American Legion Auxiliary Virginia Girls State delegates may apply for any scholarship for which she is eligible but will only be awarded one scholarship.
The Samsung College Scholarship will be award first.
Nell Collins Hatcher Girls State Memorial Scholarship
Nell Collins Hatcher was a teacher and Girls State counselor devoted to encouraging responsibility and civic involvement of young women. She served Virginia Girls State as Special Counselor to the Virginia Girls State Governor for many years.
The Nell Collins Hatcher Girls State Memorial Scholarship provides $1,000.00 for the first year of undergraduate study at an accredited institution of higher education. Applicants must submit documentation proving she has completed 30 hours of volunteer community service as well as an essay of no more than 500 words. For complete details, see the application form below. This application is due to your counselor upon arrival to ALA VA Girls State on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
The recipient of the Nell Collins Hatcher Girls State Memorial Scholarship will be announced on Saturday at the Closing Assembly.
Please ensure that you download the 2024 application. The name of the PDF contains “2024”.
Apply for the Nell Collins Hatcher Girls State Memorial Scholarship
Verna Vance Scholarship
Verna Vance was the Director of Virginia Girls State from 1977 through 2004. She attended Virginia Girls State as a delegate, representing Churchland High School. Ms. Vance dedicated over 50 years of service to Virginia Girls State.
The Verna Vance Scholarship is based on participation during the week and is awarded at the Closing Assembly.
More information about how to earn the Verna Vance Scholarship is distributed once Virginia Girls State is in session.
Recipient(s) of the Verna Vance Scholarship will be announced on Saturday at the Closing Assembly.
Samsung American Legion Scholarship
In cooperation with the Samsung Group, an international electronics company, the American Legion Auxiliary offers the opportunity to apply for the Samsung Scholarship to qualified American Legion Auxiliary Virginia Girls State delegates. Winners of this scholarship receive assistance with college expenses.
Please review the Samsung Scholarship information to see if you are eligible to apply. If so, read the instructions and application form carefully. You must provide proof of your relationship with a qualifying U.S. Veteran.
If you are eligible and wish to apply, the Samsung application must be completed ONLINE BEFORE arrival at Longwood University on Sunday.
It is not necessary to bring a printed copy of your application to ALA Virginia Girls State.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Samsung Scholarship
Q: Is there a hard copy of the application available?
A: No. The application is completely contained within the online application system. Not only is this more efficient. It is more environmentally friendly.
Q: Does an application have to be completed in one sitting?
A: No. In keeping with many college and career web-based systems, an applicant will create a user account and password on legion.org, which will allow the applicant to return to the application in multiple sittings, as they collect information and write well-informed essays.
Q: When will an applicant find out the status of their application after submission?
A: Generally, the applicant’s ALA Girls State program will make the announcement of the winner prior to the end of the program. National Samsung American Legion Scholars will be announced during the month of October. If an applicant has heard nothing by this time, their application did not make it past the first round of judging at the state level.
Q: How are applications judged? What is the process?
A: Initially, all applications are screened by judges at the program level. One girl from the ALA Girls State program is chosen as a department finalist. These comprise a pool of 100 finalists from across the nation. A national panel of judges on the Committee of Youth Education decides the final winners at the national level. Regardless of the level, each applicant is assigned objective points for their academic performance, community service, extracurricular activities, honors, and awards. Subjectively, the applications are judged on the applicant’s ability to communicate themselves strongly and concisely, using appropriate language and grammar.
Q: Are letters of recommendation required?
A: No. However, during the application process, an applicant will be required to have an academic progress form filled out and attested to by a school official. This form is available for download during the application process, and the completed version will be uploaded using the application system.
Q: Why does the application system only accept image file uploads and not PDFs?
A: Given the nature of our website coding system, using image files allows the site to compile the application neatly and in order upon submission. Allowing PDF uploads would rearrange the layout of the final, submitted application view, making it less readable.
Q: What if an applicant only has a particular piece of information in PDF form?
A: First, print any information needing to be translated to an image file. The applicant should go to their school or local library and use an all-in-one printer or scanner to scan the documents as an image file. Or, the applicant may use an app on their smartphone or tablet to achieve the same effect.
Q: Is there a set amount of money an applicant receives for being a department finalist?
A: No. The amount of this scholarship fluctuates with the availability of funds drawn from the scholarship endowment. Each ALA Girls State finalist receives a scholarship. Every applicant is encouraged to be very dedicated in time and effort while filling out the application, as ultimately, they are applying for a $10,000 scholarship on the national level.
Q: What counts (and doesn’t) as an “official record” of military service?
A:
| ACCEPTABLE | UNACCEPTABLE |
| Form DD214 (official discharge certificate) | Any otherwise “acceptable” document that is illegible |
| Official “Honorable Discharge” certificate | Obituaries |
| Form DD1300 (Official military death certificate) | Pictures of military headstones |
| Official record of burial in a military cemetery issued by the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs | Entries in non-military and/or non-official records or books |
| Current or former military ID card | Membership cards from veterans’ organizations |
| Current or former LES (Leave and Earnings Statement) | VA Healthcare Cards |
| Official logbook entries from a military unit |
Q: Who is a “direct descendant”?
A: A direct descendant is the child, grandchild, great-grandchild, et cetera of a veteran. Stepchildren and adopted children ARE considered direct descendants. Any other relationships (e.g. siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles) do not count as direct descendants.
Q: Should I list more than one veteran on my application?
A: No. No credit is given for being the descendant of more than one veteran. However, if an applicant is the direct descendant of a Korean War veteran, it is advisable to use that person on your application. Whichever ancestor you choose, ensure you are able to provide acceptable documentation of their time in service.
Q: If I have a question about the acceptability of a document, whom should I contact?
A: Questions regarding the acceptability of any document should be directed to the Assistant Director-Education by email at LegionEd@Legion.org. When making contact for this reason, a scan of the documentation in question should be included as an attachment.
Q: Once an application is submitted, can it be amended in any way?
A: If applicants wish to amend their application prior to the start of their ALA Girls State program, they may use the contact information located in the application system to request their application be unlocked by a member of the national headquarters staff. Under NO circumstances will an application be accepted or opened for amendment following the start of the Girls State program in June.
Q: What happens to applications which were began but not submitted at the start of a program?
A: Such applications are deleted from the system on the day following the start of the respective program.
Q: For applications submitted but not chosen as department finalists, how are they dealt with?
A: Such applications will be available for viewing or downloading by the applicant or department until August. In August, the system will be purged of all applications not selected as department/program finalist.
