The OLOLPA Scholarship Program
What does
the OLOLPA look for in the Application?
The OLOLPA scholarship program currently operates as
objectively as possible. Our goal is to
connect with the child through his/her own words to evaluate the candidates
There are general questions about academic
achievement and financial need, but the scholarship is not really based on
these factors. Service to the school, to
the family, and to the community and the child's ability to communicate these
activities in writing are among the most important factors considered in the
review. The preferences of the committee
vary slightly from one year to the next.
Which
schools participate in the OLOLPA Scholarship program?
The OLOLPA currently executes its scholarship program
at Mary Mother of
How does
the review process work?
The scholarship coordinator recruits the volunteer
committee from among current OLOLPA members.
De-identified and coded copies of the applications are sent to all
committee members at once. Committee
members discuss the applications, either in person, on the phone, or through
email after reading all applications and selecting their top three choices. The top candidates are discussed at length
until one winner and two alternates are chosen.
The winner is disclosed by code to the scholarship
coordinator who goes back to the Principal of the school to verify that the
candidate has represented himself/herself truthfully on the application. Assuming all information provided by the
tentative winner is verified and that the child has no disciplinary or other
reasons for disqualification, the committee's first choice candidate will win
the award. If the committee's first
choice candidate is disqualified, the Principal is informed of the name of the
committee's second choice. The entire
process is kept as confidential as possible by all parties.
Why do we
collect demographic information on the Scholarship Application?
The OLOLPA collects demographic information such as
race, sex, age, ethnicity, social security numbers, religious affiliation and
citizenship for the purposes of determining our target audience and to ensure
that scholarships are distributed equitably.
Personal information of this type is separated from the application
prior to its distribution to the scholarship review committee to prevent any
undue influence from this type of information on the judgment of the
applications. All personal information
is kept confidential but is retained in the event of an audit of our program
Does the
OLOLPA return scholarship applications after the review process is over?
No. All
submitted applications become the property of the OLOLPA
Does OLOLPA
membership increase my child’s chances of receiving an OLOLPA scholarship?
No.
Scholarships are evaluated in a blinded fashion by the scholarship
review committee. Membership in the
OLOLPA does not have any influence on the selection of a winner. Family members of OLOLPA Officers are,
however, ineligible to apply for OLOLPA scholarships.
The ability of the OLOLPA to award any scholarships
or to increase the dollar value or total number of awards made does, however,
depend on our total annual revenues generated by membership dues and donations
Does the
OLOLPA offer scholarships to non-catholic private schools?
No. The
mission of the OLOLPA is to support the choice of Catholic elementary
schools. Non-Catholic private school
education is not supported by the OLOLPA scholarship program.
Does the
OLOLPA support schools directly?
No. The OLOLPA
does not offer grants to support administrative, capital, or structural needs
of schools. The mission of the OLOLPA is
to provide scholarships to children attending
The OLOLPA welcomes dialog with prospective donors
who do wish to support schools directly and would be pleased to administer such
a program if sufficient financial resources were available.
Can we
apply for a scholarship online?
No. The OLOLPA
distributes paper scholarship applications to the participating school after
pre-registration for the following academic year is completed. Scholarships are distributed by the school's
main office to students registered from grades K-8. While this format may appear antiquated, it
levels the playing field for families who have limited internet access and
resources. Scholarships are completed by
hand and mailed back to the OLOLPA main address. No online application options are available
at this time.
Is an
OLOLPA scholarship transferrable or refundable?
No. If a
scholarship winner does not complete the academic year at the same school where
the OLOLPA award is made, the funds remain with the original school. OLOLPA scholarships are not transferrable to
another school or to the tuition account of another child in the same family
and the amount paid toward the winner’s tuition is not refundable through the
OLOLPA.
Do OLOLPA
scholarships get paid directly to families?
No. The OLOLPA
scholarship is paid directly to the tuition account of the winning child. The OLOLPA does not pay families directly.
Can an
OLOLPA scholarship be used for fees, supplies, or uniforms?
No. The OLOLPA
scholarship award is paid directly to the winning child’s tuition account and
cannot be used for the purchase of supplies or uniforms. It cannot be used for the payment of school
fees or to replace fundraising obligations imposed by the school.
Is being
Catholic required for a child to receive a scholarship?
No. Please refer
to our Non-Discrimination Policy above.