Ruth Abernathy Presidential Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

SHAPE America

Number of Awards & Eligibility: Five awards offered annually. Three awards will be given to undergraduate students and two awards will be given to graduate students.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for international and U.S. students.
  2. The student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
  3. Must be enrolled as a full-time student.
  4. Must be majoring in the field of health, physical education, recreation or dance.
  5. Must have completed 60 semester credit hours or more (as an undergraduate applicant) OR must be enrolled in a graduate program and have completed at least one semester of full-time study in a graduate or doctoral program (as a graduate applicant) to apply for this award.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: This scholarship is for college juniors, seniors and graduate students currently majoring in the field of health, physical education, recreation or dance. The student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher to be eligible.

Application requirements for the Ruth Abernathy Presidential Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship are:

  • Recommendation letter
  • Application form
  • Personal statement
  • Official Transcript
  • Supplemental materials
Additional Information: Recipients will be selected according to the following criteria: scholastic proficiency; evidence of leadership; school, community, professional activity/service; and character attributes. The applicant must be a first-time Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship recipient. Previous winners of SHAPE's National Presidential Scholarship are ineligible. The applicant must be a current member of SHAPE. Students may join SHAPE at the time of application by filling out a online membership application.

Award Amount: $1,250 annually, non-renewable for undergraduate students. $1,750 annually, non-renewable for graduate students. Recipients will also receive a three-year AAHPERD membership.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $7,250.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, October 15, 2022

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, October 15, 2022

Applications are available on the Society of Health and Physical Educators of America (SHAPE) website. The applicant must complete either the undergraduate or graduate application, whichever is applicable. All application materials must be typed. In addition to the completed application, the applicant must submit: a photocopy of his/her AAHPERD membership card or completed AAHPERD membership application form (students may join AAHPERD at the time of application); a letter from his/her school's dean or registrar (indicating full-time status); three letters of recommendation, signed and titled, which address all aspects of the selection criteria (scholarship proficiency, evidence of leadership, school, community, professional activities/service and character attributes); official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate coursework completed; and a short biographical sketch (250-350 words) written by one of the recommenders. All materials must be submitted by email or mail the deadline date. Fax copies will not be accepted.
About SHAPE America:
Contact Information: Patti Hartle, -
Address: 1900 Association Drive Reston, Virginia 20191

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