Scholarship Policy Update 2025: Difference between revisions

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 == Co-Sponsors ==
 * Joe Shaul (PR)
+* Uwe (Director)
+* Krist Pregracke
 == Vote Results ==
@@ Line 43: / Line 45: @@
 == Background ==
-A higher scholarship applicant count in recent years has created a backlog of applicants primarily due to the swelling membership numbers while the scholarship seat count has remained at a static 15 seats. This is a vote to update the Scholarship policy to a manage a dynamic number of seats (5% of the paying membership count) that rotate on a 12 month basis by a new Scholarship Team. The proposed changes and new team will allow for more a more structured and equitable selection process, as well as more time for recipients to leverage space resources for skill development. Overall these changes aim to better serve our mission of creating an inclusive and accessible makerspace that reflects and enriches our diverse community. The updated policy aims to allocate scholarships based on a weighted criteria system that prioritizes both economic need and community representation. Additionally, it introduces provisions for storage access and workshop participation to ensure recipients can fully engage with PS1's resources and community.
+The aim of this vote is to revise and clarify the language of [[Scholarship_Policy_Update_2021|2021 Scholarship Update]] with the following new language. A higher scholarship applicant count in recent years has created a backlog of applicants. This is a vote to update the Scholarship policy to a manage a dynamic number of seats (5% of the paying membership count) to accommodate the member body no matter the count. It also expands scholarship terms again to 12 months, as we have found the current scholarship term length is again insufficient for recipients to get authorized on tools and complete their goals, likely from the continued growth in demand for authorizations. It also shifts the turnover time to the beginning of March, to avoid conflicts with common holiday plans around the beginning of the year for both applicants and volunteers.
 == Language of the Vote ==
-Replace the existing [[Scholarships & Work in Lieu of Dues|Scholarship Policy]] with the following new language.
+A copy of the below can be found at, [[Scholarship_Policy_2025|Scholarship Policy 2025]]
-=== 2025 Scholarship Policy ===
+== Scholarship Policy 2025 ==
-==== Scholarship Application Process ====
+Consistent with our mission, PS1 offers Scholarships to individuals that might not otherwise be able to participate due to financial constraints, or who seek membership for the purposes of education or community service.
-'''To apply for a Pumping Station: One scholarship, please follow the link to fill out our [https://tinyurl.com/y3dc3fnx application form].'''
-A clear disclaimer about the applicant's anonymity will be included in applications. Applications will be anonymized for final Board review and approval.  Scholarship applications are reviewed by a Scholarship Team before being submitted to the Board for approval no later than the last day of February. Once approved by the Board, recipients are given Pumping Station One access at no cost until the last day of February on the following year, providing a 12 month scholarship term to the recipient. Notices of scholarship award are sent to selected candidates within the first week of March. Selected scholarship recipients will have 2 weeks to accept or request to defer their scholarship. The scholarship will terminate at the end of the last day of the following February. Applications will be dropped if not selected (requiring yearly re-application). Aside from financial dues, scholarship recipients are held to all of the same expectations as active members, and are subject to all of the same repercussions for violating space rules.
+=== Scholarship Team ===
-==== Scholarship Team Structure ====
+"Scholarship Team" refers to the scholarship officer and any members in good standings that are delegated with any of the duties below.
-A dedicated Scholarship Team will be established, consisting of:
-* One Board member or Director at Large
+===== Team Duties =====
-* One member of MMT (Member Management Team)
-* At least one Equity Analyst (member or volunteer)
+* Communicating with applicants and recipients
-* One frequent member with no other volunteer associations
+* Reviewing applications and vetting candidates
-* One other of any of the above positions to assure no deadlocks
+* Providing support to recipients throughout their scholarship term
+* Answering any support tickets relating to scholarships
+* Expanding and codifying scholarship processes and resources where a board or member vote is not necessary
+===Financial & Logistical Considerations===
+The total number of available scholarships will be a count capped at 5% of total paying membership based on a snapshot taken at the beginning of December using the current member management software. This provides the Scholarship Team roughly three months to finalize scholarship selections and gain Board approval based on the determined number of available seats. Scholarship applicants that are not selected are required to re-apply to be eligible for the following term.
+Scholarships are to occur on a 12 month application cycle beginning on the first week of March for a smooth on-boarding process for scholarship recipients. Scholarships are approved for 12 month cycles with decisions being sent to candidates within the first week of March. All scholarships will have an option to renew via reapplication for an additional 12 months within three calendar years. Former scholarship recipients may be considered again in the third year, or for the second scholarship term within the same two years if there are insufficient applications to saturate the scholarship budget for the upcoming term.
+Scholarship selections will be guided by the specifics of the selection criteria that are generally laid out in this document. The selection process is done by the Scholarship Team, provided that scholarship recipients are ultimately reviewed and voted on by the Board of Directors.
+The Scholarship budget may also receive additional funding from donors in addition to what is voted upon in the annual budget. Donor funding may be added to the general scholarship pool, or as a separate scholarship designed to support particular applicants (e.g. a scholarship specifically for welders) provided those scholarships fit the goals and objectives of Pumping Station: One and are approved by the Board of Directors. All sponsored scholarship types should be made available for review by the membership, including those that are temporary, although donors and recipients may remain anonymous. Funds provided by donors for the purpose of supporting scholarships will be added to the general pool of Scholarship funding unless otherwise specified.
+===Terms===
+“Scholarships per month” refers to a singular instance of waived dues for that month’s membership. When someone receives a scholarship per annual term, they are receiving 12-months worth of scholarships to be used within that term. Modifications to an assigned scholarship term should be directed to the scholarship officer.
+===Limitations===
+The Board of Directors reserves the right to provide scholarships to the extent the Board or other designated volunteers are currently able to successfully manage and only to those applicants they deem to meet the criteria, regardless of availability. The Board of Directors reserves the right to revoke scholarships if the recipient violates the Membership agreement, does not fulfill the requirements of their scholarship, or does not respond to Board correspondence in a timely fashion regarding pertinent issues pertaining to their scholarship. The Board will work to the best of their ability to address issues for scholarship recipients with clarity and in a timely fashion. Scholarships are not transferable.
+===Selection Criteria===
+Successful applicants should meet one the following conditions:
+* Applicant can demonstrate financial need
+** This may be demonstrated by checking off a declaration in the scholarship application that PS1 dues would render the applicant unable to join PS1 without a scholarship
+* Applicant demonstrates that their PS1 membership will be used for the purposes of education or community service
-==== Scholarship Allocation ====
-The total number of approved scholarships will be a dynamic seat count capped at 5% of total paying membership based on a snapshot taken at the beginning of December. This provides the Scholarship Team roughly two months to finalize scholarship selections and gain Board approval based on the determined number of available seats.
-==== Selection Criteria ====
-Applications will be evaluated using a weighted point system that considers both economic need and barriers to access, as maintained and enforced by the Scholarship Team.
-==== Storage and Resource Access ====
-* Scholarship recipients are exempt from paid class fees. Should a member run a class that requires a material cost, that member will be responsible for adjusting the class structure to accommodate a scholarship recipient attendee. The Scholarship Team will be available as a resource for said member to help adjust the class structure accordingly.
-* Recipients may opt in to free storage space, with the option to share with other recipients.
-* In extreme circumstances or at the Scholarship Team's or Board's discretion, recipients may be required to share storage space to better accommodate paying members and volunteers, or to otherwise maximize space efficiently.
 == Categories ==
 [[Category:Votes]]
 [[Category:2025]]