Future Leader Scholarship
2023 Future Leader Scholarship Winners have been announced! View list of winners here.
Congratulations to all our winners!
The Generations Future Leader Scholarship is designed to recognize students whose activities, be they academic, religious or civic, will better the community of San Antonio and surrounding areas. GFCU will award ten (10) non-renewable scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. An additional $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one GFCU employee or immediate family member.
One scholarship recipient will also receive distinct recognition by the Generations FCU Board of Directors as the Robert “Bobby” Guerra Memorial Scholar to highlight their commitment to community involvement, and one additional scholarship recipient will be recognized as the Leroy Harvey Honorary Scholar to emphasize their dedication to education.
Scholarship Essay Prompt
(Maximum 500 words):
In order to be successful in your academic, professional, or personal pursuits, what goals have you set for yourself? In addition, what obstacles have you encountered during your journey to achieve those goals? In your own assessment, identify the leadership skills you think have been and will be necessary for you to demonstrate to help you accomplish your goals and overcome those obstacles.
Judges will be looking for applicants to demonstrate their thought-leadership by sharing their unique point of view on this essay topic.
Plan Ahead Before Applying
All elements of the scholarship application must be completed before it can be submitted.
- Applicant must register for a User ID with their email address to get started.
- Applicant must confirm two recommenders, and both recommenders will also have to register with their email addresses to submit their letters of recommendation.
- Applicant CANNOT submit a completed application until both recommenders submit their letters of recommendation.
- Applicant should have their essay response ready to copy and paste into the application before applying.
- Applicant should also have an electronic PDF of their official or unofficial transcript.
- Applicant will need to enter their GFCU member account number.
Judging Criteria
Our panel of judges includes GFCU executives, board members and community leaders who are all seeking to recognize and reward the next generation of leaders among our credit union members.
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- Future Leader Scholarship applicants can be graduating high school seniors, current undergraduate students, graduate students, doctoral, post-doctoral and/or continuing education, trade school and vocational school students.
- Applicant must provide proof of enrollment or acceptance to an accredited institute of higher learning (to include two-year and four-year colleges and universities, trade schools and/or vocational schools, and accredited online schools).
- Applicant must be a member in good standing of GFCU.
- Applicant must provide their most recent school transcript.
- Applicant must have a GPA of 3.0 or better (or an average grade of 85/B).
- Applicant must provide proof of community service and/or extra-curricular activities.
- Applicant must provide two letters of recommendation. APPLICANTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UPLOAD LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION THEMSELVES. In the application form, applicants will enter the email addresses of their recommenders. The recommenders will then receive an email with a link to submit their letter of recommendation directly to the applicant’s form. Acceptable sources for recommendation letters include, but are not limited to:
- Academic Advisors
- Deans
- Coaches
- Professors
- Teachers
- Department Heads
- Mentors
- Clergy
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What is the application deadline?
Deadline to submit applications for the 2023-2024 Future Leader Scholarship is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 24, 2023.
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Am I eligible to apply and receive the Future Leader Scholarship?
All GFCU members in good standing who will be attending an accredited higher learning institution during the 2023-2024 academic year are eligible to apply and receive the scholarship.
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How are scholarship winners selected?
A selection of judges will ensure that each applicant meets the eligibility requirements necessary to receive a scholarship award. Judges take into account essay quality and other application factors when providing an overall score.
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Is there a minimum amount of time the applicant needs to be a member of Generations?
No, there is no minimum length of membership requirement.
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Is there a minimum GPA required to apply?
Yes, to be eligible you must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0+ (or average grade 85/B).
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How much are the scholarship awards?
Ten (10) scholarships will be awarded, each in the amount of $1,000.
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Can I only use the scholarship for tuition?
The scholarship award can be used for any education-related expense. Education-related expenses are determined at the discretion of each school.
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What do I need to do to apply?
Navigate to MyGenFCU.org/Scholarships and complete the electronic application. Paper applications are not accepted.
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Do I have to attend a four-year college to be eligible?
No, Future Leader Scholarship awards are available to anyone who currently attends or plans to attend any two- or four-year college or university, as well as any continuing education, vocational or trade schools during the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
Scholarship awards are only for coursework in a degree-seeking program. Scholarship awards cannot be used for leadership development or special training programs.
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I’m not currently in school, but plan to attend in the fall. Am I still eligible?
As long as you are enrolled to attend an accredited school in the fall of 2023, you are eligible to apply for a Future Leader Scholarship.
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I’ve been out of school for a while, and my last transcript is several years old. Is that all right?
Yes, you are still eligible for a Future Leader Scholarship as long as you can provide your last available transcript.
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Can I get a scholarship to help pay for my private or charter school (grades K-12)?
No, Future Leader Scholarship awards are available for continuing and college-level educational pursuits only.
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I’m enrolled in online courses. Can I get a scholarship for that?
Yes, as long as the institution is accredited.
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Can I apply from my phone or tablet?
The program used for the Future Leader Scholarship application is not optimized for mobile devices. It is highly recommended that you complete the application from a desktop computer.
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How do I submit a letter of recommendation?
Within the application, you will be prompted to request a letter of recommendation (you will not be able to upload a document). You must provide the recommender’s full name and email address. An email will then be sent directly to the recommender so that they may write or upload a previously written letter of recommendation that will be included with your application.
Please ensure that you let your recommender know beforehand that they will be receiving an email request. They should look for an email from noreply@mail.smapply.io.
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I’ve been asked to provide a recommendation for a scholarship application. How can I do that?
Recommenders will need to click the link provided in the email from noreply@mail.smapply.io. This will take you to a page where you can login top provide a letter of recommendation.
If you’ve provided a recommendation in the past, you may login using your original credentials. You also have the option to login using Facebook, Twitter, or Google. If you have not created an account before, you will need to make one. Fill out the requested identifying information and click “Create Account,” or “Register.”
Once logged in, you will have the option to write the letter of recommendation in the form provided, or else upload a previously written PDF form of the letter. Once complete, you may submit the letter of recommendation.
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Can I save my application and finish it later?
Yes, you may save your application at any point in the process and return to it at a later date to complete and submit. You will need to login using the same credentials.
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How will I know if my application was received?
You will receive an email after applying letting you know that your application was submitted successfully.
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I submitted my application and did not receive an email. What should I do?
If you don’t receive an email from us after submitting your application, please call (210) 773-6704 to check on the status.
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How will I know if I’ve been awarded a scholarship?
All applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of the Future Leader Scholarship by Tuesday, April 4, 2023. If you are selected as one of our Future Leader Scholarship recipients, you will also receive a call from us. Winners will also be formally announced at the Credit Union’s Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, April 5th and will also be listed on our website at MyGenFCU.org.
If you have questions that aren’t listed here, please send an email to CorpComm@mygenfcu.org, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
The purpose of the Generations Federal Credit Union (GFCU) Future Leader Scholarship is to support the academic endeavors of students who live, work, worship, volunteer, attend school, or own a business in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, or Wilson County, Texas.
The scholarships may be used for any educational or education-related expenses the student may incur, including but not limited to, tuition, books, fees, room and board.