Contest Rules

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must:

be high school students in grades 11 or 12 who reside in one of the following NYC metropolitan areas:
1. New York City – five boroughs: Brooklyn (Kings County), Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island (Richmond County), and Queens
2. New York Counties: Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester
3. New Jersey Counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, and Union
4. Connecticut: Fairfield County
have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale (or its equivalent)
submit an essay on an idea/project to improve their nonprofit school or 501(c)(3) charity and an endorsement from an official of the school or charity approving the project proposed in the essay.
submit all required documents, (application, transcript, essay and endorsement) in one envelope to Scholarship Management Services by the deadline date.

Applications will be capped at 800. Only the first 800 applicants will be opened and processed. Only one application will be accepted per student.

AWARDS

Up to seventeen (17) awards of $2,500 each will be granted.

Scholarships will be granted to the top ranked students based on eligibility requirements.
From the group of seventeen scholarship recipients, one student will be selected as the Grand Prize winner and awarded an additional $7,500 in scholarship funding along with a $10,000 community grant to the nonprofit school or official 501(c)(3) charity indicated in their essay and detailed on page 4 of the official application.

Awards are for private secondary school (high school) or for full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school. Recipients must indicate whether they will use the award for current secondary school expenses or future undergraduate study. Recipients must use their award within one year following high school graduation or the award will be forfeited.

Awards are one time only and not renewable. However, previous non-recipients may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.

The community grant must be used within one year following the date the grant is issued. An official of the school or charity will certify the project, accept the grant and be responsible to oversee the implementation and completion of the project. A grant report will be required from the school or charity one year following payment of the grant.

APPLICATION

Only the first 800 applications received at Scholarship Management Services will be considered in the competition.

Interested students must complete the application and mail it along with a current, complete official transcript of grades to Scholarship Management Services postmarked no later than January 26, 2013. Grade reports are not acceptable. Applicants will receive acknowledgment only if their application was one of the first 800 received.

Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information in one envelope. Applications are evaluated on the information supplied; therefore, answer all questions as completely as possible. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated. All information received is considered confidential and is reviewed only by Scholarship Management Services.

SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of past academic performance, volunteer activities, official endorsement and an essay about the student’s idea to improve his/her nonprofit school or 501(c)(3) charity. The essay should include a detailed plan and an itemized budget of how a $10,000 grant would be used. Seventeen (17) scholarship recipients will be selected to receive a $2,500 award.

Financial need is not considered.

Information about each of the seventeen scholarship recipient’s idea/project will be posted on the MetroPCS Leaders and Scholars website (www.leadersandscholars.com) in mid-March to invite public voting via social media. Based on the merits of the applications and result of social media voting, Scholarship Management Services will select one (1) top scholarship recipient who will receive an additional $7,500 in scholarship funding. The top recipient’s nonprofit school or 501(c)(3) charity will be awarded the $10,000 community grant.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship Management Services. In no instance does any officer or employee of MetroPCS LLC play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Only the first 800 applicants will be notified in March. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Previous non-recipients may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.

PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship Management Services processes scholarship payments on behalf of MetroPCS LLC . The $2,500 scholarships are paid in one installment on August 15. The $10,000 scholarship will be paid in two installments on August 15 and December 30. Checks are mailed to each recipient’s home address and made payable to the school for the student.

The community grant will be paid directly to the nonprofit school or 501(c)(3) charity indicated in the student’s essay. The grant must be used within one year following the date the grant is issued. The grant may be used for project supplies and equipment. The grant may not be used for the wages or salaries of the school or charity’s staff working on the project.

OBLIGATIONS

An official of the school or charity will certify the project, accept the grant and be responsible to oversee the implementation and completion of the project. A grant report will be required from the school or charity one year following payment of the grant. Any unused funds must be returned to the sponsor.

Other than permissions authorized on the application, recipients have no obligation to MetroPCS LLC. They are, however, required to notify Scholarship Management Services of any changes in address, school enrollment, or other relevant information and to send a complete transcript when requested.

REVISIONS

MetroPCS LLC reserves the right to review the conditions and procedures of this scholarship program and to make changes at any time including termination of the program.

This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Scholarship Management Services is the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or national origin.

Postmark Deadline: January 26, 2013

This site is administered by Scholarship Management Services,® a division of Scholarship America. ®

Privacy Policy

Scholarship America recognizes the importance of data privacy. We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and handling any personal information you provide to us with care and respect. This privacy policy explains data collection and use.

By accessing the Site and using its services, you confirm that you have read and consent to the information practices described in the policy.

What information does Scholarship America collect and how is the information used?

