2012-2013 African-American Studies Scholarship
UNIVERSITY of ALABAMA at BIRMINGHAM
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Application for African-American Studies Program Scholarships
The UAB African-American Studies Program bi-annually (Fall and Spring) awards several scholarships for current student majors.
Deadline for Fall Applications: June 1st
Application Guidelines:
1.) Must be enrolled in a fulltime course of study (at least 12 hours) and must have officially declared a major in African American Studies
2.) Must maintain an overall GPA of 2.7 or above, and a GPA in the African American Studies major of 3.0 or above.
3.) Must submit a cover letter of application verifying her or his need for financial aid, why he/she has declared AAS as a major, and what she/he intends to accomplish with the AAS major after graduation. In short, the cover letter would document the student’s academic and professional goals. The cover letter must be typed, signed and dated.
4.) Must include a three-paged, typed and double-spaced original essay on one of the following topics designated by the AAS program. The topics for the AY 2012-2013 scholarship competition is:
- What is the importance of African-American Studies at UAB in 2012? Given the development of Black Studies in the United States over forty years from 1968 until today, what is the relevance of African-American Studies as a viable academic discipline? Have conditions improved, declined or remained stagnant over forty years?
- What is in a name? Discuss the different names for African-American Studies (Black Studies, Africana Studies, African Diaspora Studies, etc.) and their significance or insignificance. Does this conflict over naming with Black Studies as an academic discipline mirror debates over cultural/ethnic/racial identity such as Black vs. African-American?
5.) The applicant’s unofficial UAB transcript must be submitted.
6.) Must have at least two letters of recommendation mailed or delivered to the AAS interim director. One letter must be from a current teacher or professor who has actually taught the student. The second letter should be from a supervisor, community leader, minister OR other individual (not a family member or friend) who has personal knowledge of the applicant’s background and credentials. All letters must be typed, signed, sealed, and currently dated.
There are no restrictions to applicants based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, veteran status, gender, or sexual orientation.
This application is to be used for a student to be considered for financial aid from the African-American Studies Program of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The application must be received by the deadline stated on the “Application Guidelines” page and is only active for six months after submission. Applicants are also encouraged to apply for financial aide using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early in the calendar year. Students may apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov The amount of scholarship awards varies depending on the number of applications received each semester.
PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY OR TYPE YOUR APPLICATION
Legal Name:
(Last) (Middle) (First)
Mailing Address
(Street)
(City) (State) (Zip Code)
Home Telephone: ( ) ___________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
BOO Number: _________________________________________________________
High School: __________________________________________________________
UAB Classification: _____Freshman _____Sophomore _____Junior _____Senior
This application must be accompanied by: _____ Letter of Application _____ Essay
The two letters of recommendation and the official transcript must be mailed directly to the AAS interim director at the following address: Dr. George Munchus, Interim Director, African-American Studies Program, HHB 322 University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1152, (205) 975-9652.
Certification: The information included in this application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that submission of false information may invalidate this application.
Signature of Applicant Date