MacMurray Foundation and Alumni Association 2024-2025 Scholarships

Information to come, please check back.

FORMS

MacMurray Foundation and Alumni Association Scholarships

From 1846 to 2020 MacMurray College scholarships helped students pursue their college education. MacMurray students were frequently supported by college scholarships provided by generous donors. The MacMurray Foundation is continuing this legacy of MacMurray College by making scholarships available for members of MacFam, i.e., MacMurray College alums, former faculty, staff, and trustees, and their relatives. New this year the Foundation is opening scholarship availability to students sponsored by a member of MacFam. In recognition of MacMurray's long and historic relationship with the Jacksonville community, the Foundation will continue to provide an annual scholarship to a local student in coordination with the Jacksonville Promise Organization. We will again offer a scholarship opportunity to community college students graduating with an associate's degree who intend to complete their education as a residential on campus student at a four-year college. We also invite applications from our awardees from 2022-2023 to renew their scholarships and from new applicants pursuing higher education for classes beginning in Fall 2023. (We always welcome contributions to our scholarship funds also.) We are now accepting applications for all these scholarships, but will not review or award any scholarships until after the March 15 deadline for submissions. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please review the criteria below. All awards are for one year only, but previous awardees may apply for additional years through this process.

If you are interested in funding a scholarship or supporting the scholarship program, review the possibilities on our support page.

Current Scholarships

The MacMurray Foundation and Alumni Association is making the following scholarships available to select qualified applicants for the school year 2023-2024.

SCHOLARSHIPS

MacMurray Foundation General Scholarships (each of these scholarships will be for $1500):

William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators. This scholarship is for $1500 and will be awarded to a student intending to pursue a career as an educator who meets the criteria listed below.

Class of 1972 Scholarship. This scholarship is for $2000 and will be awarded to a student who is either first generation, and/or has overcome some obstacle in pursuing or attempting to pursue an undergraduate education, and meets the criteria listed below.

Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship. This scholarship is for $3000 and will be awarded to a community college student receiving an associate's degree who intends to pursue a bachelor's degree as a residential on-campus student at a four-year institution of higher learning and who meets the eligibility criteria listed below.

Criteria for Applying

  1. Previous MacMurray Foundation Scholarship Awardees
    1. Previous awardees must submit another complete application during the application period.
    2. The application must indicate that the previous awardee/applicant will be a full-time student during academic year 2023-2024:
      1. As a student attending an institution of higher learning with a focus on the connection to the legacy of MacMurray College, or
      2. As an undergraduate student majoring in one of the programs for which MacMurray College was prominent, or
      3. As a student pursuing an advanced degree in a helping profession.
    3. The application must include a paragraph giving an account of the previous year's academic and non-academic activities and accomplishments and explaining how the previous year's scholarship award helped the awardee achieve these activities and accomplishments.
    4. In addition to the application, the previous awardee must submit a transcript from the applicant's most recent academic year showing a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
  2. New Applicants for All MacMurray Foundation General or Named Scholarships
    1. Primary Criteria. To be considered for a MacMurray Foundation and Alumni Association general or named scholarship, an applicant must meet the criteria in either i, ii, or iii, and one or more of the additional criteria in paragraph b below, and submit a complete application with all required forms and references:
      1. Be a member of MacFam. For this purpose and in keeping with the theme of MacFam, a member of MacFam is considered to be anyone who attended or graduated from MacMurray College, a former faculty member, staff, or trustee of MacMurray College, or a relative of any of the above; or
      2. Be a person sponsored by a member of MacFam as described in paragraph i and submits a completed Sponsor Form.
      3. Be an awardee of a Jacksonville Promise scholarship and meet the Foundation's general scholarship requirements.
    2. Additional Criteria.
      1. Initially, those applicants who were students at MacMurray College at the time of its closure will be given first priority, so that they may have assistance in finishing their college experience.
      2. Be a first-generation College student.
      3. Be a high school graduate who will attend an institution of higher learning with a focus on the connection to the legacy of MacMurray College.
      4. Be a college applicant or attendee who will major in one of the programs for which MacMurray was historically prominent, i.e., Deaf Education and Hard of Hearing, Special Education and teacher training, Nursing, Social Work, Homeland Security, Criminal Justice, Art, Music, or a helping profession.
      5. Be pursuing an advanced degree in a helping profession.
      6. Demonstrate Financial Need as indicated on the Financial Need Form.
      7. Be a person who has overcome a difficulty in life, such as a physical, mental or other difficulty, as explained in the required essay.
  3. Applicants for a William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators
    1. Applicants for a William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators must meet both the Primary and Additional Criteria listed above for a MacMurray Foundation General Scholarship, submit a complete application as indicated below, and indicate in the application that they intend to pursue a career as a future educator.
  4. Applicants for the Class of 1972 Scholarship Criteria
    1. Applicants for the Class of 1972 Scholarship must be a member of MacFam or sponsored by a member of MacFam as indicated in Bai or ii above and meet one or more of the Additional Criteria for a MacMurray Foundation General Scholarship indicated in Bb above, except that the applicant must be pursuing an undergraduate degree. Students who are first generation or who have overcome some obstacle in life will be given priority for the scholarship.
    2. In addition, an applicant must submit a complete application as indicated below, except that the applicant for the Class of 1972 Scholarship must show a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on the transcript that includes the applicant's most recent academic period.
  5. Applicants for the Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship Criteria
    1. Applicants for the Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" scholarship must submit both a complete application and a reference letter from a faculty or staff member of a community college. The applicant must be an individual who:
      1. Is preparing to graduate from a community college with an associate's degree and is intending to pursue a bachelor's degree in the next academic year;
      2. Is planning to pursue getting a bachelor's degree as a residential student, i.e., planning to live on the campus of an institution of higher learning; and
      3. Has, during the applicant's years at the community college, demonstrated real academic and personal growth as shown by a recommendation submitted by a faculty or staff member from the community college.