Information You Provide

To be considered for a scholarship, tuition assistance or other award administered by Scholarship America, you may be required to submit data to us electronically. Types of personally identifiable information may include, but are not limited to, your full name, address, email address and phone numbers, your parent(s) full name(s), address(es), email address(es) and phone numbers(s), your gender, ethnicity, academic information such as grade point average, class rank and college entrance exam scores, current and future enrollment information, involvement in work, school and community activities and personal essays. In some cases, your and/or a parent’s social security number and personal or household financial information may be requested.

Actual information we collect varies based on the program being administered.

Scholarship America processes your personal information provided only for the purpose for which it was collected in accordance with contractual program parameters and this Privacy Policy. We review our data collection, storage and processing practices to ensure we only collect, store and process the personal information needed to administer a program or provide a service. We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we process is accurate, complete and current, but we depend on users to provide correct personal information to us.

Scholarship America owns all information collected from users of the site. Data you enter during the application process is automatically saved for your convenience. Even if the application is abandoned or not submitted, the information you provide is collected and is subject to this policy.

We may use your contact information to confirm receipt of your application, to gather more information if there are questions regarding your application, to send you notification regarding your status, or for communication necessary to administer a program or provide a service. When you send email or other communications electronically, Scholarship America may retain those communications to process your inquiries, to respond to your request or question and to improve our services. For certain services offered through our site, you may have the ability to opt out.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit a Scholarship America site, some information is automatically collected about your visit that does not identify you personally. This information helps us analyze trends to better understand how users view and utilize our site.

Cookies – A cookie is a small data file that a website may send to your browser and which may then be stored on your hard drive. Our websites use cookies to simulate a continuous connection – cookies allow your computer to “remember” information about your preferences and session, and allow you to move within areas of our websites without reintroducing yourself. No personally identifiable information is stored in these cookies. Both session ID and persistent cookies may be used in a site. A session ID cookie will expire at the time you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time and may be set to store your passwords so you do not have to enter it more than once. Persistent cookies can be removed by following directions provided in your Internet browser’s “Help” file.

Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some Scholarship America applications may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.

Log Information – Our servers automatically record information your browser sends whenever you visit a site. These server logs may include information such as your internet protocol (IP) address, browser type, browser language, refer/exit pages, your operating system, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.

Our website may use other technologies to track and analyze user activity on our site.

Does Scholarship America SHARE the information I’ve provided?

Scholarship America does not provide any personal information to outside organizations or entities unless specified in detail within program guidelines.

Limited information may be provided to a program sponsor for verification of eligibility. Identifiable information from applicants not selected as recipients is kept confidential to Scholarship America, but may be shared with sponsors who have a legal right to know. In programs in which the sponsor or another entity is responsible for the review and/or selection of recipients, relevant information may be released to the sponsor or other entity. All users acknowledge release of such information by supplying an electronic signature prior to submission of their data.

Scholarship America may use third parties to provide certain services on our behalf (“Service Providers”). Personal information will only be shared as necessary for Service Providers to conduct their services. Service Providers are prohibited from using data for any other purpose.

Scholarship America is not responsible for the use and security of information once it is in the care or control of a program sponsor or other designated entity as specified by the program.

Non-personally identifiable information may be shared as aggregate demographic information to program sponsors.

Scholarship America reserves the right to disclose personal information as required by law.

How does Scholarship America SECURE my personal information?

Scholarship America is committed to properly securing the information we collect online. To help us accomplish this, we take the following steps:

We employ internal access controls to ensure that the only people who see your information are those with a need to do so to perform their official duties;
We train relevant personnel on our privacy and security measures. Personnel are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, if they fail to meet these obligations;
We physically secure the servers and the areas where we hold hard copies of the information we collect online;
We regularly back up the information we collect online to insure against loss;
We use technical controls to secure the information we collect online as appropriate, including encryption, firewalls and password protections;
We periodically test our security procedures to ensure personnel and technical compliance.

Scholarship America follows industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, however. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Links to Other Sites

This Privacy Policy applies to data collected on sites administered by Scholarship America only. The site may contain links to other sites that are not owned or controlled by Scholarship America. Be aware when you leave our site and read the privacy statements pertaining to other sites you may link to.

Business Transitions

If Scholarship America becomes involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale, it is likely personal information will be among the assets transferred.

Privacy Protection for Children under Age 13

Scholarship America does not collect personal information directly from children who are under 13 years old. However, a child of this age may occasionally be eligible for certain programs or services administered through our site, in which case, a parent or legal guardian of such child must provide the child’s personal information to Scholarship America.

The parent or legal guardian must also provide his or her own contact information (e.g., email address, mailing address and phone numbers). All communications pertaining to the program or service will be sent directly to such parent or legal guardian. The personal information (identifiable or not) of such parent or legal guardian collected is subject to this privacy policy.

