Wal-Mart Associate Scholarship

Program Guidelines

Applicant Eligibility

Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident of the United States; either actively employed with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for at least six consecutive months as of April 25, 2009 -OR-the dependent of a Wal-Mart Associate who has less than twelve consecutive months of service as of April 25, 2009. Dependents of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Board of Directors and dependents of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Officers [Vice President and above] are not eligible to apply.

NOTE: ASSOCIATE scholarship applicants whose parent/legal guardian is an Associate (full time for twelve consecutive months) may also apply for the WALTON Family Foundation Scholarship.

Academic Requirements

Applicant must have at least a 2.5 cumulative high school grade point average and be a high school/home school senior graduating between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009 or a student who has obtained a GED and would have graduated high school between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009

Description of Funds

Recipients will receive up to $3,000 in a one-time payment, applied to undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board for the 2009-10 academic year. Funds are provided by the Wal-Mart Foundation. Payments are issued by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) made payable to the student’s approved college or university and mailed to the recipient’s residence by August 1, 2009. Funds may be applied to studies overseas provided that the study is a condition of the recipient’s degree plan and that payment continues to be made to the accredited U.S. college or university.

Winner Selection and Announcements

ISTS provides a Selection Committee, independent of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and the Wal-Mart Foundation, to ensure the impartial and confidential evaluation of applications. Scholarships are awarded to 10% of the eligible applicants according to IRS regulation. Selections are based on ACT/SAT scores, Community service, leadership, cumulative GPA and financial need. Selection announcements are mailed by April 27, 2009. Non-winners are notified by e-mail by May 1, 2009, or by USPS for those with no e-mail address.

Conditions of Award

The applicant and selected college must meet all requirements in order to receive the scholarship funds. The applicant who is not an Associate at the time of award will be disqualified and will relinquish the funds. If any other funds pay entirely the tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board for the student’s 2009-10 academic year, the student is no longer eligible to receive this scholarship and will relinquish the funds.

College/University Approval

Applicant must be enrolled in a two- or four-year U.S. college or university undergraduate course of study, full time (At least 12 college credit hours) in the fall 2009 semester. The institution must be accredited and listed on the official website of the U.S. Department of Education (ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx). Applicant is ineligible if attending military academies. All school transfers are subject to accreditation approval.

Responsibilities of Recipients

Recipient must be actively enrolled in the fall of 2009 and for the entire academic year without interruption, barring illness, emergency, or military service. Recipients are responsible for delivering their scholarship checks to the proper office at their institution and notifying ISTS immediately of term progress, changes in institutions or contact information. It is the recipient’s responsibility to notify ISTS should the award check not arrive on or about 30 days from the issue date.

The Wal-Mart Foundation reserves the right to alter or discontinue this program at any time without notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply?

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident of the United States.
high school seniors graduating between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009. (home school diplomas and GED equivalency certificates are eligible with the same completion date requirement)
must be an actively employed OR the dependent of an actively employed associate with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for at least six consecutive months as of April 25, 2009
must have at least a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA.
must have financial need and be able to demonstrate the need with required documents. Students with other funds that pay entirely for tuition, books, fees, and on-campus room and board are not eligible to receive this award.

Note: Additional guidelines apply. See Program Guidelines for complete details.

When can I apply?

Please check back with us November 1 for applications for the 2010 fall semester.

What are the details of the award?

The $3,000, non-renewable award is paid at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Funds will be applied to undergraduate studies at a U.S. Dept. of Education accredited institution (military academies are not approved institutions.)
Funds can be applied to tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room & board.

What are the selection criteria?

Students with complete applications and meeting all criteria will be considered for selection.
An independent selection committee will evaluate the applications and select the winners.
The committee will consider:
- Financial need
- Academic achievements and records
- School and community activities and leadership
All decisions of the selection committees are final and are not subject to appeal.

How do I check the status of my application?

Return to www.applyists.net.
Click the “Check Application Status” link.
Enter your AIN, First Name and Last Name.
Click Submit.

How do I make changes to my application before the program deadline?

Return to www.applyists.net.
Click the "APPLY or update a new application" link.
Using Login Option 2, enter your ACCESS KEY: (WMAS).
Enter your AIN, First Name and Last Name.
Click on each tab and make changes to the necessary section(s), click “save and continue” to move forward.
Print a new Cover Page for your records.
Do not resubmit your paperwork. All changes are saved to your online application.

How do I make changes to my application before the program deadline?

After the program deadline you will only be able to update your address.
Return to www.applyists.net.
Click “Edit Mailing Address” link.
Enter your AIN, First Name and Last Name.

What are my responsibilities as a recipient?

Recipient must enroll as an undergraduate in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded.
Recipient must continue in school the entire academic year without interruption, barring illness, emergency, or military service.
Recipient must attend an approved accredited two- or four-year U.S. college or university listed on the official website of the U.S. Department of Education (ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx). Military academies are not approved institutions. School transfers are also subject to accreditation eligibility.

Recipient must deliver the scholarship check to the proper office at your institution and notify ISTS immediately of changes in institutions or contact information.

How and when are checks issued?

Checks are issued by ISTS.
Checks will be made payable to the institution only and mailed to each recipient’s mailing address by August 1.
It is the recipient’s responsibility to notify ISTS should the check not arrive within 30 days of the issue date.

How and when will I receive notification?

Winner notifications will be mailed by May 1.
Non-winner notifications will be e-mailed by May 1 from ISTS.

Are scholarships taxable?

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against your scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance.

Program Administration

To assure complete impartiality in selection of winners and to maintain a high level of professionalism, the program is administered by ISTS, a firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs.