Background:

In order to support students enrolling in local universities with a goal of earning a degree in an Information Technology field, the JITC has begun a scholarship fund program to help these students defray educational costs. The monies for the fund have come from contributions of the members and member firms of the JITC. This Scholarship is awarded annually and is non-renewable.

Definitions:

Purpose: The JITC Scholarship Fund was established to help a deserving individual with an interest in Information Technology defray the costs of securing a college degree in that field.

Eligibility: This scholarship will be open only to students who will graduate from one of Jacksonville’s IT Academies (A. Philip Randolph High School or Raines High School). Each Academy may nominate up to 3 students annually.

Applicants must be planning to attend college at FCCJ or UNF, the following Fall semester, with a goal of achieving an Associates degree or higher with an IT related major.

Award Process: The scholarship is non-renewable, and will be awarded in April of each year to the selected candidate. The application process will begin in January. Deadline for submission of the completed application is February 15 (applications and all related papers must be in the hands of the JITC selection committee or postmarked by this date).

Notification: Applicants will be notified by letter of the decision of the selection committee. The recipient will be invited to the April JITC general meeting to receive the award.

Scholarship Amount: The amount of the scholarship will be $500, based on the availability of funds.

Disbursement of Funds: Funds will be paid after selection to the Financial Aid organization at the recipients selected institution with instructions from the ITBRG detailing the criteria by which they are to be distributed to the student. The funds will be available at the student’s chosen institution for two semesters, after which any funds that are not disbursed will be returned to the JITC.

Use of Funds: Funds may be used for payment of any expenses incurred by the student with no restrictions. The funds will be disbursed to the student by the institution upon notification and providing proof of enrollment.

Criteria for Nomination by Guidance Counselor:

Competitive Academic Record (2.5 GPA or above)
Involvement in extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, organizations, church, band, etc)
Maximum of three (3) nominations per Guidance Counselor per Academy

Application Requirements:

Candidates must be graduating from one of the two Duval County IT Academies (Randolph or Raines) and plan to enroll at FCCJ or UNF with a major course of study in an Information Technology related field.

The candidate will be responsible for gathering and submitting the following required documents for the application process. The application should include the following attachments:

Cover Letter and Resume listing any community service or work experience (preferably emailed in MS Word format and sent to Eileen Ward at FCCJ at ejward@fccj.edu )
Candidates should submit a paper of 500 words or less stating their vision for the next three years of Information Technology trends in their area of interest (preferably emailed in MS Word format)
Complete the JITC Scholarship Fund Application (preferably emailed in MS Word format Eileen Ward at FCCJ at ejward@fccj.edu or mail to JITC c/o Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, 3 Independent Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32202)
School transcripts (most recent, to be mailed by Guidance)
Two (2) letters of recommendation (email preferred)

Selection Process:

A review committee will evaluate all of the applications and select the top two (2) candidates to attend a personal interview. The review committee will then select the scholarship recipient based on the results of the interview.

The review committee will focus on the following criteria during the selection process:
grades, academic achievement
extracurricular activity
community service
work experience
letter(s) of recommendation
exhibit a special interest or skill

Personal Interview:
In addition to the above criteria, the selection committee will also consider the results of the candidate interviews to determine the final recipient of the scholarship funds.
Amendments:
These rules may be amended or modified by the Board of Directors of the JITC whenever it becomes necessary.
Contact:
Send completed Application and related documents to:
JITC
C/o Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
3 Independent Dr.
Jacksonville, Fl 32202
or email to: Eileen Ward at ejward@fccj.edu

cc:
A. Philip Randolph – Christine McNair
Raines HS – Patrine Stanley
FCCJ – Eileen Ward
UNF – Neil Coulter