How to Apply for MacMurray Foundation Scholarships

  1. Academic Requirements
    • Previous awardees and applicants for a MacMurray Foundation General or Named Scholarship or the William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators must have maintained a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA as shown on a transcript that includes the applicant's most recent academic period.
    • An applicant for the Class of 1972 Scholarship must have maintained a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA as shown on a transcript that includes the applicant's most recent academic period.
    • There is no minimum GPA for the Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship.
  2. Essay Requirements
    • A new applicant for a MacMurray Foundation general or named Scholarship, the William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators, or the Class of 1972 Scholarship must include a short essay (no more than 2 pages) describing how the values of Knowledge, Faith, Service, and Wisdom, Duty and Reverence have impacted the applicant or the applicant's life.
      (See the About page for information about MacMurray values).
    • If applying for a MacMurray Foundation general or named scholarship, the William Stanton Scholarship or the Class of 1972 Scholarship on the basis of needing assistance as a result of overcoming a difficulty in life, such as a physical, mental or other obstacle in life, the applicant must include a discussion explaining how the applicant how overcome the difficulty.
    • There is no essay requirement for the Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship.
  3. Letter of Reference Requirements
    • Applicants for a MacMurray Foundation general or named scholarship, the William Stanton Scholarship for Future Educators and the Class of 1972 Scholarship must also submit a letter of reference from a teacher, pastor or other adult of their choice who is not an immediate family member.
    • An applicant for the Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship must submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member of the community college from which the applicant is receiving an associate's degree discussing how the applicant has demonstrated real academic and personal growth during the applicant's career at the community college.

How to Submit Your Application

  1. Application Deadline
  2. Submitting Your Application
    • Email the completed application form, along with the following documents, all saved in PDF format, to MacScholars@MacAlumFoundation.org:
      1. Completed Sponsor Form, if applying on the basis of being sponsored by a member of MacFam;
      2. Official transcript showing cumulative GPA from most recent academic institution, including GPA from most recent academic term. [Not applicable for Louise Rintelmann Thompson 'I Believe in You' Scholarship]
      3. Essay as described above. [Not applicable for Louise Rintelmann Thompson "I Believe in You" Scholarship]
      4. Completed Financial Need Form (if applying for an award based on financial need).
      5. Letter of reference or recommendation as described above.

Privacy Policy for Scholarship
Applicants and Awardees

The information provided by the applicant and family is private and will be shared only with scholarship reviewers for purposes of determining eligibility for a scholarship and making recommendations for scholarship awards. No information will be made public, except as may be required by law, or for publication of the award or as specifically permitted by the awardees. Scholarship awardee's information will be provided to the applicant's requested institution. Applicants/awardees may submit a request in writing to limit in whole or part publication of the applicant/awardee's information.

Contact Us

If you have questions or want more information, please contact the Foundation Scholarship Committee Chair at MacScholars@MacAlumFoundation.org.