OPRA Foundation Academic Scholarships | Ohio Parks and Recreation Association

Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Foundation annually awards scholarships for tuition to students majoring in recreation, parks and leisure studies throughout Ohio. The scholarships are broken into three categories:

The Don Schmidt Scholarship for students majoring in parks/law enforcement;
The Jody Stowers Scholarship for students in parks and recreation that exemplify the future of our profession.
The John McComb Scholarship for students majoring in all aspects of recreation (park operations, natural resource management, therapeutic recreation, commercial recreation, outdoor recreation, tourism, community recreation, recreation management, aquatic management, non-profit recreation management, sports management and leisure studies).

These scholarships are evaluated based on three criteria: (1) Resume (2) Essay (3) Professional References.

General Guidelines

Must have a declared major in a relevant degree program at a college or university in Ohio; and/or the applicant must be a resident of Ohio.
Must have completed or be enrolled in courses that add up to a minimum of 30 credit hours and at least 12 credit hours in their major (Grad Students must have at least 9 credit hours in their major). Students must have a 3.0 GPA in their major and an overall, cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Scholarships are only available to go toward the applicant’s tuition. Checks will be sent directly to the University’s Bursar.

Completed applications are due by May 3, 2024.

Name*
First Last
Address*
Street Address City State ZIP Code
Email*
Phone*
Name of University*
Faculty Advisor*
Faculty Advisor Phone*
Major*
Total GPA*
Cumulative GPA must be a 2.5 or above to apply.
GPA in Major*
Must have a GPA of 3.0 or above in your major to apply.
Total Credit Hours*
Must have a minimum of 30 total credit hours to apply.
Credit Hours in Major*
Must have a minimum of 12 credit hours in your major to apply.
Scholarship(s) you are applying for:*
Select all that apply. Please DO NOT submit multiple applications for different scholarship.
Essay*
The objective of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Foundation is to promote the development of parks, recreation and leisure services in the State of Ohio by helping to lessen the burden of government by providing fiscal assistance for the acquisition, development and rehabilitation of Ohio's recreation and park resources. In this essay, tell us how you plan to contribute to the promotion of parks, recreation and leisure services in your future career. To help you develop this essay, go to www.opraonline.org for more information about OPRA's vision for the future. Please have a clearly articulated introduction, argument and conclusion to answer the essay question. In developing your essay, please provide a response using 12 point font or higher, maximum one page.
Accepted file types: doc, docx, pdf, Max. file size: 2 GB.
Resume and References*
Please attach your resume and list of three professional references.
Accepted file types: doc, docx, pdf, Max. file size: 2 GB.

Save and Continue Later