High School Senior: Applicants must be a graduating high school senior. Current college students are not eligible for this scholarship.

Programs: Applicants must qualify for one of the following programs:

• College/University Scholarship Program: Entrants must be classified as a first-time, full-time incoming student who plans to attend an accredited four-year college or university for an undergraduate degree for the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program: Entrants must be classified as a first-time, full-time incoming student who plans to attend an accredited community college, trade school, or technical college for a degree or certificate for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Charter Area: Entrant must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident. Entrant’s permanent home address must be located in the Foundation’s charter area:

• Iowa: Any county
• llinois: Carroll, Jo Daviess, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside
• Wisconsin: Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Walworth, Waukesha

Grade Point Average: Entrant is required to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.

Entrants must submit their application by the deadline date: February 26, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (CT). Incomplete applications or applications not fulfilling the entry requirements will not be included in the judging. Entrants can complete their application at www.dupaco.com/scholarship. The following are required as part of the application:

• Transcript: Entrants must establish scholastic standing by uploading a PDF of their most recent official transcript, including the fall 2024 semester.
• Financial Need: Entrants must establish financial need by providing documentation of their Student Aid Index (SAI) number from FAFSA.
• Essay: Entrants must address the following topic in an original 500-word (maximum) essay:
  Describe a significant personal success you have achieved. This could be an instance where you overcame a major hardship, demonstrated emotional maturity, exhibited exceptional motivation, showed remarkable perseverance, etc.
  Your essay should include the following elements:
  1. Background: Describe the context or situation leading up to your success. What challenges or obstacles did you face? How did these circumstances impact you emotionally, mentally, or physically?
  2. Actions Taken: Detail the specific steps you took to achieve this success. Highlight any strategies, resources, or support systems you utilized. Discuss any moments of doubt or difficulty and how you overcame them.
  3. Personal Growth: Reflect on how this experience contributed to your personal development. Did it enhance your emotional maturity, strengthen your motivation, or build your perseverance?
  4. Impact on Future Goals: Explain how this success has influenced your future aspirations. Has it shaped your career goals, academic pursuits, or personal values? How do you plan to build on this success moving forward

Plagiarized work will result in disqualification. 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.

Scholarship essays become the exclusive property of Dupaco Foundation and by submitting the electronic application, the entrant is giving Dupaco Foundation and Dupaco Credit Union permission to publish their written essay on Dupaco’s website, affiliate websites, or social media.

• Using objective criteria of financial need and consideration to first-generation students, the applications will be narrowed to the top 30 from each program.
• An independent review committee will read and score each essay. Essays will be judged on originality/personal examples, grammar and organization, and adherence to the topic.
• Scores will be tabulated and winners notified. All decisions are final and may not be appealed.

• Winner must be enrolling as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, community college, technical college, or trade school. Student must begin studies within the 2025/2026 academic year, or the student will be required to forfeit their scholarship funds.
• Dupaco Foundation offers two scholarship programs. When applying, entrant must select the appropriate scholarship program for their college choice or could end up forfeiting their scholarships funds:
  • Four-Year College/University Scholarship Program (first-year student)
  • Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program (first-year student)
• Funds are to be used only for tuition or room and board. The Foundation will make a payment in the form a check that is mailed to the applicable educational institution identified by the entrant. Checks will be made out to the institution and student.
• The Foundation’s officers, directors, and committee members and their family members are not eligible to receive a scholarship.
• Scholarship decisions are final and may not be appealed.
• The Dupaco Foundation Scholarship Program is not a benefit for members or employees of Dupaco Credit Union. It cannot be used by employees of Dupaco Credit Union to encourage potential applicants to become members or employees of Dupaco Credit Union. An individual’s membership or employment at Dupaco Credit Union will not be a factor in the application or selection process.

• Student must reapply each year for the next annual disbursement.
• Student must demonstrate continuous full-time enrollment (continuously enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution in the fall and spring semesters).
• Student must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Student must demonstrate full-time enrollment for upcoming academic year.
• If a student ceases to be academically eligible for the scholarship at the time of renewal, they will be withdrawn from the scholarship program and no additional annual disbursements will be provided.

• Dupaco Foundation has the authority to amend any of the above rules to ensure fairness in the awarding of scholarships.
• Any questions regarding the scholarship program should be emailed to scholarship@dupaco.com.