or make up the commitment.
• Continued non-completion may make the recipient ineligible for a Scholarship in future cycles, at the Committee's discretion.
• Non-completion does not retroactively revoke the current year's membership.

The Committee may waive or adjust the service requirement in cases of documented hardship, disability, or other good cause.

Application Process

1. Announcement: Hacksburg will announce the Scholarship and application window through its standard communication channels (website, newsletter, email)
2. Application: Applicants submit a Scholarship Application including: contact and membership information, a brief statement of financial need, an optional statement of merit/engagement, preferred service option(s) from Section 6, and any supporting documentation.

Review and Approval

• Applications are reviewed by a Scholarship Committee of three members, which may include board members, staff, and/or member volunteers, none of whom may review an application from themselves, family member or close personal associate (see Section 9).
• The Committee reviews applications against Sections 3 and 4 and reaches decisions by majority vote.
• Approved awards are applied directly to the recipient's dues; no funds are paid directly to the applicant.
• Decisions of the Committee are final. There is no formal appeal process, though applicants may reapply in a future cycle.

Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest

• All application information is treated as confidential and shared only with individuals directly involved in reviewing and administering the Scholarship.
• Recipients' identities and application details are not disclosed publicly without the recipient's consent.
• Committee members must recuse themselves from reviewing or voting on any application from a relative, household member, or close personal associate.

Renewal and Reapplication

• Scholarships apply to a single membership year and do not renew automatically.
• Past recipients are welcome to reapply each cycle and will be evaluated under the same criteria as new applicants.
• Prior receipt of a Scholarship does not affect eligibility for future awards, provided the prior year's service commitment was fulfilled (see Section 6.3).

Fund Management and Sustainability

Because the Scholarship is intended to cover dues for any applicant who applies and qualifies, the Committee will monitor the fund balance against applications received throughout the year. If, at any point, approved and pending awards would exceed available funds, the Committee will:

• Pause new awards and maintain a waitlist in the order applications were received, or
• Prioritize remaining funds strictly by financial need, using merit only to break ties, or
• Award partial-dues scholarships to extend limited funds across more applicants.

The Committee will report fund status (contributions, awards granted, and remaining balance) to the Board at least quarterly.

Policy Administration

• This policy is maintained by the Board, who is responsible for publishing application materials, convening the Scholarship Committee, and maintaining records.
• This policy will be reviewed at least annually and may be amended by Board vote as needed.

Amendments

The Board of Hacksburg may amend this policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated to members and applied prospectively to future application cycles unless otherwise stated.