Scholarship Policy 2025: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:57, 24 January 2025

Scholarship Policy 2025

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.

Financial & Logistical Considerations

A distinct budget for scholarships at PS1 shall be created to be voted upon with other budget items for that year’s annual budget. All money that is not used in the scholarship fund will be returned to general PS1 funds to be redistributed in the annual budget vote for the upcoming year.

Scholarships are to occur on an annual 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 may be delegated to other members of PS1 in good standing, 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

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 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. 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.

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

Team Structure

"Scholarship Team" refers to the scholarship officer and any members in good standings that are delegated with any of the duties below.

General Team Duties

Communicating with applicants and recipients
Reviewing applications and vetting candidates
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
Working with class/workshop instructors to integrate scholarship recipients in a mutually beneficial manner

Allocation

The total number of approved scholarships will be a count capped at 5% of total paying membership based on a snapshot taken in the current member management software at the beginning of December. This provides the Scholarship Team roughly three months to finalize scholarship selections and gain Board approval based on the determined number of available seats.

Storage Access

Recipients may opt in to a free shared storage drawer. The drawer will be shared with other recipients.
- At the Scholarship Team's or Board's discretion, recipients storage drawer usage may be consolidated or expanded to better accommodate members and volunteers, or to otherwise maximize space efficiently.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Scholarship Policy 2025 ==
-=== Scholarship Core Values ===
+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.
-The Pumping Station: One scholarship program is founded on our commitment to making maker education and resources accessible to all. We recognize that financial circumstances should not be a barrier to participating in our community of makers, inventors, and creators. Our core values emphasize:
-==== Community Enrichment ====
+===Financial & Logistical Considerations===
-We believe that diversity in perspectives, experiences, and skills strengthens our makerspace community. By reducing financial barriers, we create opportunities for talented individuals to contribute to and learn from our collaborative environment.
-==== Educational Access ====
+A distinct budget for scholarships at PS1 shall be created to be voted upon with other budget items for that year’s annual budget. All money that is not used in the scholarship fund will be returned to general PS1 funds to be redistributed in the annual budget vote for the upcoming year.
-We are committed to democratizing access to tools, technology, and hands-on learning experiences. Our scholarship program ensures that economic circumstances do not limit someone's ability to develop new skills or pursue creative projects.
-==== Empowerment Through Making ====
+Scholarships are to occur on an annual 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.
-We support individuals who demonstrate a genuine interest in making, learning, and contributing to our community. Our program aims to empower recipients to explore, create, and grow within our space.
-==== Sustainable Support ====
+Scholarship selections will be guided by the specifics of the selection criteria that are generally laid out in this document. The selection process may be delegated to other members of PS1 in good standing, provided that scholarship recipients are ultimately reviewed and voted on by the Board of Directors.
-We structure our scholarship program to provide meaningful, long-term access while maintaining the resources and stability of our makerspace. This ensures we can continue to support our scholarship recipients while preserving the quality of experience for all members.
-==== Equitable Opportunity ====
+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.
-We strive to create fair and transparent processes while maintaining confidentiality where needed. Our program aims to identify and support individuals who will both benefit from and contribute to our maker community.
+===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
 === Application Process ===
@@ Line 28: / Line 37: @@
 === Team Structure ===
-A dedicated Scholarship Team will be established, consisting of:
+"Scholarship Team" refers to the scholarship officer and any members in good standings that are delegated with any of the duties below.
-* 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
-* Alternatively, the team can operate with three members of any of the above positions as a skeleton crew.
-===== Team Duties =====
+===== General Team Duties =====
 * Communicating with applicants and recipients
-* Reviewing submitted applications and vetting candidates
+* Reviewing applications and vetting candidates
 * 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
 * Working with class/workshop instructors to integrate scholarship recipients in a mutually beneficial manner
-* Adjusting allocations based on reports from other volunteer teams to ensure the program enriches our community while maintaining sustainable resource and volunteer capacity
 === 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 three months to finalize scholarship selections and gain Board approval based on the determined number of available seats.
+The total number of approved scholarships will be a count capped at 5% of total paying membership based on a snapshot taken in the current member management software at the beginning of December. This provides the Scholarship Team roughly three 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. This selection criteria will remain confidential to preserve the integrity of the evaluation process. Maintaining this confidentiality will prevent applicants from artificially tailoring their submissions and will prevent unintentionally discouraging qualified candidates, while still allowing the committee flexibility to adapt to changing needs.
-=== Storage and Resource Access ===
-* Scholarship recipients are exempt from paid class fees. For members running classes with material costs, adjustments to accommodate scholarship recipients are only required if the instructor has chosen to participate in the scholarship program. The Scholarship Team will assist participating instructors with structuring their classes appropriately.
-* For classes with material costs where the instructor has chosen to participate in the scholarship program, the Scholarship Team will work with instructors to either:
-** Provide a materials stipend from the scholarship fund for recipient participation
-** Create modified participation options (such as observation/audit spots)
-** Partner with sponsors or donors to cover material costs
-** Work out other arrangements that empower the instructor in their workshop
+=== Storage Access ===
 * Recipients may opt in to a free shared storage drawer. The drawer will be shared with other recipients.
-** At the Scholarship Team's or Board's discretion, recipients storage drawer usage may be consolidated or expanded to better accommodate paying members and volunteers, or to otherwise maximize space efficiently.
+** At the Scholarship Team's or Board's discretion, recipients storage drawer usage may be consolidated or expanded to better accommodate members and volunteers, or to otherwise maximize space efficiently.