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Maximum amount awarded: $1000 per recipient, once annually

Purpose

The scholarship program is intended to assist Texas Registered Municipal Clerks (TRMCs) who are pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree in a program of study that directly enhances the recipient’s professional job performance.

History

The Lila Fern Martin Scholarship is so named to honor the 1958-1959 president of the Association of City Clerks and Secretaries of Texas - the predecessor organization of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Incorporated. Miss Martin was the city secretary of the City of Abilene as well as the Association President when she suffered a terminal illness.

The Association honored Miss Martin for her contributions and service to her colleagues and profession by establishing the scholarship which bears her name.

Lila Fern Martin, TMCA President 1958-1959

Scholarship Administration

Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: 1) credit-hour tuition fees (extension and correspondence courses listed in the institutional catalog that apply to the recipient(s) degree plan are acceptable); 2) building use fees; 3) student service fees; 4) identification card fees; 5) publications fees; 6) union building fees; 7) property damage fees; 8) science laboratory fees; and 9) academic department fees.

The recipient(s) will be notified by the end of August and attendance at the TMCA Annual Awards event confirmed.

Eligible Applicants

  1. General Requirements
    Eligible applicants shall be current paid members of TMCA, Inc., and shall have been paid members of TMCA, Inc., for two consecutive years previous to application for the scholarship. Applicants must be actively pursuing certification or recertification in the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program. Applicants must have already earned the TRMC to be eligible to use the funds for a college degree.

  2. Bachelor Degree Requirements
    Applicants pursuing a bachelor's degree must have completed thirty semester credit hours of study in an accredited college or university. Applicants must major in government, business administration, finance, management, or economics. Recipients who do not have a degree plan on file with the institution must provide an official degree plan by the end of the first academic semester for which the scholarship funds are received. Subsequent scholarship funds will not be released by the treasurer until the degree plan is presented to the TMCA, Inc., treasurer.

  3. Graduate Degree Requirements
    Applicants pursuing a graduate degree must have completed nine semester credit hours of graduate study in an accredited college or university. Applicants must have completed the institutional requirements for admission to Graduate School for a Master of Arts degree or a Master of Science degree in government, public administration, urban government, business administration, management, finance, or economics. Persons admitted to a doctoral program or a law program will have similar requirements.

 Selection Criteria

  1. Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements.
  2. Scholarships will be awarded based on a combination of the applicant’s years of municipal service, membership in TMCA, Inc., and progress in the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification/Recertification Program. For those pursuing a college or university degree, points are awarded based on the number of college hours completed.
  3. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a previous award within the last three years.
  4. Preference will be given to 1) city secretaries or municipal clerks; 2) assistant or deputy city secretaries or municipal clerks; and 3) other TMCA, Inc., members. 
  5. Members of the current scholarship committee are not eligible to apply for a TMCA Major Scholarship 

 Post Award Requirements

The scholarship recipient pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree must complete the same college or university semester credit hours for which the scholarship funds were reimbursed.

Failure to fulfill the post award requirements will obligate the recipient to repay TMCA, Inc., the amount awarded. Failure to repay the awarded funds will result in appropriate legal action by the Association.

The recipients studying for a bachelor's degree must maintain at least a "C+" grade point average.

The recipient studying for an advanced degree must maintain at least a "B" grade point average.