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Graduation Cap And Diploma

GREATER NEVADA DETACHMENT

SCHOLARSHIP

Leaf Shadows Wall

Purpose and Overview

The Greater Nevada Detachment, Marine Corps League, Scholarship Program supports outstanding graduating high school seniors in Clark County, Nevada, who have demonstrated academic excellence, sustained community service, and leadership. This charter establishes the rules, procedures, and internal controls for administering the scholarship in a fair, consistent, and litigation-resistant manner.

Definitions

  • Committee: The Greater Nevada Detachment Scholarship Committee, appointed to administer this program.

  • Applicant: An individual who submits an application package for consideration in a given award cycle.

  • Finalist: An applicant selected for the finalist round based on compiled rubric scores.

  • Recipient: The applicant selected to receive the scholarship award for the award year.

  • Majority Vote: More than half of the full, appointed Committee membership (not merely those present).

  • Eligible Expense: A documented, post-secondary educational cost approved under this charter for reimbursement.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Student Status and Location: Graduating high school senior attending a high school in Clark County, Nevada.

  • Academic Requirement: Minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5, supported by an official transcript.

  • Community Service Requirement: Minimum of 250 hours of verifiable volunteer service.

  • Leadership and Involvement: Demonstrated leadership and/or meaningful community involvement (school, sports, clubs, community organizations, or similar).

  • Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters from non-family, non-friends, each providing a distinct perspective (for example: academic, extracurricular, and community/service). Letters must not all come from the same setting or role. Letters may come from different volunteer organizations, where applicable.

  • Complete Application Package: All required documents submitted on time per the Application Process section.

Volunteer Hours Verification Standard

  • Organization letter on official letterhead signed, by a supervisor or coordinator, specifying dates of service, duties, and total hours completed.

  • Official school service logs or forms (e.g., counselor-validated service tracking), signed and dated by an authorized school representative.

  • The Committee may conduct random or targeted verification calls or emails. Misrepresentation may result in disqualification and/or revocation.

Application Process and Required Materials

1. Application Form: Complete all fields truthfully and accurately.

2. Essays: Respond to the published prompts. Follow stated word counts and formatting.

  • Essay cannot be written by ChatGPT. The Applicant must write it on their own, in their own words.

  • Acknowledgement at the bottom that AI was not used to write the essay.

3. Transcript: Submit an official transcript verifying the unweighted GPA requirement.

4. Volunteer Verification: Submit documentation demonstrating at least 250 hours.

5. Recommendations: Submit three letters meeting the distinct-perspective requirement.

6. Submission: Submit all materials using the designated submission method by the deadline.

 

NOTE: Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed. No extensions are granted. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all components are received by the deadline.

Selection and Voting Process

Stage 1: Eligibility Screening - After the deadline, the Committee screens submissions for completeness and eligibility. Any application failing minimum requirements is disqualified from further consideration.

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Stage 2: Independent Rubric Scoring - Each Committee member scores each eligible applicant independently using the standardized rubric. Members do not confer during scoring.

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Standard Scoring Rubric (100 points):

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  • Academic Achievement (20): GPA, course rigor, academic discipline and consistency.

  • Community Service - Quantity and Reliability (20): Completion of 250+ hours; consistency over time; verification quality.

  • Community Service - Impact and Initiative (20): Meaningful contributions, initiative, outcomes, sustained involvement.

  • Leadership and Responsibility (20): Leadership roles, accountability, initiative, teamwork, tangible results.

  • Character and Communication (20): Essays and recommendations reflecting maturity, integrity, civic-mindedness, and clarity of goals.

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Stage 3: Finalist Selection - Scores are compiled to produce an average score per applicant. The top three (3) applicants by average score become finalists. If a tie affects the third position, the Committee may include an additional finalist by majority vote, documenting the reason.

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Stage 4: Finalist Interviews - Finalist interviews may be conducted to assess communication, clarity of goals, and alignment with program values. The interview stage may be included or omitted each year by majority vote of the full Committee and does not require a charter amendment. If interviews are conducted, finalists are asked substantially similar core questions to maintain fairness.

