top of page

Scholarship Policy

Scholarship Policy

​​

1. Purpose

The Institute of Christian Politics adopts this Scholarship Policy to establish standards and procedures for awarding scholarships, grants, awards, or educational support to qualified students in furtherance of the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes.

​

The Institute’s scholarship program is intended to support exceptional young men in college and graduate school who demonstrate intellectual promise, moral seriousness, leadership potential, Christian commitment, and alignment with the mission of the Institute.

​

This Policy shall be interpreted consistently with the Institute's Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, and any other policies adopted by the Board of Directors.

​

2. Scholarship Names

The Institute may award scholarships under names approved by the Board of Directors or the Scholarship Committee. Scholarship names may include general Institute scholarships, named scholarships, memorial scholarships, donor-funded scholarships, or special-purpose awards.

​

No named scholarship, memorial scholarship, donor-funded scholarship, or naming arrangement shall be established except in accordance with the Institute’s Gift Acceptance Policy and any naming-rights procedures adopted by the Board.

​

3. Eligible Applicants

Unless the Board or Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee establishes additional criteria for a particular scholarship, eligible applicants shall be:

  1. Male students

  2. At least 18 years old

  3. United States citizens

  4. Christians (Trinitarian)

  5. Members of a Christian church, unless an exception is approved

  6. Enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program

  7. Enrolled at an institution deemed worthy by the Scholarship Committee, or, if no Scholarship Committee is established, by the President;

  8. Able to demonstrate seriousness of purpose, intellectual promise, and alignment with the Institute’s mission.

 

The Institute does not require that an applicant attend an accredited institution, provided that the Scholarship Committee or President determines that the institution is worthy and that the award would advance the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes.

​

The Scholarship Committee or President may approve exceptions to church-membership verification or other nonessential application requirements when the applicant otherwise satisfies the purposes of this Policy, and the exception is documented.

​

4. Full-Time Enrollment

Applicants should be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program at the time of award or for the academic term for which the award is intended.

​

Proof of enrollment shall ordinarily be required before funds are disbursed.

​

5. Financial Need

Financial need shall not be a selection criterion unless the Board or Scholarship Committee expressly adopts a need-based scholarship program in the future.

​

Scholarships under this Policy are primarily intended to recognize and support intellectual promise, moral seriousness, Christian commitment, leadership potential, and alignment with the Institute’s mission.

​

6. Award Frequency, Number, and Amount

Scholarships may be awarded semi-annually when funds are available.

​

The number and amount of scholarships shall be determined based on available funds, donor restrictions, board-approved budgets, the judgment of the Scholarship Committee, and the needs of the Institute’s overall charitable and educational work.

​

If no Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee is seated, the President may determine the number and amount of awards, subject to this Policy and any direction given by the Board of Directors.

​

No applicant shall have any entitlement to receive a scholarship, and no award shall be made unless sufficient funds are available and the Institute determines that the award advances its charitable and educational purposes.

​

Applicants may apply for only one scholarship per round of scholarship offerings, typically each semester. 

​

7. Permitted Uses of Scholarship Funds

Scholarship funds may be used for educational purposes approved by the Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee or President, including:

  1. Tuition

  2. Academic fees

  3. Books

  4. Educational materials

  5. Room and board

  6. Research expenses

  7. Academic travel

  8. Conference attendance

  9. Seminar attendance

  10. Writing or research projects

  11. General educational support

  12. Other educational expenses approved by the Scholarship Committee or President.

 

Scholarship funds shall not be used for political campaign activity, personal luxury expenses, unlawful purposes, or purposes inconsistent with the Institute’s charitable and educational mission.

 

8. Payment Method

Scholarship funds should ordinarily be paid directly to the recipient’s school or educational institution.

​

The Scholarship Committee or President may approve payment directly to the recipient when direct payment to the institution is impractical, when the award is for books, travel, research, conference attendance, educational materials, or other approved educational support, or when another payment method better serves the purposes of the award.

