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Maximum amount awarded: $500 per recipient, once annually

TMCA Major Scholarship Awards

Scholarship Committee will consider all applications, deliberate on the factors of eligibility, and designate the scholarship awards for all of one calendar year. The actual presentation of the awards will occur 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 deadline for annual scholarship applications is June 15. 

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

NOTE: Members apply for TMCA Major Scholarships in the current calendar year and, if awarded, must use the funds in the following calendar year. TMCA Major Scholarships are awarded at the TMCA Annual Banquet.

Purpose of Scholarships

The purpose of the TMCA major scholarship program is to advance the education, professional development, and job performance of Texas Municipal Clerks by providing financial assistance to the members who are enrolled in the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification or Recertification Program.

Scholarships will be used toward pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification or Recertification. Scholarships are also available for eligible 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.

Scholarship Sources

Depending on the applicant’s intended use of the scholarship—TMCCP or college/university study—the applicant may be granted a scholarship from one of the following sources, chosen by the Scholarship Committee

  1. Dorothy F. Byrd Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500 each
    Intended use: Pursuit of either the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification/Recertification (TRMC) or eligible college/university study. 
    History: The Dorothy F. Byrd Scholarship was established in 1993 by the members of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc., to honor Dorothy Byrd, the founding Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program and Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc.

    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to:
    TMCCP expenses: cost of enrollment, textbooks, exam fees, and TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses
    College expenses: credit-hour tuition fees, (extension and correspondence courses listed in the institutional catalog that apply to the recipient(s) degree plan are acceptable), building use fees, student service fees, identification card fees, publications fees, union building fees, property damage fees, science laboratory fees, and academic department fees. 
    Bachelor Degree Requirements: 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: 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.

  2. Betty Collier Memorial Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500 each
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: The Betty Collier Memorial Scholarship is awarded by GrantWorks, Inc. Betty was a beloved Texas public servant for over 30 years, serving as the Driscoll City Secretary, Bishop City Administrator, and later GrantWorks’ Director of Client Services.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  3. Dr. Joyce Snay Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: The Dr. Joyce Snay Scholarship was established in 2008 to honor former TMCCP/TMCA Education Director Dr. Joyce Snay.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  4. Judy Morrison Memorial Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: The Judy Morrison Memorial Scholarship honors the lasting impact Judy Morrison, former City Secretary for the City of Allen (1989–2003), had on the municipal clerk profession.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  5. LeAnn Gallman Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: The LeAnn Gallman Scholarship is awarded by Underwood Law Firm to honor LeAnn Gallman's over three decades of municipal service, including her tenure as City Secretary and City Manager of Muleshoe, TX, her leadership as TMCA president, and her recognition as TMCA's 2014 Municipal Clerk of the Year.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  6. Peggy Burnside Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded: $500
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: The Peggy Burnside Scholarship is granted by City Hall Essentials in honor of her long-time service as Administrative Director.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  7. Susan Rocha Scholarship
    Maximum amount awarded:     $500
    Intended use:     Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History:     The Susan Rocha Scholarship is awarded by Bojorquez Law Firm to honor Susan Rocha's memory and her commitment to public service, including her 25+ years of practicing municipal law with multiple cities and her dedication to municipal clerks' education as a frequent speaker for the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program's Legislative Update Seminar.
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

  8. Vendor Scholarships
    Maximum amount awarded: $500
    Intended use: Pursuit of the Texas Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (TRMC) or Recertification.
    History: Various donors contribute funds toward Texas Municipal Clerks scholarships in recognition of the mission of TMCA, Inc., and TMCCP, which states, “The Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc., and the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program are dedicated to providing an educational and professional development program for novice and experienced municipal clerks.”
    Reimbursable expenses are exclusive to: enrollment fees, textbooks, exam fees, TMCCP seminar registration fees and travel expenses.

Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria

  1. Applicant must be a current paid member of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association and shall have been a paid member for two consecutive years previous to application for the scholarship. 
  2. Applicants must be actively pursuing certification or recertification in the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program. 
  3. 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. 
  4. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a previous award within the last three years.

  5. 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.

  6. 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 TMCA, Inc., treasurer disburses scholarship funds to the recipient(s) on a cost-reimbursement basis not to exceed the amount(s) awarded. The recipient(s) shall be reimbursed for qualifying expenses incurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the year following the award of scholarship.

The recipient must submit the Request for Reimbursement Form along with a copy of receipt(s) to receive payment for reimbursable expenses.