THE MISS ALABAMA VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION WILL AWARD SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS UNDER THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES.
PLEASE NOTE: SCHOLARSHIPS MAY ONLY BE REQUESTED AFTER THE RECIPIENT HAS GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR OBTAINED HER GED.
SCHOLARSHIP USAGE:
Scholarship funds may be applied to tuition, textbooks, academic fees and other appropriate mandatory educational expenses at accredited post-secondary educational institutions.
Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses include tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance of a student at an educational organization, including fees, books, and equipment required of all students in the particular course of instruction.
Payment of all approved expenditures will be made directly to the college, university or other accredited institution. Personal Reimbursements to scholarship recipients will not be honored, so proper planning and time allotment is essential on the part of the student. Please allow at least 30 days from the Scholarship Chair’s receipt of the scholarship request packet for complete processing.
REQUESTING USAGE:
Requests for scholarships are processed by the Miss Alabama Volunteer Scholarship Chair upon receipt. Proper request forms, signed by the contestant containing all required documents must be presented in the request packet. Scholarship request forms and mailing information will be provided to scholarship winners following the pageant.
REIMBURSEMENT GUIDELINES:
Payments for room and board will be made directly to the post-secondary educational institution. Such requests must be accompanied by appropriate documentation from the educational institution evidencing the charges for the same and showing the contestant’s enrollment as a full-time student (at least 12 semester credit hours for undergraduate students, 9 semester credit hours for graduate students or 6 credit hours for approved graduate teaching assistants).
Scholarships may be used for off-campus housing only when the contestant meets the same requirements as those for on-campus housing requests. Off-campus housing monthly payments will be made directly to the leasing agency. The lease must be in the contestant’s name. Payments do not cover key fees, deposits or utilities.
STUDENT LOANS:
Scholarships may be used for outstanding student loan obligations provided the contestant has satisfactorily completed the coursework for which the loan was obtained. In all cases, requests must include a current bill statement from the approved educational lender showing the remittance address for payments, a copy of the promissory note showing the contestant as the primary or secondary payer of the obligation, and an official transcript showing completion of the coursework for the loan period.
USAGE FOR FUTURE EXPENSES AND FORFEITURES:
Scholarships may be used for future educational expenses. Except as set forth below, contestants must use their scholarships within 1 year of the date of the award or 1 year following the date of their high school graduation or obtaining the GED. Funds may be deferred for 1 additional year based on the receipt of a Scholarship Deferral Form signed by the contestant (and a parent if the contestant is under 18 years of age) and received by the Miss Alabama Volunteer Scholarship Chair. Scholarship Deferral Forms will be made available upon the contestant’s request. Deferral petitioners will be informed of the decision made concerning their scholarship deferral status within 30 days of the receipt of the Scholarship Deferral Form.
Miss Alabama Volunteer and Miss Alabama Teen Volunteer titleholders must satisfactorily complete the requirements of their reign before being eligible to request scholarship funds. The 1-year timetable for former titleholders who have graduated from high school or obtained their GED will begin at the end of their reign instead of the date of the award. Titleholders who do not satisfactorily complete the requirements of their reign will forfeit all scholarship funds awarded through the Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization. Scholarship funds for state titleholders may be deferred for 2 additional years based on the receipt of a Scholarship Deferral Form signed by the titleholder and received by the Miss Alabama Volunteer Scholarship Chair. Deferral petitioners will be informed of the decision made concerning their scholarship deferral status within 30 days of the receipt of the Scholarship Deferral Form.
If a contestant has not submitted a proper request to the Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization for her scholarship award dollars during the appropriate time period, her right to request funds will be forfeited. Prior to the date of forfeiture, reasonable attempts will be made by the Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization to notify the contestant of impending forfeiture. All forfeited scholarship funds will remain in the Yellowhammer Scholarship Foundation for awards to future contestants.
An exception to the time limits may be made if the contestant, prior to the expiration date, makes a written appeal to the Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization citing compelling reasons why the time period should be extended. The Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization Board of Directors will review the request and determine whether an extension is warranted. The decision of the Miss Alabama Volunteer Organization shall be final and binding.
TAX INFORMATION:
Amounts received as scholarship payments are taxable income to the extent that they exceed “Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses”. It is each contestant’s obligation to determine whether the scholarship, in whole or part, is includable in gross taxable income, regardless of whether a Form 1099 has been issued. Contestants are encouraged to consult a tax advisor regarding the taxability of the scholarship payments.
