2027 Incline Friends Scholarship Program Information

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to provide scholarship funding to graduating high school students pursuing a four-year degree, vocational training, or technical certification. Scholarships are awarded to students demonstrating an interest and excellence in outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and/or community involvement regarding the preservation of natural resources.

Awards

Up to two (2) scholarships, in the amount of $2,500 each, will be awarded this year. Awards are for one year only. All scholarship awards will be paid directly to the educational institutions that students will attend.   

Eligibility

1. Applicants must be High School seniors who are El Paso County residents or enrolled at a school in El Paso County.
2. Applicants must provide evidence of a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Applicants must have completed all application requirements noted below.
4. Applicants must be US citizens.
5. Applicants may not be related to any current Incline Friends directors or major donors.

The Incline Friends Scholarship Awards are awarded without regard to race, sex, religion, age, national origin, or sexual orientation. Incline Friends will not award scholarships to applicants who, in its judgement, are not qualified and reserves the right not to award a scholarship each year. The use of AI to generate an essay, or even part of an essay, is not allowed. Every essay will be submitted to several advanced tools to analyze the usage of AI. We are interested in hearing your personal voice and unique perspectives so if any AI is flagged, we have the right to decline any application at any time.

Selection Criteria

1. Demonstrated interest and excellence in outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and/ or community involvement regarding the preservation of natural resources.  
2. Demonstrated leadership accomplishments. 
3. Demonstrated academic accomplishments (minimum required cumulative GPA of 3.00). 
4. Student essay, no more than 500 words in length, describing and reflecting on criteria 1-3.  
5. Two letters of recommendation from non-family members, to include but not be limited to teachers, school officials, counselors, employers, etc. 

Application Requirements

To be considered for an Incline Friends Scholarship Award, applicants must complete the online application and submit all criteria by January 31^st, 2027. Completed applications include:

1. A completed online application form. (Only completed application forms will be considered.)
2. Two (2) letters of recommendation. (Must come from the author of the letter, and should be emailed directly from them to scholarship@inclinefriends.org.)
3. An official high school transcript for at least the last 2 years, including a GPA. (If not electronic, scan your copy and attach it as a file to your application. An official hard copy may be requested at a later date).
4. An essay/statement, no more than 500 words, describing the applicant’s qualifications, leadership achievements, educational background, and career goals to illustrate why they believe they should win this year’s scholarship. (Save digital essay as a PDF and attach it as a file to your application.)

*All four (4) of the above requirements must be submitted before the application will be considered.

Submission of Application Form

The application form is available below and can only be submitted via this digital form. Fill out every field completely, attach all required documentation, and hit the “submit” button. You will receive a confirmation email indicating that your application was successfully received. This application requires an electronic signature, so be sure to provide that one of two ways: Submit an electronic signature via the field on the form, or print out the completed application, sign that tangible copy at the bottom, scan the signed version back into a digital format, save it as a pdf file, and email that final pdf directly to scholarship@inclinefriends.org. Once received, an Incline Friends team member will respond confirming your application was received. (Please title the email’s subject line to include your full name and “Incline Friends Scholarship Application.”)

*Do not fill out the application until you are ready. There is no way to save a partial submission and impartial application will be voided.

Submission of Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be sent as pdf file email attachments directly from the author of the recommendation to scholarship@inclinefriends.org. The pdf file itself and the email subject line needs to include the name of the applicant and some form of indication that it is a recommendation letter for the Incline Friends Scholarship. All recommendations need to indicate what capacity the author knows the applicant, e.g. as a student, employee, volunteer, and an explanation as to why they recommend the applicant for a scholarship.

*Any questions about the application process or issues submitting an application may be directed to scholarship@inclinefriends.org.

2027 DEADLINE: All Submissions are due by January 31^st, 2027.

2027 Incline Friends Scholarship Application

GOOD LUCK TO ALL 2027 APPLICANTS!