ELIGIBILITY

All students currently enrolled in the 11th grade and attending a Minnesota public, private, or parochial high school or a home study program and who plan to further their education at a college, university, or vocational school are eligible for this program.  Student cannot be the child, stepchild, grandchild or step-grandchild, brother, stepbrother, sister or stepsister of a MAT director or staff member.

REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must complete an application form and submit it along with a written essay discussing this year’s topic:

The title of the Minnesota Association of Township’s 2019 Annual Conference is: The Sense of the Census: Rural Representation at Risk.  The question is:

The 2020 Census is fast approaching.  Census data is used for a variety of issues, but it must be used to determine the size of congressional and state legislative districts to ensure “one person, one vote.”  Over time, there has been a population shift from rural to urban centers.  This shift has implications for transportation funding, land use planning, and education resources in townships.  What policies can be adopted that will encourage economic development in rural communities ensuring robust representation at all levels of government?

Essays must be between 450 and 500 words, and must be typed with double spacing. Applicants should not name themselves, their school, their town or city, or their local officials in the essay.

Along with the completed application and written essay, students must submit a current high school transcript and a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher or counselor. All items must be submitted in one envelope and mailed to:

Minnesota Association of Townships Scholarship Program
P.O. Box 267
St. Michael, MN  55376

Must be postmarked by May 1, 2019. Incomplete applications or applications postmarked after May 1, 2019 will not be accepted.

SELECTION PROCESS
Each essay will be judged by an independent panel based upon originality, knowledge of subject matter in relationship to the title, and supporting statements, as well as correct spelling and punctuation. The judging will be completed by October 1, 2019 at which time six $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Winners will be notified in writing by mid-October and will be invited to attend the Minnesota Association of Townships annual meeting to be held on November 21-23, 2019 at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato, Minnesota.  Scholarship awards will be paid to the appropriate financial aid office upon receipt of verification of enrollment at a college, university, or technical school.