Each year, with the help of volunteers across the country, the Mensa Education & Research Foundation awards tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students attending universities and colleges in the United States.
To ensure the widest reach for the scholarship program, the Foundation relies on Mensa volunteers at the local level. It’s only through the dedication of these volunteers that the scholarship program is able to bring financial support and the Mensa name to hundreds of students around the country.
Unfortunately, each year there are deserving students who do not receive scholarships because the Mensa Local Groups in their areas (more than 40 in 2011) did not participate in the scholarship program. However, you can help open the door of opportunity for these students.
The Foundation's U.S. scholarship program is very large in the geographic area it covers (usually about 75 percent of the country), the number of applications (4,000 to 6,000 in recent years), and the amount of money available for awards (more than $70,000 in 2010-2011). This program relies on approximately 400 volunteers around the country with support from the Foundation’s office staff.
The scholarship program includes three groups of awardees: students who reside in the United States, U.S. Mensa members or their dependents, and international Mensa members or their children who are enrolled at colleges or universities in the United States.
An applicant for a U.S. scholarship must submit an application and essay explaining his or her career, academic and/or vocational goals. Selection for an award is based totally on the essay written by the applicant. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program or financial need; the applicant need not be a Mensa member. These awards range from $300 to $2,000 each.
In addition, several $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year to college-bound Mensa members and/or the dependents of Mensa members. The international scholarship is open to Mensa members from other than American Mensa or their children age 25 or younger.
Without the participation of Mensa Local Groups, the scholarship program simply would not happen. If you are already a volunteer for your group’s scholarship program, thank you.
If your group has not participated before, it’s simple for you to change that. Contact your LocSec and volunteer to help. A local Scholarship Chair, appointed by the LocSec, oversees the group’s participation in the program. Then, a few volunteers are needed to read the essays from students in your geographic area.
Applications and essays are accepted between Sept. 15 and Jan. 15 every year. Besides ensuring another student gets assistance in achieving a dream, your Local Group gets credit for giving a scholarship, and the Foundation provides the funds. Best of all, you will be part of making a difference to students like these:
Are you ready to make a difference? Contact your LocSec and volunteer. It’s easier than ever to participate with this year’s online signup process at www.us.mensa.org/scholarshipsignup. A few volunteer hours are all that’s needed to open a door of opportunity for a student. For more details on the Mensa Foundation scholarship program, visit www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships.