Plein Environmental Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by White House Farm Foundation

## Overview
The Plein Environmental Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to students pursuing environmental-related degrees who plan to continue their studies at four-year institutions. The fund supports learners who need financial assistance to complete an associate degree and advance into environmental careers. Awards are limited in number and intended to reduce financial barriers for students committed to environmental service and study. This overview explains purpose and structure; specific eligibility and application details follow.

- Supports students pursuing environmental-related fields.
- Designed to facilitate transfer to a four-year university.
- Focused on students with demonstrated financial need.
- Limited, competitive award program.

## Eligible Institutions
**Where you must be enrolled or plan to enroll**: To qualify, applicants must be current students at or planning to attend Virginia community colleges or public universities. The full list of Virginia public colleges and universities is maintained by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Refer to the SCHEV website for the official roster when confirming institutional eligibility.

- Applicants must attend a Virginia community college or public university.
- Check the SCHEV “Virginia Public Colleges and Universities” list for eligibility.
- Use the official SCHEV list to confirm your intended transfer destination.

## Eligibility Requirements
**Who can apply and academic focus**: Applicants must be either a high school senior graduating no later than June 2026 and planning to enroll at a Virginia community college or public university, or a current undergraduate student at a Virginia community college or public university. Applicants must intend to pursue a degree in an environmental-related field (for example: Environmental Science, Conservation, Forestry, Biology, Urban Planning, Economics, Public Policy, or related majors). You should be ready to explain how your chosen major will be used to serve the environment.

- Open to graduating high school seniors (by June 2026) and current undergraduates at Virginia public institutions.
- Must pursue an environmental-related major.
- Expect to describe how your major will support environmental goals.

## Financial Need
**Demonstrating need**: The scholarship prioritizes students who demonstrate financial need. You must submit a short written statement explaining your financial circumstances and why you require scholarship support. This statement is a required component of the application and will factor into the selection process.

- Financial-need statement is required.
- Explain current financial circumstances clearly and concisely.
- Financial need contributes to selection decisions.

## Application Materials and Submission
**How to apply and what to include**: Applications must be sent by email to scholarship@whfarmfoundation.org. Required materials include the completed application form, an Environmental Service resume, the essay responses, and a copy of your high school and/or college transcript. Attach all documents as PDFs when possible to ensure readability.

- Email complete application to scholarship@whfarmfoundation.org.
- Required documents: application form, resume, essays, transcript(s).
- Submit materials as PDFs when possible.

## Academic Records (Transcripts)
**Transcript requirements**: Provide a PDF copy of your current transcript(s). High school students should submit a high school transcript; college students should also include a current college transcript. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the initial review.

- Submit current high school and/or college transcript as a PDF.
- Both unofficial and official transcripts are acceptable for application.
- Include all relevant current academic records.

## Environmental Service Resume
**What this resume should show**: The Environmental Service resume is not a formal employment history but a focused list of activities demonstrating your engagement with environmental learning and service. Include classes, volunteer projects, extracurriculars, internships, personal projects, or other relevant experiences that show commitment to environmental issues. Use concise entries and dates to communicate scope and depth of your involvement.

- Document classes, volunteer work, extracurriculars, and projects related to the environment.
- Keep it concise—highlight involvement and responsibility.
- Emphasize experiences that demonstrate commitment to environmental work.

## Essay Questions
**Required prompts and word limits**: You must respond to two required essay prompts and may choose to answer one optional prompt. The required prompts ask you to describe (1) when you first learned about a specific environmental issue and how that shaped your career choice (300 words max), and (2) a respectful discussion you had about an environmental issue and what you learned from it (250 words max). The optional prompt invites you to identify an overlooked environmental topic and explain why it matters (500 words max).

- Essay 1: first exposure to an environmental issue; 300 words max.
- Essay 2: a dialogue about an environmental issue and its impact on you; 250 words max.
- Optional essay: an overlooked environmental topic; 500 words max.

## Selection Criteria and Timeline
**How applications are evaluated and when decisions are made**: The selection committee evaluates applications based on GPA, essay quality, and demonstrated financial need. Award decisions will be communicated to recipients by May 31, 2026. Scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the student’s academic institution in August 2026.

- Evaluation factors: GPA, essays, financial need.
- Recipients notified by May 31, 2026.
- Funds paid to the institution in August 2026.

## Scholarship Awards
**Amount and frequency**: Each recipient receives a single $5,000 award, disbursed for the Fall semester. The program will award three scholarships per academic year. The award is intended to offset educational costs as recipients continue toward their environmental degree and transfer plans.

- Each award equals $5,000.
- Three scholarships awarded per academic year.
- Funds applied toward Fall semester costs at the recipient’s institution.

If you need any clarification about eligibility, documentation, or the application process, send questions to scholarship@whfarmfoundation.org or consult the SCHEV list of Virginia public colleges and universities.