Rural Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan Student Scholarship, O'Brien-VRBA Scholarship Trust Program

PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust has established a scholarship program to assist rural Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan high school graduates who plan to continue their education in college.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability, or national origin.

Eligibility
Applicants to the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program must:

Be high school graduates who resided during that time in rural* Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Michigan.
*Rural, as defined by the US Bureau of Census, is a town or city with a population of less than 2,500 residents.
Be current junior or senior postsecondary undergraduate or graduate level students, who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited four-year college or university for the entire upcoming academic year.
Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).
Be actively involved in school activities and community service.
Have a family Adjusted Gross Income of $100,000 or less.
Approve the release of applicant contact information and all supporting documents to PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program.
Applicants of the Catholic faith are encouraged to apply.

Awards
PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program will determine award allocations each year. Awards may be renewed for up to one additional year or until a degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in a full-time course of study and continuation of the program by PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program.

Awards are for undergraduate or graduate study.

Application Process
Start by clicking Register to Apply at the bottom of this page. You must read and agree to a consent statement, supply a unique and valid email address, and create a username and password.
Correspondence throughout the application process will be by email. Email messages will be sent to the username and email address registered when you created your account. Be sure to add obrien@scholarshipamerica.org to your contacts or address book and check your email regularly!
Complete the application by entering data in the format described. Proper punctuation and standard capitalization (Jill Smith, 10 Main Street, New York, NY) must be used.
During the application process, you may leave the site prior to submission by clicking Save and Log out.
Once all application requirements are satisfied, Lock and Submit will be available near the bottom of the Review Application page.
Carefully review your application before clicking Lock and Submit. Once submitted, you will no longer have access to your application.
It is recommended that you keep a copy of your application for your records.
You will receive an email acknowledgment of your submitted application.
Required Documents
As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:

Official complete transcript of grades from all colleges which you have attended and/or are currently attending. Transcripts must display student name, school name, grades and credit hours for each course, and term in which each course was taken.
If you will be changing schools, please provide a copy of your acceptance letter to the school you will be attending.
Copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS 1040 form(s) used for the Financial Information Page. Please black out any sensitive data including Social Security Numbers prior to uploading.
A letter from a teacher, advisor, or member of the clergy attesting to your performance and character. Letter must be on letterhead and include the signature and title of the reference.
At least one letter, from a person responsible for coordinating community service, attesting to your involvement. Additional weight is given for leadership roles. If the community activity included a leadership role, have the reference indicate so in the letter. Community service activities do not include school clubs unless specific community service was performed. Letter must be on letterhead and include the signature and title of the reference.
Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically.

Program Deadline
Your application must be submitted on or before 3:00 p.m. Central Time on April 15, 2019.

Selection Criteria
Selection criteria include consideration of financial need, academic achievement, and community service, two letters of recommendation, one from a teacher, advisor or clergy on the applicant’s performance and character and one from a community service supervisor addressing the applicant’s service and leadership in the activity. Applicants of Catholic faith and those who attend a Catholic institution affiliated with the Newman Foundation will be prioritized.

Scholarship America will select up to 100 finalists and PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program will select recipients and determine award amounts.

Notification
Applicants will be notified in June. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.

Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust. Payment is made in one installment on August 1.

Obligations
Recipients have no obligation to PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust. They are, however, required to notify Scholarship America of any changes in address, school enrollment, or other relevant information.

Revisions
PNC Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust reserves the right to review the conditions and procedures of this scholarship program and to make changes at any time including termination of the program.

Contact us
Email: obrien@scholarshipamerica.org

Call: 1-507-931-1682 and ask for the O’Brien- Vrba Scholarship Trust Program

Award
Various
Scopes
External Scholarship Opportunities
Deadline
04/15/2019