The purpose of the AAPC Foundation Scholarship Program is to provide students who have shown a career interest in political consulting and public affairs an opportunity to attend the annual AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference. As the premier political consulting event of the year, the AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference provides unparalleled access to industry leaders and over 13 hours of educational sessions on the latest trends in campaign strategy and management. The AAPC Foundation considers its scholars to be the future of professional political consulting—those who are committed to practicing the art of political consulting with the highest level of integrity.

Scholarship: Registration, hotel and travel to AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference

Number: Three scholarships

Apply for one of three awards to attend the 2020 AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference. These awards enable students to have the opportunity to attend the conference. Scholarships are valued at approximately $2,000, including:

• Complimentary full-conference registration*
• Up to three-night hotel stay in Washington, DC**
• $500 travel stipend

*Guest registration not included.
**Housing will be provided at a hotel of AAPC’s choice.

Eligibility

• Undergraduate and graduate students attending an accredited college or university in the United States
• Demonstrated interest in political science, political communications or campaign management, including but not limited to the submission of Student Pollie entries
• Applicants must not have attended the AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference in the past three years (2017-2019) and are not currently registered to attend in 2020

How to Apply

The online application form (No paper forms accepted) includes:

• Contact information
• One essay question about your learning objectives and career goals
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher or school official at the college level. Statements from family members of the applicant will not be accepted. Please upload your completed statement as part of your online application.
• OPTIONAL: Letter of recommendation from a current AAPC member

Selection Criteria

The review committee will be selecting individuals whom they believe are most likely to leverage this learning opportunity. They will seek candidates who are eager to learn and who plan to apply the skills and knowledge gained to benefit their studies, their careers and the profession.

Timeline

Applications for the 2020 scholarship are currently closed.  

Expectations of Scholarship Recipients

If selected for an award, applicants must confirm their ability to attend the 2020 event and provide their tax ID number. Winners will be expected to sign a release form so they can be featured in conference promotions, possibly including–but not limited to–live appearances on stage, video interviews, and ‘meet and greet’ sessions with sponsors and Board members. Scholarship winners will be expected to provide a follow-up interview to AAPC and/or the AAPC Foundation after the event to discuss their experiences and to share what they have learned.

AAPC Foundation Scholarship Awards are awarded without regard to race, sex, religion, age, national origin or sexual orientation.  AAPC Foundation will not award scholarships to applicants who are not qualified and reserves the right not to award a scholarship in any year.

Submission of Application Form

Fill it out the application completely electronically, then save the copy that will be emailed to you you after you submit it. Note that the application requires a signature. You may provide an electronic signature, or print out the completed application, sign it and either scan it as a pdf or mail in the printed application.

For the statement of qualifications and education and career goals, you may use the page included in this application form, or attach a separate page.

Completed applications forms may be sent as a pdf file to info@theaapc.org should you elect to print and sign it.  Please include applicant’s last name as part of the file name.

Alternatively, completed printed applications may be mailed to:

AAPC Foundation Scholarship Program
1775 Tysons Blvd., 5th Floor
McLean, VA 22102

Submission of Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be sent as pdf files (with the name of the applicant as part of the file name) directly from the author to info@theaapc.org.  Alternatively, letters can be mailed to the AAPC Foundation at the mailing address above.  The letter should indicate the capacity in which the letter writer knows the applicant, e.g. as a student, employee, or other capacity.

Questions about the application process may be directed to info@theaapc.org or 703-245-8020.