​

The Institute may require receipts, proof of enrollment, proof of expense, confirmation of use, or other documentation before or after payment.

​

9. Selection Criteria

Scholarship recipients shall be selected according to criteria that are objective, mission-related, and documented.

The Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee or President may consider:

  1. Academic merit

  2. Intellectual seriousness

  3. Moral character

  4. Leadership promise

  5. Commitment to Christian political thought

  6. Interest in American institutions and public life

  7. Writing ability

  8. Recommendations

  9. Field of study

  10. Resume or curriculum vitae

  11. Statement of purpose

  12. Church membership or ecclesial standing

  13. Proof of enrollment

  14. Alignment with the mission of the Institute

  15. Any other criteria approved by the Board or Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee and consistent with the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes.

 

Prior participation in an Institute seminar shall not be required and shall not be treated as a formal preference unless the Board later adopts a specific scholarship program that includes such a criterion.

 

10. Application Materials

Applicants are required to submit:

  1. Scholarship application form

  2. Resume or curriculum vitae

  3. Transcript

  4. Recommendation letter

  5. Church membership verification

  6. Proof of enrollment

  7. Statement of purpose

  8. Any additional materials requested by the Scholarship Committee or President.

 

The Scholarship Committee or President may waive or modify application requirements when appropriate, provided that the basis for the award remains documented and consistent with this Policy.

​

11. Scholarship Committee

The Board of Directors may establish a Scholarship Committee to administer the scholarship program.

​

The number of Scholarship Committee members shall be determined by the Board. The President shall serve on the Scholarship Committee unless the Board determines otherwise.

​

The Board may appoint non-board advisors to serve on or assist the Scholarship Committee. Non-board advisors may participate in review, discussion, scoring, recommendations, and other committee work as authorized by the Board or Scholarship Committee, subject to confidentiality and conflict-of-interest obligations.

​

Unless the Board requires otherwise for a particular award, the Board does not need to approve final scholarship awards. Final awards may be approved by the Scholarship Committee. If no Scholarship Committee is established, final awards may be approved by the President.

​

The Board may, at any time, require board approval for particular scholarships, named scholarships, donor-funded awards, unusual awards, disputed awards, or awards raising legal, reputational, conflict-of-interest, or donor-restriction concerns.

​

12. Conflicts of Interest

All persons involved in scholarship review, recommendation, or selection shall comply with the Institute’s Conflict of Interest Policy.

​

A Scholarship Committee member, director, officer, advisor, reviewer, or other person shall disclose any personal, familial, financial, pastoral, academic, employment, mentoring, donor, or other relationship with an applicant that could create an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.

​

A person with a conflict shall not participate in final deliberation or voting concerning the applicant, except to provide information requested by disinterested decisionmakers.

​

Conflicts and recusals shall be documented in scholarship and fellowship records or committee minutes.

​

13. Insider Eligibility

Scholarships shall not be awarded for the private benefit of insiders.

​

The following persons shall be ineligible for scholarship awards unless the Board, after advice of legal counsel where appropriate, adopts specific additional safeguards and determines that the award is lawful and consistent with the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes:

  1. Directors

  2. Officers

  3. Substantial contributors

  4. Employees

  5. Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee members

  6. Family members of directors, officers, substantial contributors, employees, or Scholarship Committee or Fellowship Committee members

  7. Persons whose selection would create improper private benefit, private inurement, or a substantial conflict of interest.

 

14. Renewability and Repeat Awards

A recipient may receive more than one scholarship from the Institute, but no award shall renew automatically, and no one may receive more than one scholarship per term of offering. 

​

A prior recipient must reapply or be reconsidered under the procedures established by the Scholarship Committee or President. The Scholarship Committee or President may consider the recipient’s prior use of funds, conduct, academic progress, continued eligibility, and alignment with the Institute’s mission.

