Scholarship Policy Update 2025

Title

Vote to Update Scholarship Policy 2025

Sponsor

• V (MMT)

Co-Sponsors

• Shauen
• Joe Shaul (PR)

Vote Results

 Quorum:[ ]
 Yea Votes: [ ]  
 Nay Votes: [ ]
 Present or Abstain: [ ]

History

• Announced: [Date TBD]
• Language locked: [Date TBD]
• Voted on: [Date TBD]

Background

This is a vote to update the Scholarship policy to better serve our mission of creating an inclusive and accessible makerspace that reflects and enriches our diverse community. The proposed changes expand our scholarship criteria to explicitly support underrepresented groups, establish a dedicated Scholarship Team, and implement a more structured and equitable selection process.

The updated policy aims to allocate scholarships based on a weighted criteria system that prioritizes both economic need and community representation. Additionally, it introduces longer scholarship terms and includes provisions for storage access and workshop participation to ensure recipients can fully engage with PS1's resources and community.

Language

2025 Scholarship Policy Updates

Scholarship Application Process

To apply for a Pumping Station: One scholarship, please follow the link to fill out our application form.

Scholarship applications are reviewed by a Scholarship Team before being submitted to the board for approval. Once approved by the board, recipients are given Pumping Station One access at no cost until the end of the year. Notices of scholarship award are sent to selected candidates within the first week of the year. Selected scholarship recipients will have 2 weeks to accept or request to defer their scholarship. The scholarship will terminate at the end of December 31st of the same year. 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 Structure

A dedicated Scholarship Team will be established, consisting of:

• One Board member or Director at Large
• One member of MMT (Member Management Team)
• At least one Equity Analyst (member or volunteer)
• One frequent member with no other volunteer associations
• One other of any of the above positions to assure no deadlocks

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 November. This provides the Scholarship Team two months to finalize scholarship selections and gain board approval based on the determined number of available spots.

Selection Criteria and Weighting

Applications will be evaluated using a weighted point system maintained and enforced by the Scholarship Team.

Process Improvements

• Applications will be anonymized for final Board review and approval.
• 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.
• A clear disclaimer about the applicant's anonymity will be included in applications.

Storage and Resource Access

• 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.

Results

• Quorum: [Number TBD]
• For: [Number TBD]
• Against: [Number TBD]
• Abstain: [Number TBD]