Catalog 2015-2016

Hendrix Scholarships and Grants

Hendrix College awards a variety of scholarships and grants based on academic merit, leadership experience, performance in the fine arts, and financial need. Students who wish to be considered for a scholarship must first complete an application for admission to the College. Scholarships or grants from Hendrix College are awarded in accordance with institutional policy. Contact the Office of Financial Aid with any questions.

Academic requirements for retention of Hendrix scholarships and grants vary according to the specific scholarship or grant. The requirements for retention are specifically enumerated in the student’s original scholarship notification letter and are posted on the financial aid section of the website.

Academic Scholarships

Academic Scholarships, ranging in value from $12,000 per year to full tuition, fees, room, and board are awarded to students who have accumulated outstanding high school records and who demonstrate the potential for academic success at Hendrix College. Priority consideration for Academic Scholarships is given to those students who apply for admission by November 15.

Applications for the Hays Memorial Scholarship, which covers tuition, room (standard double occupancy residence hall room), board (unlimited plan), and student activity fee, must be received by February 1. To be eligible for consideration students must achieve at least a 3.6 GPA in college preparatory classes and a 32 ACT or 1410 SAT score. The Hays Scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years if the student maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and selects housing and meal plan options covered by the award.

All accepted students are considered for academic scholarships. In awarding scholarships, the Scholarship Committee considers the following criteria:

  • Academic performance in college preparatory classes
  • Standardized test scores
  • Class rank
  • Leadership/extracurricular activities
  • Interview
  • Recommendations

Scholarship Renewal Policy

Hendrix College merit scholarships are maintained for the first four semesters of enrollment as long as the student is in good academic standing. If a student falls below the required scholarship renewal grade point average after the first four semesters of enrollment, the scholarship will be forfeited. An appeal process does exist, which will be explained in writing as appropriate. If an appeal is unsuccessful, the College may award a “fall-back” scholarship. The dollar amount of the new scholarship will vary from fifty to seventy-five percent of the value of the original award, depending on the individual level of need.

Odyssey Distinction Awards

Odyssey Distinction Awards, ranging in value from $1,000 to $5,000 per year, are awarded to accepted Hendrix applicants. The Scholarship Committee determines the amount of the award based on an assessment of out-of-class accomplishments in high school. In most cases, the Odyssey Awards can be added to other scholarships a student may receive from the College. The application for admission serves as the application for the Odyssey Awards and all accepted students are automatically considered.

Hendrix College Leadership Scholarships

Hendrix College grants Leadership Scholarships to students whom it selects as Leadership Scholars. Scholarship recipients are selected after a review of leadership, activities, community service, and honors. This is a four-year personal development program. The online scholarship application form is made available each fall at www.hendrix.edu/scholarships and must be submitted by February 1.

Miller Center Service Scholarships

The Miller Center Service Scholarships are awarded to students who have worked successfully in the past with volunteer service organizations, who intend to make leadership through volunteer service a part of their future, and who wish to embark upon a highly intentional, guided process of vocational discernment during their college years. Service Scholars commit to a certain number of volunteer service projects and vocational exploration programs per year. The online scholarship application form is made available each fall at www.hendrix.edu/scholarships and must be submitted by February 1.

United Methodist Youth Fellowship Leadership Scholarships

United Methodist Youth Fellowship Leadership Scholarships are awarded to students with leadership experience in local and regional United Methodist Youth ministries. Persons who wish to compete for a UMYF Leadership Award must submit an application by February 1. The online scholarship application is made available each fall at www.hendrix.edu/scholarships.

Performing and Fine Arts Scholarships

Performing and Fine Arts Scholarships are awarded to select students in music, theatre and dance, and visual arts. Students interested in Performing and Fine Arts Scholarships in music or theater and dance must schedule an audition on campus with a member of the faculty. The last day for auditions is March 16. When completing the online scholarship application, students interested in Art Scholarships must submit the URL to a set of images on Flickr that contains 10-20 images of their artwork. Descriptions should include the name, title, medium, dimensions, and date of the piece being presented. Information about setting up a Flickr account is available on the online scholarship application, or visit www.flickr.com.

Persons who wish to compete for a Performing and Fine Arts Scholarship must submit an application by February 1. The online scholarship application is made available each fall at www.hendrix.edu/scholarships.

Hendrix Scholarship for Arkansas Governor's Distinguished Scholars

Accepted freshman applicants who receive the $10,000 Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship (GDS) are considered for a Hendrix scholarship in recognition of the student’s achievement. The scholarship amount is determined each year for new students enrolling the following fall. It is renewable for up to three additional years if the student maintains the state award.