 

15. Recipient Obligations

Recipients may be required to provide:

  1. A thank-you note

  2. Proof of enrollment

  3. Confirmation of educational use

  4. Receipts or documentation for direct payments, if requested

  5. A brief report, letter, essay, or update if requested by the Scholarship Committee

  6. Any additional information reasonably requested by the Scholarship Committee or President.

Failure to provide requested documentation may affect eligibility for future awards and, in serious cases, may result in revocation or a request for return of funds.

​

16. Revocation or Return of Funds

The Institute may revoke a scholarship, withhold payment, cancel a pending award, or request return of funds if:

  1. The recipient provided false, misleading, or incomplete information

  2. The recipient is not enrolled or ceases to be enrolled

  3. The recipient no longer satisfies eligibility requirements

  4. Funds are misused

  5. The recipient fails to provide required documentation

  6. The recipient engages in serious misconduct

  7. The award would violate donor restrictions, law, Institute policy, or the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes

  8. Other circumstances arise that make payment or continued recognition of the award improper.

 

The Scholarship Committee or President shall document the basis for revocation, cancellation, withholding, or requested return of funds.

 

17. Public Announcements and Privacy

The Institute may publicly announce scholarship recipients only with the recipient’s consent.

​

The Institute shall not publish a recipient’s name, school, photograph, biography, award amount, or other identifying information without consent.

Scholarship applications, transcripts, recommendations, essays, church membership verification, committee notes, award deliberations, and related records shall be treated as confidential and handled in accordance with the Institute’s Privacy and Data Security Policy and Document Retention and Destruction Policy.

​

18. Donor-Funded and Restricted Scholarships

Scholarships may be funded from unrestricted gifts, restricted gifts, named gifts, donor-advised gifts, grants, or other funds accepted by the Institute.

Restricted gifts for scholarships shall be accepted and administered in accordance with the Institute’s Gift Acceptance Policy.

​

Donors may establish or support named scholarships if approved under the Gift Acceptance Policy. No donor restriction shall be accepted if it would create improper donor control, private benefit, private inurement, excessive administrative burden, legal risk, or mission inconsistency.

​

The Scholarship Committee or the President shall administer restricted scholarship funds in accordance with accepted donor restrictions and this Policy.

​

19. Records

The Institute shall maintain scholarship and fellowship records in accordance with its Document Retention and Destruction Policy.

Scholarship records may include:

  1. Scholarship criteria

  2. Application forms

  3. Applications received

  4. Transcripts and recommendations

  5. Church membership verification

  6. Proof of enrollment

  7. Committee notes or scoring materials

  8. Conflict-of-interest disclosures and recusals

  9. Award decisions

  10. Award amounts

  11. Payment records

  12. Recipient reports, thank-you notes, or documentation

  13. Donor restrictions or named-scholarship and fellowship records

  14. Revocation, cancellation, or return-of-funds records, if any.

 

Access to scholarship and fellowship records shall be limited to authorized persons with a legitimate organizational need.

 

20. Compliance and Legal Review

The Institute shall administer its scholarship program in a manner consistent with its charitable and educational purposes and applicable law.

If the Institute is classified as a private foundation, or if counsel determines that advance IRS approval or additional procedures are required for grants to individuals, the Institute shall take appropriate steps before awarding scholarships subject to such requirements.

​

Because scholarship eligibility may involve mission-specific criteria, including sex, religion, church membership, citizenship, and institutional suitability, the Board should obtain legal review before adopting or materially expanding the scholarship program.

​

21. Relationship to Other Policies

This Policy shall be administered together with the Institute’s other adopted policies.

​

In the event of a conflict between this Policy and applicable law, the Institute’s governing documents, donor restrictions, or another duly adopted policy, the stricter or more specific requirement shall govern.

​

22. Amendment

This Policy may be amended by the Board of Directors at any duly called meeting of the Board, provided that the amendment is consistent with the Institute’s charitable and educational purposes, governing documents, and applicable law.

​

​

​

bottom of page