Tennessee Elks Association

The Legacy Awards

Following are answers to common questions about the Elks National Foundation's merit-based ENF Legacy Awards scholarship program.

Through its five scholarship programs, the Elks National Foundation now awards nearly $3.4 million a year in college scholarships.

Who is Eligible?

1. Any child or grandchild (or step-child, step-grandchild, or legal ward) of an Elk who has been a member in good standing for at least two years is eligible to apply. The Elk must have been a member since at least April 1, 2000, or a charter member of a Lodge that was instituted since April 1, 2000, is eligible to apply. The Elks must also be a paid-up member through March 31, 2003. Great-grandchildren are not eligible.

2. The applicant must be a high school senior.

3. The applicant must apply through the related member's Elks Lodge, regardless of where the applicant resides.

4. If the applicant's parent and grandparent are both Elks members, the applicant should apply through the parent's Elks Lodge.

5. Students may apply for more than one ENF scholarship; however, they may win only one. In cases where the student qualifies for more than one, we will award the scholarship with the greater value.

6. Legacy Awards may only be applied to accredited US American schools, colleges or universities. (Note: Applicants from Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico and the Philippines may apply Legacy Awards toward schools, colleges or universities in their respective homes.)

7.Applicants must take the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American College Test.

How Many Scholarships Will You Award, and Who Will I Compete Against?

Legacy Awards are one-year, $1,000 scholarships. The Foundation offers a total of up to 500 awards.

Children and grandchildren will compete separately against other children and grandchildren in their state. Each state is eligible to receive a number of awards based on its past support of the Elks National Foundation. Due to IRS regulations, the Foundation may award Legacy Awards to no more than 25 percent of the applicants in each state. Each state’s quota is divided evenly among children and grandchildren. In states where the quota is an uneven number, the extra award is allocated to children of Elks, rather than grandchildren.

Who Will Select the Legacy Award Winners?

The Selection Committee shall consist of professionals who are not connected with either the Elks National Foundation or the BPO Elks of the USA, appointed periodically by the ENF Trustees. The Selection Committee is responsible for the confidential review of each applicant’s file. They determine the Legacy Award winners. Their decision is final.

How Will Applications Be Judged?

The Selection Committee will judge applicants' scholarship and leadership abilities based on the following information.

1. SAT or ACT scores
2. Transcript of high school credits
3. Biographical Questionnaire
4. Two letters of reference

This is a merit-based scholarship program. There will be no further investigation of the prospective students or their parents with respect to financial need or other personal matters.

How Do I Apply, and What Are the Deadlines?

Eligible students should apply in the following manner:

1. Obtain a six-page Legacy Award Biographical Questionnaire from your local Lodge, visit the Elks website to download an application, or online after August 1, or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Elks National Foundation. Applications will be in the Lodges and online by August 1, 2002.

2. The student must complete the Biographical Questionnaire and return it to the Elks National Foundation postmarked no later than January 10, 2003, along with an up-to-date transcript of grades, SAT or ACT score results, and two sealed letters of reference, including one from a high school teacher.

3. Be sure you obtain the required signatures. The Elk parent or grandparent with the longest continuous membership completes part two of the required signature section; Lodge secretary completes part three.

4. Upon receipt of the Biographical Questionnaire, the applicant will receive a postcard noting the application was received and the date winners will be announced-April 30, 2003.

Note: Because the contest begins in one Lodge year and the winners are announced in the next, a Legacy Award could go to the child or grandchild of a lapsed member. An applicant’s Elk parent or grandparent must be a paid-up member in good standing at the time of application, but if the Elk chooses not to renew membership, that decision will not affect the outcome of the Legacy Awards contest.

How Will the Awards Be Administered?

Award winners will be announced in April of each year.

The award becomes final when the student accepts it and actually enrolls in an accredited US American school, college or university. The award money will be apportioned equally by period (semester, trimester, quarter, etc.). Legacy Awards are evidenced by a Certificate of Award issued by the Chicago office of the Elks National Foundation. All checks are paid directly to the school; under no circumstance can we make payment directly to the student.

The scholarship monies may be used for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board. In order to receive payment, a student must have the school send to our Chicago office, a completed Verification of Enrollment form, whereupon, we will issue our check, payable to the school, and mail it directly to the school to establish a credit in the name of the student. We will notify the student when we mail the check.

If a student leaves school for any reason, the un-disbursed balance of the scholarship must be returned directly to the Foundation's Chicago office. It may not be transferred to another school, and it may not be paid to the student personally.

In all of our scholarship programs, it is the responsibility of the student to follow up on all matters relating to his or her scholarship. In all correspondence relating to a student who has won, or is applying for, a Legacy Award, we must have the full name and Social Security number of the student.

Where Can I Get More Information about the ENF Legacy Awards Program or the Elks National Foundation?

Write us at:

Elks National Foundation
2750 N. Lakeview Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614-1889
enf@elks.org