Scholarship - Chapter 54 Special Forces Association

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Chapter 54 Scholarship Program

The Chapter 54 Scholarship Program is designed to provide educational grants to dependents, children and grandchildren of chapter members in good standing to assist them in their pursuit of further education following high school in an undergraduate, graduate or vocational study program. Each year the Chapter 54 Scholarship Committee reviews all applications received and recommends the number and amount of scholarships to be awarded, subject to the review and final approval by the Chapter 54 Executive Committee based on budgetary considerations.

Awards Available

Chapter 54 will award at least one scholarship each year in the amount of $3000 to the applicant who receives the highest overall score, as described below.

Eligibility

Applicants must be the dependent spouse, child or grandchild of a Chapter 54 member in good standing, or of a deceased member who was in good standing at the time of death. High school applicants must have already been accepted by, or currently attend, the accredited college, university, junior college, or vocational institute at which the scholarship will be applied.

Application Process

1. Applications will be accepted from April 1st to May 31^st.

2. There is no formal application form, but applicants must submit the following seven documents to be considered eligible:

a. A Sponsor Letter from the Chapter 54 member stating his full name, member number and relationship to the applicant. Member must be in good standing to be a sponsor.

b. A copy of the Acceptance Letter from the school where the applicant is enrolled.

c. A Personal Letter from the applicant that includes the following:

i. The applicant’s full contact information (name, address, telephone number, and email address).
ii. The applicant’s educational and career plans and aspirations.
iii. Planned courses of study and why this school was chosen.

d. Copies of most recent Transcripts and SAT, ACT or GRE scores, as appropriate. (Taking these tests multiple times to achieve higher scores is encouraged.)

e. A Summary of Activities and Achievements in the following areas:

i. Academic Honors and Awards (Honor Roll, National Honor Society, AP and Honors classes, or other evidence of scholastic achievement)
ii. Athletic Participation and Awards (Sport and years played, team and individual honors or awards received: Captain, MVP, Most Improved, State Champions, etc.)
iii. Extracurricular Activities (Music, drama, language, social or tech clubs)
iv. Non-School Activities (Work, volunteer, church, service programs) If a gap year has been taken, explain why.

f. An Evaluation Letter from the applicant’s Guidance Counselor, Principal or equivalent that describes and evaluates specific actions, characteristics or qualities that illustrate why the applicant should receive the award. NOTE: General reference letters from friends or high-ranking acquaintances or officials are not considered sufficient and may invalidate the application.

g. Essays A separate response of 200 to 400 words is required for each of the following two topics:

i. Discuss what you feel is one of the most pressing issues in America today, and what should be done to address it.
ii. Discuss why the Special Forces motto, “De Oppresso Liber” (“To Free the Oppressed”) is important to them personally, to their community nationally and globally.
iii.The applicant will add the following statement after each essay: “I affirm that this essay is my original work, and that I did not use ChapGPT or a similar tool to help me prepare it.”

3.The items listed above must be consolidated into one PDF file in the order listed and submitted to the Chairman of the Chapter 54 Scholarship Committee at:

alan_kornacki@earthlink.net

Evaluation and Award

1. Applications will be evaluated by the Scholarship Committee and ranked according to the following scoring system:

a. Sponsor Letter
b. Acceptance Letter
c. Personal Letter
d. Academics (Transcripts, SAT, ACT, GRE)
e. Activities and Achievements
f. Evaluation Letter
g. Essays

2. All evaluations will be strictly merit-based. Financial need may be considered to break a merit-based tie, but nepotism or sponsor favoritism will not be a factor.

3. The Scholarship Committee shall render a report to the Chapter 54 Executive Board for approval, listing the scores of all applicants and identifying those recommended to receive scholarships and awards. In the event of ties or close scores, applicants with higher financial needs will also be identified as tiebreakers.

4. Upon approval of the Scholarship Committee‘s recommendation, awardee(s) will be notified by the Chairman via email and a Certificate of Award will be sent via USPS mail. Other applicants will also be notified that they did not receive an award, with the recommendation that they should apply again in the following year.

5. Awardees may be invited to a Chapter 54 meeting to receive their Certificate of Award in person, provided meeting dates and availability of personnel involved are compatible.

6. The Chapter 54 Treasurer shall send the appropriate award money to the financial aid office of each awardee’s designated school with a letter directing that the funds be applied to that student’s tuition for the coming year.

Questions regarding the SFA Chapter 54 Scholarship Program may be directed to any committee member.

Alan Kornacki, Chairman - alan_kornaki@earthlink.net

Bob DelPonte - bobdelponte@gmail.com

* This webpage updated as of March 6, 2026. A PDF of this webpage is availble in the right hand column of this webpage.

LTC William F. Buckley
Memorial Chapter

Serving Green Berets
in Massachusetts
and Beyond