THE TILF FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP -

Records show that the first scholarship, worth $300, was awarded in 1958, before TILF was legally established.

TILF FOUNDATION

More than 20,000 Texas high school students who participated in the UIL Academic State Meet have received more than $35 million in awards from the Texas Interscholastic League Foundation since 1958.

TODAY

Over 500 students who are enrolled in colleges and institutions across Texas will receive more than $1 million in financial aid from TILF during a normal academic year. In 2021, TILF offered 314 brand-new and 217 renewal scholarships.

The TILF has nearly $20 million in endowed funds and receives direct scholarship contributions from foundations, people, and business sponsors all around the state totaling more than $600,000. TILF expects to pay out roughly $1.1 million during the school year 2023–2024.

TOMORROW

The TILF Scholarship Program’s Board of Directors and staff are committed to raising more money for it. No gift is too tiny or large.

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP

When there were few scholarships available to children who were intellectually gifted, Rodney J. Kidd, a former UIL Director and the creator of TILF, seeded the concept of providing scholarships to these students.

WHO MAY APPLY?

Candidates who fit the following description:

• Must have participated in the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition, the Latino History Essay Competition, or the Young Filmmakers Festival OR Must have been a member of one of the top 10 teams per competition group at the BEST or FIRST state robotics competitions. • Must have competed at the UIL Academic State Meet, Congressional Debate State Meet, Cross Examination Debate State Meet, One-Act Play State Meet, or Theatrical Design State Meet.

• Must intend to enroll in a Texas college or university that is accredited.

• Must maintain a 2.5 college GPA while enrolled full-time (some scholarships require higher GPAs)

• You must have taken the SAT or ACT (this requirement is waived for students graduating in 2023)

• Must be a high school senior during the current school year

SELECTION STANDARDS

The selection criteria used by our board members and contributors are shown below. It’s important to remember, however, that participation in or even winning a UIL academic event does not automatically qualify a student for a scholarship; rather, it only makes them eligible to apply. The following elements, but not exclusively, are taken into consideration:

Apply also; The Abel Hanger Scholarship Program

1. Strong academic performance as evidenced by a high-grade point average and graduation class ranking;

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2. Requirement for financial support;

3. Strong results on college entrance exams;

4. Participation in the UIL academic competition with success;

5. Prepares to enroll in a Texas-based college or university for the next fall semester;

6. Involvement in the community

Steps to Take for a Successful Application

1. Fill out every field on the application that is necessary. (Note: Students must also complete supplementary statements if they are applying for the Welch Foundation and Red Oak Foundation Scholarships.)

2. Have the aforementioned files available for upload. Your application won’t be taken into consideration if you don’t contain these things.

• Your SAT and/or ACT scores are listed on your high school transcript. Include a screenshot or scanned copy of your College Board and/or ACT test results if your transcript does not list test scores even though you took one of these exams.

• A letter of recommendation from the superintendent, principal, assistant principal, UIL coach, or a counselor of the school.

• A duplicate of pages 1 and 2 from your parent(s) or guardian(s)’ most recent IRS form 1040. Blacking out social security and bank routing numbers is recommended. Provide a letter of justification from your parent, legal guardian, or one of the aforementioned school administrators if this form is not accessible.

• A copy of the financial aid letter you received from the college or university of your choice. You can upload a copy of your whole FAFSA Student Assistance Report if you don’t have a financial aid letter (SAR).

By May 13, 2023, all items must be submitted.

Late applications won’t be taken into consideration. Multiple applications are not going to increase your likelihood of getting a scholarship. Only the most current application, if you submit more than one, will be considered.

Please send an email to [email protected] if you have any questions or issues about applying or need to make modifications to your application. We will get back to you as soon as we can. The results will be mailed to each candidate in the middle of July.

PLEASE NOTE: A student is not eligible to apply for a TILF scholarship if they exclusively participate in athletic or musical competitions. To apply, a student must place first in their state in an academic competition.