About the Scholarship

About the Graduate Student Scholarship Program

The Purpose of the FSAEF Scholarship is to Support Florida Graduate Students Pursuing Careers in Stormwater Programs

Program Description: The Florida Stormwater Association Educational Foundation (FSAEF) offers a highly competitive annual scholarship to support graduate students dedicated to advancing the field of stormwater management. This program awards a FSA Winter Conference registration with hotel accommodations and a scholarship of at least $2,000 to top-tier graduate student candidates who demonstrate academic excellence, professional promise, and a clear commitment to stormwater related issues such as water quality, infrastructure, or finance.

Eligibility Requirements:

Be a graduate student enrolled in a Florida college or university.
Be pursuing a degree in engineering, natural sciences, public administration, or a closely related field.
Demonstrate an interest in stormwater topics, such as water quality, stormwater infrastructure, or stormwater finance.
Have completed at least one semester of graduate study, be in good academic standing, and plan to enroll full-time in the upcoming Fall semester.
*Full-time status is defined as enrollment in at least nine graduate credit hours or as otherwise designated by the institution.

Awards: The scholarships will be presented during the FSA Winter Conference in December. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend the Conference, make brief remarks when accepting the award, and prepare a video and digital poster for display that illustrates a recent stormwater related project or research effort in which they were involved (see item #5 below). Scholarship recipients will be given a complimentary conference registration and a two-night stay at the conference hotel as needed.

Application Requirements:
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must submit an online application via the FSAEF Scholarship page with the following information so that it is received by FSAEF on or before the deadline. The maximum number of points for each judging criteria are indicated at the end of each section below:

A completed online application form including contact information and responses to eligibility questions.
A letter of transmittal with a personal statement applying for the award. The letter should describe your interest in stormwater related topics, explain how your research or academic path aligns with these interests, and discuss your career goals related to stormwater. Additionally, it should also detail your need for the scholarship and its intended use. (15 points)
One academic or professional letter of recommendation that clearly reflects the recommender’s familiarity with the applicant’s abilities and involvement in stormwater related work or studies. (10 points)
An official transcript, showing current enrollment, GPA, and field of study. (5 points)
A brief paper (no more than three pages) that summarizes a recent stormwater related project or research effort in which you were involved. Papers that exceed three pages will have points deducted. (20 points)

All materials can be uploaded online (in PDF format) when completing the online application. Materials can also be sent by email to [email protected] or by mail to FSA Educational Foundation, Attention: Scholarship Program, PO Box 13688, Tallahassee, FL 32317. Note that all materials must be submitted (email sent date or postmark date) by the application deadline to be considered).