Kay Finnie Scholarship Fund

Application Information

Thanks to generous donors to the Kay Finnie Scholarship Fund, we are so excited to offer partial travel scholarships to Springfield area citizens of all ages who would like to join us on upcoming trips to our sister cities of Isesaki, Japan or Tlaquepaque, Mexico.

Students traveling on the Youth Ambassador Trip to Japan should fill out a different scholarship application which will be available through the student trip information page.

Deadlines

Scholarship applications are due the day first payments are due. Applications received after the deadline may still be considered. Please visit our travel page to learn more about the trips.

Isesaki – Sept./Oct. 2024
Priority Deadline: Monday, July 15

Tlaquepaque – Oct./Nov. 2024
Priority Deadline: Thursday, August 1

Tlaquepaque – Jan. or Feb. 2025
Priority Deadline: Friday, November 1

Eligibility

Applicants must be paid members of SSCA living within the greater Springfield, Mo. area.

Applicants should have a passport valid for at least 6 months after trip departure or be in the process of obtaining one. If you have not started the process, plan for about two weeks to gather the necessary documents for the application and four to six weeks for processing.

Process

Applications are reviewed by a committee and selected based on financial need, ability to fund remaining fees, and ability to be a positive ambassador of Springfield.

Priority is given to applications which demonstrate engagement with SSCA and its mission of “Peace through People.” Amounts distributed are based on availability of funds.

Applicants may be invited to participate in an in-person interview. Interviews are scheduled based on applicant availability.

Recipient Requirements

Financial aid recipients are required to submit written reports and relevant media (photographs, videos, etc.) to SSCA within two weeks of trip completion. This content may be used to promote the scholarship program and future trips. Recipients may also be expected to present oral reports.

Instructions

Download the application or complete the form below. Narratives may be attached if additional space is needed, but each narrative should not exceed 500 words. Typed submissions are preferred.

Applicants are notified of results within six weeks of the priority application deadline.

Questions

For more information, please contact us.

Application

We recommend that you type your responses in a separate document before entering them in the form below.

I am applying for financial aid for the following trip:(Required)
Name(Required)
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Please check all that apply:(Required)
References (optional)

You may submit up to three reference letters. Please request that your references be e-mailed directly to Lisa Bakerink, lbakerink@springfieldmo.gov.

Do you plan to request references?(Required)