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2025/2026 Scholarship Program

Rules, Regulations, and Entry Procedures

The Dupaco Foundation Scholarship Program awards a total of thirty (30) $2,000 nonrenewable scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year:

Ten (10) $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to first-time, full-time incoming students who will be attending an accredited four-year college or university.
Ten (10) $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to first-time, full-time incoming students who will be attending an accredited community college, trade school, or technical college for a degree or certificate.
Ten (10) $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who are currently enrolled in and attending an undergraduate college/university, community college, or trade school and will be returning for the next academic year.

Eligibility
1. Programs: Applicants must qualify for one of the following programs:
  1. Four-Year College/University Scholarship Program: Entrants must be classified as a first-time, full-time incoming student who plans to attend an accredited four-year college or university for an undergraduate degree for the 2025/2026 academic year.
  2. Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program: Entrants must be classified as a first-time, full-time incoming student who plans to attend an accredited community college, trade school, or technical college for a degree or certificate for the 2025/2026 academic year.
  3. Current College Student Scholarship Program: Entrants must be currently enrolled and attending a college/university, community college, or trade school as an undergraduate student and will return for the 2025/2026 academic year. Student can be working towards an undergraduate degree or a certificate. Current high school students who are earning college credit as part of high school curriculum should apply for “First-Year Students” scholarships above.
2. Charter Area:
  Entrant's permanent home address must be located in the Foundation's charter area:
  1. Iowa: Any county
  2. Illinois: Carroll, Jo Daviess, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside
  3. Wisconsin: Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Richland, Rock, Walworth, Waukesha
Entry Requirements
Entrants must submit all materials mentioned below by the deadline date: February 14, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (CT). Incomplete applications or applications not fulfilling the entry requirements will not be included in the judging.
1. Applications: Entrants can complete their application at http://www.dupaco.com/scholarship.
2. Transcript: Entrants must establish scholastic standing by providing their most recent official transcript. Transcripts may be submitted in one of two ways:
  1. Email: PDF document of official transcript can be emailed to scholarship@dupaco.com. PDF must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (CT) on February 14, 2025.
  2. Mail: Official paper transcript can be mailed to Dupaco Foundation, Attn: Community Impact; P.O. Box 179; Dubuque, IA 52004-0179. Transcript must be received by February 14, 2025.
3. Financial Need: Entrants must establish financial need by providing their estimated tuition cost and percentage of tuition paid via scholarships/grants or loans/out-of-pocket.
4. Essay: Entrants must address the following topic in an original 500-word essay:
  
  The Dupaco Foundation was founded to honor long-time Dupaco president and CEO Robert “Bob” W. Hoefer. Bob’s legacy includes providing financial assistance and coaching to help people recover from unforeseen life events. It’s all about people helping people. Tell us, how do you help people? Please include at least one personal example. Also, how would this scholarship help you?
  1. Plagiarized work will result in disqualification. Any statistics, quotes, or information coming from an outside source must be cited. Failure to cite sources is considered plagiarism and will result in disqualification.
  2. Scholarship essays become the exclusive property of Dupaco Foundation and by submitting the electronic application, the entrant is giving Dupaco Foundation and Dupaco Credit Union permission to publish their written essay on Dupaco’s website, affiliate websites, or social media.
Judging
1. Using objective criteria of GPA and financial need, the applications will be narrowed to the top 25 from each program.
2. An independent review committee will read and score each essay. Essays will be judged on originality/personal examples, grammar and organization, adherence to the topic, and demonstration of financial need.
3. Scores will be tabulated and winners notified. All decisions are final.
Administrative/Award Procedures
1. Entrants who have previously received a scholarship from the Foundation are eligible; however, preference will be given to first-time applicants.
2. Winner must be enrolling as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, community college, technical college, or trade school. Student must begin studies within the 2025/2026 academic year, or the student will be required to forfeit their scholarship funds.
3. Dupaco Foundation offers three separate scholarship programs. When applying, entrant must choose the appropriate scholarship program for their college choice or could end up forfeiting their scholarships funds:
  1. Four-Year College/University Scholarship Program (first-year student);
  2. Community College/Trade School Scholarship Program (first-year student); and
  3. Current College Student Scholarship Program
4. Funds are to be used only for tuition or room and board. The Foundation will make a payment in the form a check that is mailed to the applicable educational institution identified by the entrant. Checks will be made out to the institution and student.
5. The Foundation’s officers, directors, and committee members and their family members are not eligible to receive a scholarship.
6. Scholarship decisions are final and may not be appealed.
7. The Dupaco Foundation Scholarship Program is not a benefit for members or employees of Dupaco Credit Union. It cannot be used by employees of Dupaco Credit Union to encourage potential applicants to become members or employees of Dupaco Credit Union. An individual’s membership or employment at Dupaco Credit Union will not be a factor in the application or selection process.
Authority of Dupaco Foundation
1. Dupaco Foundation has the authority to amend any of the above rules to ensure fairness in the awarding of scholarships.
2. Any questions regarding the scholarship program should be emailed to scholarship@dupaco.com.