BELLE ZELLER SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND
GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

The Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund was established in 1979 by the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY, the instructional staff union of The City University of New York. The scholarship honors the founding president of the PSC, Belle Zeller, Professor Emerita of Political Science at Brooklyn College, where she taught for more than 40 years. This scholarship is intended to honor the unique qualities of Belle Zeller: the combination of social commitment and scholarship and is based on merit, not financial need. The Fund is an independent not-for-profit organization.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Application will be closed for submission on March 3, 2023.

2. The Board of Trustees of the Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund (Trustees) will review all applications and select those candidates to be interviewed

3. Applicants must be a full-time CUNY Undergraduate Students and must have completed at least sixteen (16) credits at a CUNY College with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.

4. Scholarship recipients attending community colleges will continue to receive awards if they transfer to a CUNY four-year college and continue to meet the criteria. They will be eligible to receive a total of three annual awards, which may be divided between a CUNY community college and a CUNY senior college.

5. Awards in the amount of $2,500 will be paid twice yearly provided the recipient remains a full-time student in CUNY, and until the recipient completes 120 credits. The recipient must continue to maintain a GPA of 3.75 or higher and continued provide evidence of community service each year they are receiving the scholarship. The Trustees shall be the sole judge of whether a recipient continues to meet these requirements.

6. If there is a break in attendance, other than summer recess, the Trustees shall determine the renewability of the award.

7. Scholarship recipients may not defer the award. All awards must be used in the fall of the academic year for which it is awarded.

8. Applicants at LaGuardia Community College must meet the LaGuardia definition of full-time student.

9. Applicants must show evidence of significant voluntary service to CUNY, the community, and/or their respective colleges by letters of recommendation, and/or other documents.

10. If an applicant has earned 35 or more credits within the past 5 years from another institution (including other units of CUNY), an unofficial transcript from each of those institutions must be provided.

11. All students whose application reaches the finals will be required to be interviewed by a panel of the Trustees and must be available for an interview when requested.

12. All applicants will be notified by e-mail as to whether they have received an award.

13. The decision of the Board of Trustees will be final.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Two letters of recommendations must be submitted by persons who can attest to the applicant’s scholarship, leadership, and social comment in depth on one’s activities, commitment as demonstrated by the student’s contributions to the college, the University, and/or the larger community.

A. One letter must be provided by a classroom instructor at the college where one attends and must address the applicant’s academic performance and contributions.

B. One additional letter must be submitted by individuals in leadership or supervisory position who has personal knowledge of the applicant’s volunteer community service activities and can evaluate one’s leadership, service, and social commitment.

C. Applicants are advised to request letters from recommender(s) a minimum of six weeks in advance of the application deadline to provide enough time to receive and submit the required letters.

D. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the email address for submission of letters of recommendation and inform them to use your full name (last name first) as the subject. (Re: Smith, John)

E. Letters of recommendation will only be accepted as a PDF attachment, on letterhead, signed and emailed to recommend@bellezeller.org.

F. All letters must include the recommender’s daytime contact information.

G. Letters in the body of the email, in Word and hard copies will not be accepted

H. An application will not be considered complete without the receipt of the two (2) required letters of recommendation by the March 3, 2023, deadline.

STATEMENT DESCRIBING YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE

Applicant’s Statement: In a MAXIMUM OF 600 WORDS, applicants must write a personal statement discussing your life experiences as they relate to your goals and social commitment. Please be sure to include evidence of your most significant, recent volunteer community service (within the past two years) is discussed in your personal statement.

Statements longer than 600 words will not be accepted.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I. All applicants are entitled to equal consideration under the terms of equal opportunity/affirmative action provisions in accordance with Internal Revenue Service stipulations.

II. Belle Zeller Scholars may be required to authorize the release of their college records to show proof of continuing full-time status.

III. All recommenders must include their contact information (email address and phone number) on all letters to be accepted.

IV. Belle Zeller Scholars who do not abide by the terms of the stated conditions will forfeit their remaining benefits, including future renewals.