Unless otherwise stated herein, this privacy policy applies to a child’s information that we collect from a parent or legal guardian, except that (1) we do not share identifiable information of a child with any third party (other than the Program sponsors, or our agent or Service Providers, for the purposes stated in this privacy policy), (2) we will only send our promotional communications or newsletters to the parent or the legal guardian who provided the child’s information to us, and (3) we do not link or tie, and prohibit third party advertisers from tying or linking, any such child’s identifiable information to log files, cookies, or other tracking mechanisms used on the Site.

For more information on online privacy protection for children under 13, please visit http://www.coppa.org/coppa.htm.

Will this Privacy Policy CHANGE?

Because our websites and business units will continue to implement new technologies and improve the services and features we provide, this policy is subject to change. If there are changes or additions to this Privacy Policy, we will post those changes here or in other formats we deem acceptable, so that you will always know what information we collect online, how we use it and what choices you have.

Whom can I CONTACT if I have questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy, email us at info@scholarshipamerica.org.

Terms and Conditions Governing Access To and Use of Sites Hosted by Scholarship America

Scholarship America websites are maintained by Scholarship America or designated third party entities as a service to students, individuals and the educational and business communities who use the Internet. Access to and use of Scholarship America Sites are subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and all applicable laws. These terms and conditions may be revised or updated by Scholarship America.

Copyright: All content in a Scholarship America Site is copyrighted. No material may be distributed, downloaded, modified, reused, reproduced, reposted, retransmitted, disseminated, sold, published, broadcast, circulated, or otherwise used except as expressly stated either in such materials or in this notice without the express written permission of Scholarship America. For permission to reproduce copyrighted materials, contact info@scholarshipamerica.org.
Use: The purpose of our Sites is to provide information and services related to our programs and/or services and programs administered by Scholarship America on behalf of our clients. All materials are provided solely for personal, institutional, or demonstration non-commercial use.
No representations: Scholarship America attempts to keep the contents of Sites accurate and current, but makes no warranties or representations in this regard. Visitors and users therefore agree that all access to and use of Sites is at the user’s sole risk. NEITHER SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS, NOR ANY OTHER PARTY ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER TO THE ACCESS, USE OR INABILITY TO USE OUR SITES OR ANY SERVICES PROVIDED BY WAY OF THAT SITE, OR TO ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE CONTENT HEREOF. Users and visitors specifically waive any and all claims they may have against all of the foregoing entities and individuals arising out of or relating to access to or use of this Site.
Notice and disclaimer: Scholarship America provides various online registrations, applications, and request forms as a convenience to its users. All users of these services do so at their sole risk and without any representations, warranties, or assurances by Scholarship America regarding the security of the information that they provide online. Scholarship America further makes no representations, warranties, or assurances that the information users supply online will be transmitted immediately or correctly to Scholarship America or will be processed in the amount of time users require to meet their needs or deadlines. By using these online services, all users expressly acknowledge and agree that they will not have or assert any claims of any kind or character against Scholarship America or its employees or agents relating in any way to their use of the service(s).
Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Scholarship America:
1. College doesn’t happen by chance®
2. Collegiate Partners®
3. Dollars for Scholars®
4. Scholarship America®
5. Scholarship America®
6. Windows to Success®
No use of any trademark listed is permitted without express written consent from Scholarship America. For more information, contact info@scholarshipamerica.org.
Linking to a Scholarship America Site: We are pleased you want to create a link to one or more of our Sites. We ask that you observe the following conditions:
1. Links pertaining to Scholarship America programs and services should point only to the URL http://scholarshipamerica.org/ and/or http://www.scholarshipmanagement.org. These addresses will not change. Links to program websites, those hosted by Scholarship America for individual scholarship or educational support programs, or internal pages are made at your own discretion as addresses may change.
2. Websites desiring to include a copy of the Scholarship America logo, or any logo representing Scholarship America programs or services, with their link should contact info@scholarshipamerica.org for relevant permissions, necessary copyright information and copies of appropriate graphics.
3. Links shall be from sites related to the content and purpose of Scholarship America Sites, and shall be for the purpose of promoting said content to, or providing direct access for, Scholarship America constituencies.

Permission is not granted to include material, including graphics and images, from a Scholarship America Site on other websites. You may only include a link directing a browser to material on Scholarship America Sites.

Scholarship America reserves the right to withdraw the permissions given herein upon determination that any or all of the above-stated conditions have not been met, or that additional circumstances lead Scholarship America to conclude, in its sole discretion, that a given link is not in accordance with the business, educational purposes, or best interests of Scholarship America.

Links from Scholarship America Internet Sites: Scholarship America provides links to other websites for informational purposes only. Scholarship America is not responsible for the content in other sites, and links from the Scholarship America Sites to other sites are not intended to imply endorsement of them by Scholarship America.
Privacy: Scholarship America recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information provided by website users. For details please see our Privacy Policy.