Less than 3 weeks remain for Ventura County high school seniors to apply for the 2014 Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Scholars Program by the deadline of February 18. This program awards scholarships to stand-out local students whose leadership skills and strong personal character are emblematic of our nation’s 40th President.   

In its 15th year, the program will recognize extraordinary seniors attending Ventura County high schools who possess outstanding leadership, character, communication skills, academic achievement, and commitment to Ventura County with awards totaling $50,000, including cash awards for teachers chosen by the top award recipients.  Additional information, eligibility requirements, and a link to the application are available online.

Once again, the Reagan Foundation will work with Scholarship Management Services (SMS), a division of Scholarship America, to administer the program and collect applications via a secure website. Supplemental materials, including a high school transcript and two recommendations, must be mailed by the applicants to Scholarship Management Services by the postmark deadline February 18.  We greatly appreciate your support in helping students gather these materials in a timely fashion, as deadline extensions will not be granted.  As previously announced, this year’s deadline has been accelerated to allow adequate time for the selection process. 

Also new this year is the addition of a video submission component for semifinalists. Students who are identified as semifinalists will be asked to provide a three-minute amateur (i.e., Smartphone) video version of their essay response for further consideration. Semifinalists, their families, and their school administrators will be invited to an awards dinner at the Reagan Library on Tuesday, May 13 (please note the updated date). Don’t forget… the school that puts forth the most qualified applicants as a percentage of their senior class will receive a special recognition at the Awards Dinner. We encourage you to cast your nets wide and put all of your young leaders in the running.

If you have questions, please contact me at the e-mail address below. Applicants who have questions about the application process may contact Scholarship Management Services at 1-507-931-1682 and ask for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Scholars Program or e-mail [email protected]. Applicants should anticipate a response to inquiries within one business day, and should avoid waiting until the final hours to seek assistance.

We are glad to partner with you once again, and look forward to honoring your student leaders later this spring.

Erin Korsvall
Program Officer, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Scholars Program
[email protected]