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.
Maximum amount awarded: $1000 per recipient, once annually. The deadline for annual scholarship applications is June 15.
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.
Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria
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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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Recertification Program. For those pursuing a college or university degree, points are awarded based on the number of college hours completed.
- Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a previous award within the last three years.
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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.
- Members of the current scholarship committee are not eligible to apply for a TMCA Major Scholarship
Scholarship Administration
Scholarship Committee will consider all applications, deliberate on the factors of eligibility, and designate the scholarship awards. The actual presentation of the awards will be held at the Annual TMCA Awards Banquet, held in conjunction with the TMCCP Advanced Institute. Scholarship winners will be notified that they have received a scholarship.
The Chair of the Scholarship Committee must receive all scholarship applications by June 15.
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.