FAFSA Early Filer Grant

The Hendrix FAFSA Early Filer Grant is available to any student who files the FAFSA by March 1 of the appropriate academic year. The grant may be renewed for all following eligible consecutive years in which the renewal FAFSA continues to be filed yearly by the March 1 deadline. Missing the deadline in any one year results in lack of access to this grant for that year only.

Hendrix Aid Grants

Hendrix Aid Grants are awarded in cases of financial need. The amount of the grants varies according to the student’s need and the availability of funds. To apply, students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Ministerial Student Loans/Grants

Students preparing for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church may qualify for a loan of one-half tuition. Criteria for qualification include certification as a candidate for ministry in the United Methodist Church and approval of a financial aid committee. The loan may become a grant after the student is ordained in the United Methodist Church and serves a year in full-time ministry. Those students who later decide not to enter the ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church or cease full time ministry before completion of a year will be obligated to repay the loan, generally within five years of graduation or ceasing ministry. Students who received the Ministerial Student Loan/Grant will complete an application and submit a yearly report to the Office of the Chaplain. They will also meet regularly with the Chaplain or participate in the UMYF Leadership program. Qualifications will be determined by the Chaplain prior to the student’s entry into the program.

Interested students must work with the Chaplain in order to become certified for this program. Using the United Methodist Book of Discipline and general ministry candidate procedural guidelines, the Chaplain will be able to guide all interested students through this process. Note that the Ministerial Loan/Grant will replace most academic scholarships in the student’s financial aid package. This is important since most students who choose to enter this program will have attended Hendrix for one or more years and may have been receiving an academic scholarship. Odyssey Distinction Awards and the full value of music scholarships will be stacked on top of the aid under this program, with up to $2,000 from Theater Arts and Dance, Art, UMYF Leadership, Miller Center Service, or Leadership Awards also being stacked.

For each semester a student accepts assistance from the Ministerial Loan/Grant, the student will be obligated to spend one year in active service for the United Methodist Church for the loan to be converted to a grant. A person is in“active service” when that person is serving under appointment (with benefit of pension) by a Bishop of the United Methodist Church. The benefiting student is responsible for maintaining contact with the Hendrix College Chaplain and providing information on his/her appointment and standing. The loan will be deemed a grant once the required years of service are met. If the student fails to complete the required number of years of service, the obligation to repay the loan with interest will remain. The loan must be repaid in full within a five year period dating from the point at which the Chaplain determined that the student was no longer in compliance.

Should the student fail to meet the program requirements, the student must refer to the terms of the student’s signed agreement and repay the portion that exceeds the worth of the originally awarded academic scholarship. The specific terms of the program and obligations of the student are outlined in a Loan/Grant Agreement the student must sign to participate in the program. A form of the agreement may be obtained from the Chaplain. The terms of that agreement supersede this description and will govern the obligations of the student and Hendrix.

Robert and Ruby Priddy Scholarships

Priddy Scholarships are awarded to students from middle-income families who do not qualify for larger merit-based scholarships or federal grants, but who show exceptional promise for success at Hendrix and for leadership and service. The amount of the scholarship varies according to student need. Students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Ministers’ Dependent Grants

Dependents of United Methodist elders and deacons under full-time appointment of a bishop are eligible to apply for a grant of one-half tuition. A letter from the district superintendent confirming the full-time appointment must be received in the Office of Financial Aid. Dependents of retired or deceased ministers are also eligible to apply for the grants. All recipients of these grants must receive approval of a duly appointed financial aid committee and must be in good standing in the College. Ministers’ Dependent Grants are limited to five years. This total may include five years of undergraduate studies, or four years of undergraduate study and one year of graduate work at Hendrix. Recipients may receive either an Academic Scholarship or this grant, whichever carries the greater monetary value.

Check with the Office of Financial Aid for details.

Outside Scholarship and Loan Policy

Hendrix College awards financial aid to the maximum extent possible, within federal regulations, funding levels and student eligibility, with the assumption that no other financial aid resource is available to each student. Therefore, when an outside scholarship is received, Hendrix reserves the right to adjust the financial aid package in order to comply with federal regulations and insure that the College is able to provide as much assistance as possible to all students.

When an outside award changes eligibility for need-based financial aid, Hendrix will first reduce federal work study eligibility, subsidized student loan dollars, or convert subsidized into unsubsidized loans in order to comply with federal regulations. Need-based grants will only be reduced if no other compliance options are available. In no case may a student receive gift aid (grants and/or scholarships) from all sources (Hendrix, federal, state, private) in excess of the total cost of attendance at Hendrix (tuition, fees, room, board as well as an estimated cost of books, transportation, and personal/living expenses). If the amount of total gift aid from all sources exceeds Hendrix’s total cost of attendance, Hendrix gift aid (grants and/ or scholarships) will be reduced accordingly.

Hendrix will certify any loan source such that total aid equals total cost of attendance but never beyond.

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