Merit Scholar Award
Additional Prizes
Instructions to Merit Scholar Applicants
Instructions for Individuals Providing Recommendation and Downloadable Application
The LAFD Scholarship Fund was established and is funded primarily by the Jean Perkins Foundation, a private non-profit institution that has among its charitable interests aiding individuals that protect and serve the community as first responders.
To that end, the LAFD Scholarship Fund annually selects Merit Scholars from among applicants that are a) dependent children or step-children of active or fallen or permanently disabled, LAFD sworn employees who have completed probation and b) high school seniors or college freshmen who will be enrolled as full-time students in an accredited four-year college or university in the upcoming academic year. The Merit Scholar awards are cash grants of up to $40,000 ($10,000 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). Runners-up receive one-time grants of $7,500. (For further information on this year’s competition contact June Andrade at the LAFD Scholarship Fund by phone at (213) 435-6095 or by email at june.andrade@lacity.org.)
These scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee also considers other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments. The Los Angeles Fire Department has no role in the selection of Merit Scholars.
The Selection Committee expects to meet in April in order to identify this year’s finalists. These applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview to take place during April or May on a date determined by the committee. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider their availability for such an interview in the Los Angeles area during this timeframe before applying for a merit scholarship. The winners will be selected and announced shortly following those interviews.
Best Essay Competition: All Merit Scholar applicants are required to complete an essay as a part of their Application. In the past, these essays have provided the Selection Committee with critical insight into the lives and ambitions of the applicants and have aided immeasurably in the committee’s efforts to identify the most qualified applicants. In recognition of the time and effort the applicants dedicate to preparing the essays, the Selection Committee has established an additional award for the “Best Essay” of $7,500. The winner need not be selected as a Merit Scholar to win the Best Essay Competition but must submit a completed Application Form to be eligible.
Community Service Award: This award recognizes an applicant for their tremendous effort to selflessly donate their time helping others either locally or abroad. The funding of this $7,500 award is shared with the LAFD Foundation. The LAFD Foundation has generously sponsored half of the $7,500 award for the individual with the most outstanding record of achievement in this area.
Application. All applicants are required to complete Sections 1 through 9 of the Merit Scholar Application Form.
Section 1: Personal Information: requires you to provide some personal information.
Section 2: Asks you to list the colleges to which you have applied and supports your eligibility as a Merit Scholar Applicant. (full time student attending an accredited college this fall)
Section 3: Asks you to list all Scholarships and Grants, and Honors and Awards you have received.
- Scholarships and Grants
- Honors and Awards
Section 4: The five types of Extracurricular Activities below, asks you to indicate the various activities you have been involved from 9th thru 12 grades. The form asks you to indicate your role in the activities, the periods of participation, information regarding frequency and duration of participation in the various activities.
- One-time - with a specific date range and total participation hours
- Periodic - with specific date ranges and total participation hours
- Year-round - with specific years and total participation hours.
Extracurricular Activities also requires the name and contact information for the individuals who have supervised your participation in these activities.
- Community Service: asks you to indicate the various Community Service activities in which you have been involved. The form asks you to indicate your role in these activities, the periods of participation, the amount of time committed.
- Athletic: asks you to indicate individual or team sports in which you have been involved.
- Student Government: asks you to indicate any participation, elected or appointed, in academic organizations which promotes the interests of a schools’s student body.
- Performing Arts: asks you to indicate any creative activities, individual or group, performed for an audience, such as drama, music or dance.
- Work and Other: asks you to indicate part-time or summer employment (paid or unpaid) or any other experience the applicant would like to emphasize.
Sections 5: asks you to respond to seven questions about you and your personal opinions. (Section 5 gives you your best opportunity to elaborate on some of your experience and accomplishments, and, more importantly, to describe to the committee which factors you feel have been critical to your motivation and success.)
Section 6: requires you to submit your standardized test score results. The Scholarship Selection Committee will definitely make allowances for the changing use and participation in standardized test. If it is missing, it will not be a negative for the applicant.
Section 7: requires you to provide the names of the individuals that you have asked to supply your letters of recommendation.
Section 8: requires you and a parent to sign a statement that attests to the accuracy of the information you have provided in your Application and to your intention to enroll in a full-time accredited college program in the upcoming school year.
Section 9: requires that you write an essay on one of the prompts provided.
School Transcript. Arrange for an OFFICIAL high school transcript to be emailed or mailed to the addresses below. Applicants who have already enrolled in college should provide an OFFICIAL current college transcript and their last OFFICIAL high school transcript. They may be emailed directly from the school to june.andrade@lacity.org.
Two Letters of Recommendations and Recommendation (Grid) Form. The people you ask to write recommendations on your behalf should know you well. At least one must be a teacher or counselor, and neither may be a relative. Give each individual who has agreed to write a recommendation for you a copy of the Instructions for Individuals Providing Recommendations and the Recommendation (Grid) Form and a stamped envelope addressed to the address below or provide your recommenders with the email address june.andrade@lacity.org.
Mailing Address. The transcript, recommendation letters, and verification form should be emailed to june.andrade@lacity.org or sent to the mailing address below:
Ms. June Andrade
c/o The LAFD Scholarship Fund
1700 Stadium Way, Suite 105
Los Angeles, California 90012
Submission Deadline. The deadline for submitting all materials relating to your Application is March 31.
YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE UNLESS ALL REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF YOUR APPLICATION HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY MARCH 31
FILL OUT LAFD MERIT SCHOLAR ONLINE APPLICATION
To view a sample application download a sample PDF