2025-2027 Future Leaders Scholarship Application

Important Note: It is highly recommended that applicants print a copy of this application to review all questions and required items. Saving as a draft application is not an option. Students applying should be prepared to submit the full application all at once.

The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship is up to $20,000 per year for two years available to a student entering their junior year in a 4-year undergraduate degree program or entering the last two years of a 5-year or dual degree undergraduate program, and studying in a field related to floods and flood management. The funds are for undergraduate work only and will pay the recipient’s college or university directly for any tuition costs which exceed any existing financial aid or scholarships up to $20,000 per year. Funds remaining after tuition payment may be used for other educational expenses, room and board in a college dormitory, or an equivalent stipend if living off campus.

The ASFPM Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship has been established to provide financial support, mentoring and professional opportunities to undergraduate students who will grow to advance the vision of the ASFPM Foundation. The ASFPM Foundation’s vision focuses on reducing the risk and impacts of floods on people and communities.

The Future Leaders Scholarship is intended to support the undergraduate academic career of a deserving student, studying in areas such as engineering, planning, and biological, earth and social sciences, interested in a career field related to reducing the risk and impacts of floods on people and communities. Addressing floods and flood risk includes the fields of floodplain management, watershed management and coastal management, and incorporates climate change, the environment, and urban and land management issues. Professionals working in the field include people in the public and private sectors and who are scientists, engineers, planners, and researchers.

The ASFPM Foundation has established eligibility criteria for the Future Leaders Scholarship, and along with a demonstration of financial need, the student must be pursuing a course of study related to the vision of the ASFPM Foundation. After graduation the student must plan to work in a profession that focuses on reducing the risk and impacts of floods on people and communities.

The Future Leaders Scholarship page at asfpmfoundation.org includes information on the purpose, duration, what the Scholarship includes, and selection criteria.

Application and Selection Process:

• Applicants must complete an online application.
• The application and all required attachments for the ASFPM Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship must be received by the application deadline of February 1, 2025.
• High-ranking candidates, as determined by the selection committee, will be contacted no later than February 15, 2025 and must submit two current (within the last six months) letters of recommendation. Required will be:
  • Letter of Reference – Academic/Professional (from a professor or past/current employer)
  • Letter of Reference - Character (from a non-academic/professional reference who is not a family member and can attest to the good character of the applicant)
• The highest-ranking candidates, as determined by the selection committee, will be interviewed in person, by telephone, or via video in March or April 2025.
• The selected ASFPM Foundation Future Leader Scholar will be announced by May, 2025, with concurrent notifications to non-selected applicants.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements for 2025-2027 Scholarship:
The applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen or have U.S. permanent resident alien status;
• have graduated from high school prior to August 2023;
• have completed a minimum of 1 year of studies at a college or university by January 2025;
• be entering their junior year or entering their 4th year of a 5-year dual degree undergraduate program in Fall 2025;
• have a cumulative, minimum GPA of 2.5 (or equivalent) at the completion of the Fall Semester 2024;
• be attending an accredited public or private college or university in the United States or its territories; and
• be pursuing a course of study related to the vision of the ASFPM Foundation, which includes, engineering, planning, and biological, earth and social sciences.

The deadline to submit applications and required attachments is February 1, 2025 (11:59 pm Central).

REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:
A number of attachments are required to be uploaded or submitted by email to asfpmfoundation@floods.org by the February 1, 2025 deadline for your application to be considered complete.

• Proof of Citizenship or Permanent Residency Status
• Transcript of cumulative GPA from the 2024 Fall Semester or its equivalent trimester (2.5 or above)
• Copy of your most recent FAFSA
• Resume listing employment history, as well as awards, achievements, and/or honors
• Two essays (as described below)

* ESSAY QUESTIONS: Applicants are to provide two original essays (max. 750 words each):

(1) Describe your personal background, including how or why you became interested in flood issues or how you became interested in the Future Leaders Scholarship. Feel free to include how your completed and planned coursework will prepare you for a career in addressing flood issues and/or any statement of financial need.

(2) What do you see as the challenges for reducing the risk and impacts of floods on people and communities today, and how do you believe you can contribute (make a difference) in addressing flood issues in the United States and its territories in the future?

Again, it is highly recommended that applicants print a copy of this application to review all questions and required items. Saving as a draft application is not an option. Students applying should be prepared to submit the full application all at once.

Questions on the ASFPM Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship may be directed to
asfpmfoundation@floods.org and will usually be answered within 48 hours.