Are you interested in applying for the Arizona 100 club scholarship program? If your answer is yes then we have got all the information on this page.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Following the shooting incident of a young Detroit police officer in 1952, the idea for the “100 Club” was first introduced there. William M. Packer, the biggest Pontiac dealer in the country and a close friend of the police chief, was moved by the circumstance and wrote to 100 of his friends to urge them to contribute to a fund for the deceased officer. His response rate was 100 percent. In their meeting with the expectant widow, Packer and the commissioners looked over her finances, made plans to pay off the debt on their recently bought home, settle all of their debts, establish a college account for the unborn kid, and transfer $7,000 into the widow’s checking account.
A young Phoenix police officer was slain in the line of duty in 1965. The Phoenix 100 Club was founded by several friends who had heard of the Detroit 100 Club; it was recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation in 1968. Frank Haze Burch was one of the group’s founding members. When Frank was only five years old, his father became the first Phoenix policeman to die in the line of duty.
The founding purpose of the 100 Club of Arizona was to provide the family of an officer who lost their lives while performing official duties with immediate financial support. As time went on, this mission grew and evolved. Survivors used to receive aid with their education and health insurance. These insurance payouts for surviving families are now offered by a number of government agencies. The 100 Club attempts to offer eligible families every kind of assistance they may require. The addition of safety stipends, scholarships for family members of officers and firefighters pursuing higher education or a vocation, and the H.E.R.O.S. fund for various financial hardship circumstances allow us to provide equipment and training that underfunded agencies could not otherwise afford. In Arizona, we offer support and financial assistance to ALL public safety personnel. We support the men and women who support the badge.
The Arizona 100 Club has changed its aim in a number of ways over the years. First, in 1994, the 100 Club of Arizona decided to give immediate financial aid to firefighters and law enforcement agents who were gravely hurt while on duty, as well as to the families of those officers who lost their lives while performing their duties. Firefighters and law enforcement personnel from Native American reservations were added to the list of awardees in 1997. The 100 Club of Arizona now stands in support of all law enforcement, correctional, probation, and parole officers, firemen, and federal agents who work to serve and protect Arizonans. All county, tribal, state, and federal levels are included in this.
ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP
The 100 Club of Arizona’s Scholarship Program was founded in 2006 to offer financial aid for undergraduate education to the spouses, children, and in certain cases, grandchildren of public safety officers and fire services who were either active or retired as well as those who had passed away across the state of Arizona. The 100 Club has given more than $1 million to students statewide since its founding in 2006. Students from public safety families in Arizona no longer have to bear the heavy financial load of college tuition because of 100 Club Scholarships.
The scholarship program of The 100 Club is entirely supported by the kind gifts of the local community and the steadfast support of our sponsors. We are really grateful to every one of our contributors because, without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide this program for financial aid for higher education. Many of our awards are what we call “Named Scholarships,” which are ones that families have given money to grant in honor or memorial of a loved one who passed away. However, the bulk of scholarships awarded is “100 Club Scholarships,” which are funded by funds earned annually through public donations and other events supported by local neighborhood partners. Other scholarships can be sponsored by a nearby business.
SCHOLARSHIP CATEGORIES, REQUIREMENTS
TYPES
Scholarships may be given to qualified individuals who want to enroll in an undergraduate program of study after high school. The pursuit of a postgraduate college degree (Master’s Degree) is not eligible for awards. Programs that qualify include, but are not restricted to:
• Universities and colleges with accreditation
• Postsecondary technical colleges
The 100 Club scholarship grants are one-time (or for one year), and money is given directly to the college where the recipient will be enrolled for tuition, lodging, books, and other costs. The entire budget must be spent this year.
CRITERIA
While applicants are not required to be financial backers of the 100 Club in order to be considered for a scholarship, they MUST be an immediate family member—child, spouse, stepchild, or grandchild—of an engaged, retired, or deceased policeman or firefighter. Cousins, aunts, uncles, or other extended family members are ineligible.
TIMELINE
Every scholarship has an academic year as its foundation. For instance, if a candidate is interested in applying for a scholarship and will be graduating high school or going back to school in Fall 2020 (academic year: 2020-21), they must complete the 100 Club Scholarship Application Process, which begins the first week in January and closes the first week in March each year.
APPLICATION LINK
Interested persons can now apply here https://www.100club.org/resources/scholarships/
