USA TODAY All-USA Community College Academic Team
Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team
The collaboration of USA TODAY, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation, AACC and Phi Theta Kappa will lead to students being featured in an April issue of USA TODAY and the awarding of nearly $350,000 in stipends to outstanding community college students. The All-USA/All-State Community College programs share a common application and eligibility criteria.
The 2011 Application will be online September 2010..
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team. In addition, the Coca-Cola Foundation, along with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation recognizes the New Century Scholars. Fifty students will be named Gold Scholars, receiving $1,500, fifty students will be named Silver Scholars, receiving $1,250, and fifty students will be named Bronze Scholars, receiving $1,000. A state may have multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Scholars. All scholars will also receive special medallions and will be featured in USA TODAY on April 11, 2011.
The top scoring student in each of the fifty states will be named a New Century Scholar and will receive a $2,000 stipend. In addition, one student for a Phi Theta Kappa chapter in Alberta, Canada, and one student for a Phi Theta Kappa chapter outside of the United States and Canada will be awarded. New Century Scholars will be presented at the AACC Convention.
Phi Theta Kappa sponsors 37 All-State Academic Team recognition ceremonies, during which stipends, scholarships and special recognitions are presented to All-State Team winners.
Phi Theta Kappa administers both recognition programs. Selection to both programs is based on the same nomination form and criteria. These nomination forms must be submitted by community college presidents or CEOs. Eligibility requirements are detailed below.
NOTE: Nominated students who are also Phi Theta Kappa members can qualify for the Guistwhite Scholarship by completing two additional Guistwhite questions online.
Meet the 2010 scholarship recipients and the community colleges they represent!
Related Links
All-USA/All-State Nomination Information
- How to Nominate Students for the Teams
- How to Change the Nominator at your School
- How to Find the Nominator at your School
- Hints for Selecting Nominees
- Eligibility Criteria
- Judging and Awards
- Deadline Contact Information
Find out if your nominee is eligible.
Presidents or designated nominators are invited to submit as many as two nominations from each campus of their institution. All applications this year will be available online. Nominators will be given instructions which will allow them to offer all students at their college the opportunity to submit an application for review or they may choose to open the application to only their select two students. Student applications will be available mid-September and must be completed no later than midnight on November 1, 2010. Phi Theta Kappa will then run an internal process to review all student applications, evaluating them for completeness and eligibility. Only those applications that are complete and eligible will be available for review by the nominator. Nominators have until midnight on December 1, 2010, to review applications and submit their two nominees online.
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Every year, the college president or CEO is automatically designated as the Nominator. In August, a letter and "Change of Nominator" form are mailed to the president's office. If the president would like to change the nominator, this form with the name and contact information of the new designee can be returned to Phi Theta Kappa by faxing to 601.984.3546. If this form is unavailable, the president can call 601.987.5741 to request a new form. If the form is not returned to change the designee, all online login information will be provided to the president.
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How to Find the Nominator at your School
Visit the directory of Community College Nominators to see the designated contact for the USA TODAY All-USA Community College Academic Team/Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team programs.
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Hints for Selecting Nominees
In selecting nominees to represent your institution, presidents are asked to consider outstanding academic rigor and grade point averages; participation in honors programs; awards, honors, and recognition for academic achievement, and service to the college and community.
In addition, the focal point of the application is the essay. This should center around one endeavor undertaken by the student that utilized his or her community college education to improve his or her community or school. Judges look for innovative, creative, original and lasting achievements or undertakings.
For in-depth advice, nominators are encouraged to read the Advice to Nominators.
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Eligibility Criteria
Even if you have nominated in the past, please take a moment to review the eligibility criteria.
Specific eligibility requirements of note:
- Must be enrolled at a community college through December 2010.
- Must have a cumulative college-level GPA of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for all coursework completed in the last five years (Fall 2005-present), regardless of institution attended. If the student has attended more than one school, all transcripts will be recalculated to determine the cumulative GPA for all college-level coursework taken. GPA is evaluated at the point of application and the student must maintain a 3.50 or higher GPA through the Fall 2010 semester to remain eligible.
- Students must be on track to earn an associate or a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent of a U.S. associate or bachelor's degree). Students need to have a minimum of 36 semester (or 48 quarter) college-level credits completed at or transferred to a community college by December 31, 2010 and 48 semester (or 72 quarter), college-level credits by August 31, 2011. Students must have a minimum of 30 semester (or 45 quarter), college-level credit hours completed at a community college in the past five years. (Courses must be college-level. Developmental or remedial coursework, such as pre-algebra or basic writing, will be removed when determining number of credits as well as cumulative GPA.)
- Must not have been nominated previously for the All-USA Community College Academic Team or the Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team.
- Must have a community college record free of suspension, probation or other serious disciplinary action. Nominee must not have a criminal record, and if a convicted felon, must have all conditions of sentencing, including probation, completed.
- Students who attend community college in the United States do not need to be a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Students attending community colleges outside of the U.S. need to be members of Phi Theta Kappa and may only apply for the New Century Scholars program. Both students attending in the U.S. and internationally should submit the USA TODAY All-USA Community College Academic Team/Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team nomination form and materials.
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Judging and Awards
Independent judges review the applications and select 20 members for the First Team of the USA TODAY All-USA Academic Team. Judges also review and select 50 Gold Scholars to receive $1,500 each, 50 Silver Scholars to receive $1,250 each, and 50 Bronze Scholars to receive $1,000 each for the Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team. In addition, 150 Coca-Cola finalists will be selected and will receive $1,000 stipends. Finally, 52 scholars will be named New Century Scholars and will receive $2,000 each. For more information on awards, recognition and media attention, please view the individual programs under "related links" listed above.
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Deadline
Student applications must be submitted online by midnight, November 1, 2010. All nominators must select and submit online their two nominees no later than midnight, December 1, 2010. No late applications will be accepted.
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Contact Information
For more information about the All-USA/All-State Community College Academic Teams, contact scholarship.programs@ptk.org, 601.987.5741.
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