In 1993, a pilot version of the Salute to Education scholarship scheme was launched in San Antonio, Texas. Every new car sold or leased by the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers included a donation to the Salute to Education initiative. They inspired other dealers to start the program in their local towns in South Florida, San Diego County, and sections of Texas because they were interested in supporting educational activities in the community.
ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP
To encourage area high school students to continue their education after graduation, the San Diego County Ford dealers established the San Diego County Salute to Education scholarship fund in 1997.
Under the direction of Paul Dyke, President of El Cajon Ford and Chairman of the San Diego County Salute to Education, the San Diego County Ford vendors will pool their financial resources to fund scholarships for local students who attend credentialed public and private schools and have a desire to further their education. Ford Motor Company, Global Team Blue, and Zubi Advertising all provide additional donations.
SCHOLARSHIP PURPOSE
The San Diego County Salute to Education scholarship program’s aim is to encourage high school graduates to pursue higher education in a technical or vocational school, junior college, college, or university. The program seeks to enlist kids who merit praise for their successes personally and for the contributions they have made to their community and schools. Although it is taken into account, academic achievement is not the sole criterion for awarding a Salute to Education scholarship.
ELIGIBILITY
The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible to apply for and be awarded a Salute to Education scholarship:
• The candidate must live in San Diego County.
• The candidate must be a senior in high school enrolled in a San Diego County public or private institution that is accredited.
• The person must be slated to graduate in the spring term and be interested in attending a technical or vocational school, junior college, college, or university to further their education.
• High school seniors from all schools may apply, regardless of GPA.
• The San Diego County Salute to Education scholarship is not available to students who obtain a full four-year scholarship.
PROCESS FOR APPLICATIONS
Encourage high school graduates who satisfy the eligibility rules to fill out and submit an application for the Salute to Education award with the aid of superintendents, administrators, and counselors. Students must complete an application form that includes basic private and academic inquiries as well as four brief essays about their successes, community service, personal objectives, and autobiography.
JUDGES/SELECTION PROCESS
Local community leaders, educators, and the San Diego County Salute to Education Advisory Board will choose the scholarship recipients. The scholarship beneficiaries will be chosen by a panel of judges who will take into account each applicant’s character, academic achievements, financial needs, and personal challenges.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Both submissions and replies must be typed. Forms written by hand won’t be accepted.
Changes to the text size and application form will not be accepted.
The application’s fields and spaces must all be filled out. If a field applies to the student but not another, a very brief justification and/or a notation, such as “Not Applicable,” must be made. Forms that are incomplete won’t be accepted.
Original signatures are required for the three signatures on the application. Counselors’ and teachers’ original scanned signatures will be accepted in lieu of their physical presence due to distance requirements and other restrictions. Original student signatures are required; they cannot be scanned, reproduced, or produced by a computer.
A faculty member from the applicant’s current high school is required to provide the recommendation. A faculty member’s original signatures on the letter in place of the recommendation’s signature on the form are acceptable if the letter is presented separately. The faculty member must sign the application if the letter of recommendation is a copy or does not include an original signature.
The application form must be accompanied by a student transcript. It’s not necessary for the transcript to be an official one. Transcripts will not be accepted if they are computer printouts of grades from applications like Grade Linking, Infinite Campus, Naviance, and others.
CATEGORIES AND DEFINITION OF CATEGORIES
Any of the following scholarship categories are open to student applications:
• Arts
• Athletics
• Automotive
• Design and construction of buildings
• Business Administration / Management
• Computer/technology science
• Education
• Second Language
• General
LANGUAGE ARTS
• Medical
• Theatrical Arts
• Science
SOCIAL SCIENCE
• Technical / Vocational
The class that best fits a student should be chosen. The following category descriptions are offered to aid students in choosing, and counselors can assist students in doing so.
ARTS
Students that apply in the category of the arts have one or more of the following qualities:
* Understanding of various artistic approaches and time periods
* Capacity to articulate unique thoughts, emotions, and insights when analyzing various works of art.
* Recognize artists and their works to comprehend and appreciate art history.
* Participation in artistic endeavors at school or in the community
ATHLETICS
The following qualities are present in some or all of the applicants in the athletics category:
Varsity athlete for two years
* Regional, national, or individual qualification
* Accolades or honors received in connection with sports
* Outstanding leadership skills among athletes
* Sportsmanship and a cheery disposition
* Participation in athletic-related school, community, or extracurricular activities
APPLICATION SUBMITTAL LOCATIONS
Application forms can be mailed to San Diego County Salute to Education at the location shown below by students.
Applications for San Diego County Salute to Education may be collected from senior high school counselors and sent to:
Salute to Education in San Diego County
P. O. Box 19366
92159-0366 San Diego, California
Please don’t mail anything certified to this address.
APPLICATION LINK
Interested persons can now apply here https://www.salutetoeducation.com/scholarship-guide/
