
Dupaco R.W. Hoefer Foundation Scholarship
Dupaco is a proud supporter of education. And we love to help you succeed in yours. That’s why the Dupaco R.W. Hoefer Foundation is offering a total of thirty, $2,000 non-renewable college scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year.
Check out the winners below! Congratulations!
All applicants must address the topic below in ONE of the two acceptable formats:
- Written essay: Entrants must submit an original, typed, 500-word essay centralizing this year’s topic.
- Creative video: Entrants must submit a 150- to 180-second, original video centralizing this year’s topic.
Dupaco 2023 Scholarship Topic:
Financial education – too little, too much, or just right? Tell us about the financial education you’ve received
throughout your life, perhaps from a parent, at school, or from your friends at Dupaco. Do you feel you’ve
received enough financial education to set you up for success during college and beyond? If not, what do
you wish you knew more about?
First-Year Students
- Four-Year College/University Scholarship Program
Entrants must be classified as a first-time, full-time, incoming freshman who plans to attend an accredited four-year college or university for an undergraduate degree for the 2023/2024 academic year. - Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program
Entrants must be classified as a first-time incoming student who plans to attend an accredited community college, trade school or technical college for a degree or certificate for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Current College Students
- Current College Student Scholarship Program
Entrants must be currently enrolled and attending a college/university, community college or trade school as an undergraduate student and will return for the 2023/2024 academic year. Student can be working towards an undergraduate degree or a certificate. Current high-school students, earning college credits as part of high school curriculum, please apply for “First-Year Students” scholarship listed above.
How to apply
Entrants must submit all materials mentioned below by the deadline date, which is 11:59 p.m. (CT), February 22, 2023. Incomplete or applications not fulfilling the entry requirements will not be included in the judging. There are two ways an applicant can apply:
- Dupaco members with Shine Online access can complete the application by logging into their Shine Online Banking account and clicking the scholarship graphic.
- Non-members and Dupaco members without Shine Online Banking access, can complete their application here.
Transcripts
If applying for the First-Year Students program, students must submit an official high school transcript. Transcript must be submitted in one of two ways:
- A PDF document of your official transcript can be sent to scholarship@dupaco.com. PDF must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (CT) on February 22, 2023.
- Official paper transcripts will be accepted. All paper transcripts must be mailed and received by February 22, 2023. Please note: paper transcripts cannot be dropped off at a Dupaco branch. Please mail paper transcripts to:
Dupaco Community Credit Union
Attn: Jennifer Faley, Marketing
PO BOX #179
Dubuque, IA 52004-0179
If applying for the Current College Student Scholarship Program, a transcript is not required; however, verification of enrollment with current school will be complete prior to winner notification.
Judging will be accomplished by a panel of impartial judges selected by the Dupaco Community Credit Union Marketing Committee. Dupaco Community Credit Union will calculate the results, announce and contact the winners. All decisions are final. Winners and their high school counselors (if current high school student) will be notified by email on or before April 5, 2023.
- Judges will take into consideration educational merit, employment, extracurricular activities, community involvement, financial need, and written essay or video.
- Written essay will be judged primarily on meaningful content and knowledge on the topic. Originality, clarity and grammar will also be considered.
- Video entries must be 150- to 180-seconds in length and will be judged primarily on creativity, knowledge on the topic and how well the content aligns with the topic.
The video submission must meet the following criteria:
- Video entries must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging and libelous
or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, slanderous, and
discriminatory in any way. Dupaco Community Credit Union reserves the right to discard or
disqualify any entry it deems to be inappropriate, offensive or is not in keeping with Dupaco’s
image. - When filming video, entrants are to obtain written permission of third parties if filming on property
other than that of the entrant’s. If music is incorporated into the entrant’s video, the entrant is
2023 Dupaco College Scholarship Program.
responsible for submitting a complete list of production credits. Music must be original or written
permission by the music’s composer/author must be provided. - It must not contain content, material, or any element that displays any third-party advertising,
slogan, logo, trademark, or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party. - It must be an original, unpublished work that does not contain, incorporate, or otherwise use any
content, music, material, or element that is owned by a third-party or entity. Failing to provide
proper documentation of permission to use such materials will result in the entry being disqualified. - Videos from digital cameras, camcorders, and phones are all acceptable. Entrants must submit the
video by providing a YouTube link (privacy settings must be public so we can view it) in the
appropriate field of the online application.
Any statistics, quotes or information coming from an outside source must be cited. Failure to cite sources is considered plagiarism and will result in disqualification. Entrants may reference content across www.dupaco.com without the need for citation in order to illustrate points that are critical to the essay or video topic.
All scholarship entries become the exclusive property of Dupaco Community Credit Union and by signing the electronic application, the entrant is giving Dupaco Community Credit Union permission to publish their written essay or video on Dupaco’s website, affiliate websites, and social media.
- Limit of one scholarship per winner.
- Winner must be enrolling as a full-time (when applicable) student at an accredited college, university,
community college, technical college, or trade school. The scholarship is valid at any four-year college or
university, community college, technical school, or trade school approved for the guaranteed student loan
program. In order for the scholarship funds to be sent to the student’s college of choice, the winning student
must direct the registrar to provide Dupaco with written verification of enrollment at the school of choice.
Student must begin studies within the 2023/2024 academic year, or student will be required to forfeit the
award in the absence of extenuating circumstance. - Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the institution in the name of the recipient prior to the start of the
student’s enrollment date. If the recipient later decides not to pursue post-secondary education, or decides
to attend an ineligible school, he/she will become ineligible and must forfeit the scholarship funds. - Dupaco offers three separate scholarships programs:
- Four-Year College/University Scholarship Program (first-year student);
- Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program (first-year student); and,
- Current College Student Scholarship Program
When applying, student must choose the appropriate scholarship program for their college choice or could end up forfeiting their scholarship funds.
- Funds are to be used only for tuition, room and board, books or educational supplies (supplies must be
approved by Dupaco Community Credit Union).
- Grant: If chosen a scholarship recipient, for consideration which I acknowledge, I irrevocably grant Dupaco
Community Credit Union (Dupaco) and Dupaco’s assigns, licensees and successors the right to use my image and
name in all forms and media including composite or modified representations for all purposes, including advertisement, trade or any commercial purpose throughout the world in perpetuity. I waive the right to inspect or approve versions of my image used for publication or the written copy that may be used in connection with the images. - Release: I release Dupaco’s assigns, licensees and successors from any claims that may arise regarding the use of my
image including any claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, or infringement of moral rights, rights of publicity or
copyright. Company is permitted, although not obligated, to include my name as a credit in connection with the
image.
- Dupaco Community Credit Union has the authority to amend any of the above rules to ensure fairness in the awarding of the scholarships.
- Any questions regarding the scholarship program should be emailed to scholarship@dupaco.com.