Sorensen Family Scholarship

Created on November 15, 1993

by Robert and Patricia Sorensen and Family

Principle Objective:  To impact in a dramatic fashion the life of one Kearney Catholic High School graduation senior each year with a significant scholarship to assist in their continuing education at a four year college or university of their choice.

Scholarship Criteria:  The Sorensen Family Scholarship will be presented annually by a Sorensen family member at Kearney Catholic High School’s Honor’s Mass program. The scholarship recipient will be based on the following criteria:

1. A student who shows significant academic progress from their freshman year to their senior year in terms of achievement.  Students who improve their grades in a dramatic fashion during their high school years will receive priority attention over students who have maintained high academic performance throughout their high school career.  This scholarship is designed to reward progress, perseverance and dedication.
2. The scholarship will be awarded to one graduation senior from Kearney Catholic High School each year who plans to enroll in a four year college or university in the fall term immediately following their high school graduation.
3. The qualifying student should have at least a 3.0 or “B” average during the first semester of their senior year to qualify.
4. The recipient should have demonstrated a broad range of extra curricular         involvement and leadership during their high school years.
5. Students with a legitimate financial need will be given priority in the selection process.
6. The following grading scale, adopted by the Sorensen family, may be used to determine the annual recipient.  However, this scale is not necessarily the final determination of the winner.
   • Has improved their academic standing by at

• Has improved their academic standing by at

• Has been involved in a variety of extra-curricular

                     activities including sports, music, drama, clubs,

                     other academic activities, student council, etc.                      (1-15 points)

• Has been a recognized leader in the school                          (1-10 points)
• Has a legitimage financial need                                             (1-10 points)

Results of application and written summary                                     (1-15 points)

     7.   No member of the Sorensen family is eligible to receive the scholarship.

     8.   The scholarship will be awarded without regard to race, color, creed, and physical limitations.

Application Process: Interested students must submit a Sorensen Family Scholarship application provided by the Kearney Catholic High School guidance counselor.  The application must be completed in full and returned by the deadline noted on the application.  In general terms, the scholarship applications will be available on March 1 with an application deadline of approximately April 15 each year.

The application will also include a one page written summary detailing the student’s desire to attend a college or university and how Kearney Catholic High School has prepared them for post secondary education.

One letter of recommendation from a person not associated with the school is also required.

Finally, a copy of the student’s transcripts, class rank, and grade point average from their freshman year to the current year should be included with the application

Uses of Scholarship Funds by Successful Application:  Amounts received are excludible from gross income only to the extent that they are sued for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required at the educational institution.  Amounts used for room, board, or incidental expenses are includible in gross income.  “Incidental expenses” for this purpose include expenses incurred for room and board, travel, research, clerical help, and equipment and other expenses that are not required either for enrollment or attendance at an educational organization or in a course of instruction at such an organization.

Example: A receives a scholarship from University (U) for the 1987-1988 academic year.  A is enrolled in a creative writing course at U and among the suggested supplies for this course is a word processor.  However, students are not required to obtain a word processor in order to enroll or attend class.  Any scholarship amount used to purchase a word processor is not an amount used for related expenses and is not included in determining the amount received by A as a qualified scholarship.

The exclusion is not limited to a grant whose terms expressly provide that it be used for tuition and course related expenses.  Instead, the exclusion amounts incurred by the candidate for tuition and course related expenses during the period to which the grant supplies.