Stan Stewart was a longtime Hotshot with the Los Padres IHC (1974-2010), a founding member of the U.S. Hotshots Association (USHA), and the Assn’s first President elect. He passed in 2017, after a long fight with cancer, after having made an unforgettable impact on the Hotshot community, and greater wildland fire service, as well as all who worked with and for him directly. A natural mentor, leader, teacher, and organizer who valued training and education as paramount, Stan worked tirelessly to get our Association in a position to help support both current and former Hotshots, as well as Hotshot families in need. This scholarship is a part of his dream, and as such, is named in his honor.
The USHA Stan Stewart Scholarship was created to aid Hotshots and Hotshot families in their pursuit of personal and community improvement, through higher education, and the learning of marketable trades and skills. We wish each of you the best of luck in whatever path you choose in life, and we welcome your application for consideration.
Eligibility
To qualify for the U.S. Hotshots Association scholarship an applicant must be one (or more) of the following:
- A Regular Member of the U.S. Hotshots Association, or in the immediate family* of a current Association member
- A current or former hotshot
- The immediate family* of a current or former hotshot
*Immediate family refers to a person’s parents, spouse, children, and siblings and will also include the parent’s spouse. Step children and adopted children, and their spouses, are included under the purview of immediate family (https://definitions.uslegal.com/i/immediate-family/)
Ineligibility
USHA Officers and BOD members as well as their immediate families are not eligible to be awarded scholarship support.
Applicant Criteria
- Applicant must be at least a senior in high school.
- There is no upper age limit to apply.
- Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited educational or training institution at the time of application.
- Scholarships can be awarded to an applicant in ether a college/university or trade school.
- For applicants progressing directly from high school to continuing education a 3.0 GPA for the applicant’s junior and senior high school years are required.
- For those applicants currently in college or trade schools a 3.0 GPA, or specific institutional documentation of successful progress for the applicants most recent 2 years is required.
- For trade schools with under a two-year enrollment. Documentation of the applicant’s good standing for their enrollment period will suffice.
- An official transcript must accompany the application.
Application Dates
To account for the varying start dates of college semesters and trade schools, applications will be reviewed, and scholarships will be awarded biannually.
- Application deadlines are Mar 15 and Nov 15.
- The target date for the Scholarship awards will be Apr 15 and Dec 15.
- Applicants not chosen for Apr 15 award will be carried over to Dec 15. Applications will not carry over into the next calendar year.
Application Process
To apply the applicant must complete and submit the standard USHA Scholarship Application. The link to this application is found at the bottom of this page. This application includes the requirement to submit a 500 to 1000-word essay. The purpose of this essay is to describe your reasons for requesting scholarship support. It also allows the applicant to provide the scholarship committee members insight into the applicant goals and future plans. This essay portion will be judged on their needs request, writing skills and creativity.
Required Documents Checklist:
- Online Application
- Essay, 500-1000 words
- Letter of Acceptance to College or Trade School for applicants currently in High School
- Official Transcript inclusive of at least the last two years of education.
Award Process
The number and dollar amount of USHA scholarships awarded will be dependent on funds available and the number of applicants. A goal of $5,000 in scholarship awards annually has been targeted. This targeted amount will be evaluated by USHA BOD to determine the exact amount to be awarded per each award cycle.
- Scholarship monies will be paid directly to the school or institution. No money will be paid directly to the recipient.
Best of luck in your journey, and thank you for checking out our USHA Scholarship page.
For complete application and selection criteria, please see the link below.