Dream BIG Scholarship

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF)

Number of Awards & Eligibility: varies.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must reside in the United States.
  3. Must meet one of the following U.S. citizenship/residency requirements: be a legal resident of the United States; have been granted permanent residency; have a valid visa that does not prohibit educational studies; have been granted temporary protected status along with approved Notice of Action issued by Citizen Immigration Services and verified through CIS Form g-845; or have been granted asylum along with the approved Notice of Action issued by the Citizen Immigration Services.
  4. Must be currently employed in any role within the retail or restaurant industry, defined as at a business that sells a product directly to consumers. Applicants must be employed part or full time by a retailer during the scholarship application submission period through the scholarship award and announcement period. Employment will be verified.
  5. Must have ambitions and intentions to pursue a career in the retail or restaurant industry. If recipient no longer works in the retail industry or plans to leave the retail industry during the time of the scholarship award and announcement period, the recipient will forfeit his/her scholarship.
  6. Must pursue a retail-related undergraduate or graduate degree. Appropriate disciplines include, but are not limited to, business, finance, security, technology, management, and marketing.
  7. Must attend the University of Phoenix if awarded the scholarship. Students may enroll at any campus location or online.

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

Description: This scholarship program is open to U.S. students who are currently employed in any role within the retail or restaurant industries and plan to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree to further their career within the retail or restaurant industries. This scholarship covers full tuition at the University of Phoenix (any campus location or online).

Application requirements for the Dream BIG Scholarship are:

  • Application form
  • Essays (3)
  • Recommendation letter
  • Resume (if finalist)
Additional Information: Applicants must meet all admissions requirements of University of Phoenix once they are awarded the scholarship. Admissions requirements are listed online at www.phoenix.edu/. Applicants must not be currently enrolled nor in the process of enrolling at a University of Phoenix campus or an online program at any time prior to the scholarship award date. Applicants must not have been convicted of a federal crime in the past ten years. The top 50 finalists will be required to submit a resume within five days of notification of designation as a finalist. Finalists will receive notification on April 22, with instructions on submission of the resume. The scholarship award will be based on the scholarship committee's scores of the overall quality of the application, the scholarship essay(s), resume, and the letter of recommendation. The higher the average score, the higher the probability of selection. Scholarship selection shall be made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. The scholarship committee will determine the recipients of the scholarship by the award date, Aug. 22, 2016. All applicants with a submitted application will be notified via email, regardless if selected as a recipient or not, by award date regarding the status of the scholarship. Applicants must not be an employee (including full- and part-time faculty members) or family member (spouse, dependent child, or domestic partner) of an employee of University of Phoenix, or any other subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. Further, applicants who are National Retail Federation or NRF Foundation employees or their immediate family members are ineligible to apply for the scholarship.

Award Amount: Full tuition to pursue an undergraduate or master's degree at the University of Phoenix. Information on tuition is available online at www.phoenix.edu/  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $12,669.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Tuesday, March 31

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Tuesday, March 31

Applications are available on the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF) website.To apply, each student must complete the online application. The student must also submit the following materials: three essays of no more than one page each addressing the topics listed on the NRFF website at nrf.com/career-center/scholarships/dream-big-scholarship/how-apply-dream-big-scholarship; and a letter of recommendation from another professional who works in the retail industry and can speak to his/her character.Please note: If selected as a finalist, the student will be required to submit a resume within five days of notification.Applications must be submitted by 11:30 p.m. ET on the deadline date.
About National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF):
Contact Information: Robin Wagher, Director, Scholarship Programs
Address: 1101 New York Ave. N.W. Suite 1200 Washington, District of Columbia 20005

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