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Stage 5: Final Ranking Vote and Recipient Selection - Each voting member ranks finalists from 1 (best) to 3 (least best). Rankings are summed across members. The finalist with the lowest cumulative total is selected as the Recipient. The Committee should designate a runner-up. Ties are resolved by a documented tie-break procedure selected by majority vote (for example: reference back to rubric totals, or a re-vote among tied finalists).

Award Amount and Use of Funds

  • Award Amount: $5,000 awarded to one Applicant each year.

  • Award Type: One-time award; non-renewable.

  • Permitted Use: Post-secondary education expenses, reimbursed upon receipt of submission until the $5,000 limit is reached.

  • Keep log of tracked expenses to ensure award is not exceeded

  • Ability to write checks directly to the establishment for materials.

  • Funds must be used within two years of award date.

Reimbursement Policy and Procedure

  • Enrollment Verification: Recipient must provide proof of enrollment at an eligible, post-secondary institution prior to reimbursement.

  • Eligible Expenses: Tuition and mandatory fees, required textbooks, required course materials, required equipment, and other documented costs directly tied to attendance are subject to Committee approval.

  • Ineligible Expenses: Non-educational personal purchases, discretionary entertainment, fines, non-required items.

  • Receipt Submission: Recipient submits itemized receipts and a reimbursement request form.

  • Review and Payment: Committee (with Paymaster) reviews for eligibility and reimburses the Recipient up to the remaining award balance. Committee maintains the ability to write checks directly to the establishment for materials.

  • Expiration: Reimbursement requests must be submitted within the defined reimbursement window. Unused funds expire and revert back to the scholarship fund.

  • Fraud/Abuse: Falsified receipts or misrepresentations are grounds for disqualification, award revocation, and potential recovery of disbursed funds.

Governance and Discretion

  • Administration: The scholarship is administered by the Greater Nevada Detachment Scholarship Committee. The Committee acts under Detachment authority and within Detachment financial controls.

  • Strict Rules: Eligibility, deadlines, and scoring rules are applied uniformly and consistently.

  • Limited Flexibility: Any deviation from published rules (including granting an exception) requires a majority vote of the full Committee and must be documented with the rationale.

  • Conflict of Interest: Any Committee member with a personal relationship with an applicant (family, close personal relationship, or other conflict) must disclose the conflict and recuse from all scoring and deliberation for that applicant.

  • Confidentiality: Application materials, scoring, and deliberations are confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis within Detachment leadership.

  • Finality: The Committee’s award decision is final and not subject to appeal.

Award Timeline

  • November 1: Applications open.

  • March 1: Applications close (11:59 PM Pacific).

  • March 2 - March 15: Eligibility screening and completeness review.

  • March 15 - April 15: Independent scoring period.

  • By April 20: Finalists selected and notified.

  • Late April: Finalist interviews

  • By May 1: Recipient selected and announced.

  • June 15: Award agreement due, preliminary enrollment plans collected. Expiration date must be noted in the award agreement.

  • Two Years From Award Date: Award cycle closed, unused funds revert back to scholarship fund.

Records Retention

The Committee will retain, at minimum, the following records for three (3) years: application materials, scoring summaries, meeting minutes, finalist communications, reimbursement requests and receipts, and disbursement records. Longer retention may be used if required by Detachment policy.

Amendments and Program Continuity

  • This program is intended to operate in perpetuity, subject to annual funding by the Detachment.

  • Substantive changes to eligibility, award amount, selection method, or reimbursement rules must be approved by majority vote of the Committee and any additional approval required by Detachment governance.

  • Minor administrative updates (such as contact information or date adjustments) may be made by the Committee and documented in minutes. Any changes affecting applicants must be communicated clearly and in advance of the application deadline.

Disclaimer

This charter is an internal governance document describing program operations and does not create a contract or entitlement for any applicant. The Committee reserves the right to withhold an award if no applicant meets minimum standards or if funding is unavailable, consistent with Detachment governance and documentation requirements.

Submit complete packages to gnd186mcl@gmail.com.

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