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Focus to the Finish Scholarship

Everyone deserves a second chance to realize his or her dreams. At University of Phoenix, we believe that anyone can reach his or her goal of earning a college degree regardless of what has stood in the way. And it all starts with a game plan.

University of Phoenix is ready to help you create that plan. The University understands the importance of making higher education highly accessible for working students. As the largest private university in North America, we take our social responsibility to our students and the communities we serve very seriously. University of Phoenix is particularly adept at aiding non-traditional students complete their education by designing programs around their busy lives, which include working and having a family.

University of Phoenix has created the Focus to the Finish^SM Scholarship because everyone deserves the opportunity to finish what they started when it comes to getting an education. The University is offering sixteen (16) full-tuition scholarships to deserving men and women who are motivated to complete what they started: their degree! Each scholarship will allow a prospective student the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree at University of Phoenix, and prepare for the game of life.

Recipients may choose to attend a University of Phoenix on-ground campus or may attend University of Phoenix online.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants for the scholarship must demonstrate the following to be considered:

Applicants who reside in the United States must meet one of the following 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.
Applicants must have started but not completed an undergraduate or master’s degree program at any accredited college and/or university.
Applicants must have completed at least 9 credits, or one semester, towards the degree in which they were enrolled.
Applicants must not have been enrolled in any university, including University of Phoenix, as of August 1, 2010.
Applicants, once enrolled, must not receive a total of 100% tuition reimbursement from any source(s) including but not limited to: corporate reimbursement, other scholarships and/or private grants with the exception of Veteran’s Administration GI benefits or Veteran’s Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits and Title IV financial aid funding.
Applicants must not be currently enrolled nor in the process of enrolling at any University of Phoenix campus or in any online program at any time prior to the scholarship award date. Applicants who enroll after submitting an application or before the scholarship award date are not eligible to be a recipient of this scholarship.
Applicants must meet all admissions requirements of the University of Phoenix.
Applicants must not be an employee or family member of an employee of Apollo Group, Inc., University of Phoenix, Western International University, Institute for Professional Development or any other subsidiary of Apollo Group, Inc.
Applicants must submit a complete, signed application, together with all supporting documentation by the deadline date listed under the Selection Process section. The completion of the application form does not create an obligation to award a scholarship to applicant.
Applicants must submit completed essays as described in the Essay section. High importance will be placed on the applicant’s desire to advance in their education, with an emphasis on furthering their careers and/or their impact in their community. Extraordinary essays may be selected to be read on national television, radio, Monday Night Football and/or in any other known medium but in no way indicates an award or acceptance of this scholarship.

SELECTION PROCESS

The recipient of this scholarship will be selected by the scholarship selection committee consisting of representatives from University of Phoenix. Non-staff members may assist in the selection committee process.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit a complete and signed application along with all the supporting documentation, which must be received on or before the deadline specified below. The scholarship selection committee accepts no responsibility for incomplete applications, applications not in proper form, lost applications, or any other submission in exception to the above instructions.
The scholarship award will be based on the committee’s scores of the overall quality of the application and the scholarship essay(s). The higher the average score, the higher the probability of selection.
Scholarship selection shall be made without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability.
The decision of the scholarship selection committee is final and not subject to a review process.
Applicants acknowledge and agree that the use or nonuse of applicant’s information, including but not limited to, applicant’s name or essay content (in whole or in part) for marketing purposes on national television, radio and/or in any known medium, and in no way indicates that applicant shall or will be awarded this scholarship. Applicants shall not be entitled to any reliance on the use or nonuse of applicant’s information by the University for marketing purposes.
Finalists will be notified via the email address provided to submit an electronic copy of their unofficial transcripts. The unofficial transcripts will be used to confirm degree program, number of credits completed and/or number of credits remaining to the University. Finalists will have one (1) week from the date of notification to provide unofficial transcripts.

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX: TERMS & CONDITIONS

By applying for a University of Phoenix scholarship and/or accepting the scholarship award, the applicant and/or recipient agrees to the following terms and conditions. Failure to abide by any of the following terms and conditions shall result in either disqualification of the scholarship award or termination of the scholarship award.

All application submissions shall become the property of Apollo Group, Inc. as the parent company of University of Phoenix, a wholly owned subsidiary, regardless if applicant is awarded the scholarship. In addition, applicant agrees to execute an Apollo Group, Inc. Consent and Release Form and further agrees that Apollo Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries may release the application and the information contained therein to its agents, contractors and related third parties for the purposes set forth below.
Upon the submission of the application by applicant or the award of the scholarship and recipient’s acceptance, Apollo Group, Inc., including its subsidiaries as well as its agents, and others working for it on its behalf or at its direction and their respective licensees, successors, and assigns, shall have the right to use and republish the submitted application or any of its content; it may reference and acknowledge recipient’s name and authorship of the application; and may use recipient's name, image and likeness, for any purpose relating to the scholarship, including but not limited to, any promotional materials, internal sites, www.phoenix.edu, external company sites, press releases and social media.
Scholarship award is a non-cash award to recipient’s University of Phoenix account as outlined on the scholarship application. No check or other cash monies will be disbursed at any time. No exceptions.
The University treats this tuition scholarship, in the form of a non-cash award, as non-taxable income. However, the recipient is encouraged to seek independent counsel from a certified tax consultant as recipient is responsible for all other costs, liabilities, and obligations including any applicable taxes from the award of this scholarship as Federal laws may change and laws vary from state to state. The University makes no representations with respect to the taxability of this award and the University may change its treatment of the scholarship for tax purposes in its sole discretion.
Scholarship will be applied only to tuition and the following fees, as specified on the scholarship application, when applicable: application, electronic course materials, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits, directed study and additional classes for intended program licensure. PLA submission fees, educational supplies, living expenses, physical textbooks and other fees not listed are not included.
Whether recipient is or is not currently an enrolled student, he/she is not receiving a total of 100% tuition reimbursement from any source(s) including but not limited to: corporate reimbursement, other scholarships and/or private grants with the exception of Veteran’s Administration GI benefits or Veteran’s Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits and Title IV financial aid funding.
Recipient must meet all University of Phoenix admissions requirements for selected program and campus. Recipient enrolling in an undergraduate degree may be required to complete the University Orientation Workshop (UNIV) requirement as part of the admissions process. Information regarding admissions is available in the University of Phoenix Academic Catalog. Scholarship may only be used toward degrees that are specified on the scholarship application; non-degree single courses, certificate programs and doctoral degrees are not covered by the scholarship.
Recipient must complete all admission and enrollment requirements for his/her chosen degree program (degree program must be currently available) at University of Phoenix no later than thirty (30) days following the scholarship award date. Applicant who enrolls during the scholarship process or before the award date is not eligible for the scholarship.
Recipient must be scheduled for his/her first credit-bearing course, or UNIV if required, no later than sixty (60) days following the scholarship award date.
Recipient must have successfully completed his/her first credit-bearing course within the required number of days following the scholarship award date. Recipient, who is enrolled in an associate’s program at University of Phoenix, is given one hundred and eighty (180) days. Recipient, who is enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program at University of Phoenix, is given one hundred and twenty (120) days.
If recipient is receiving Title IV financial aid funding in addition to this scholarship, recipient must stay in attendance as a full-time student with no more than a fourteen (14) day break and/or must qualify for a leave of absence in order to maintain his/her financial aid status. Recipient is required to abide by all state and federal financial aid policies and procedures and all University of Phoenix financial policies and procedures as set forth in the University of Phoenix Academic Catalog, including remaining in good financial standing with University of Phoenix.
Recipient who falls out of attendance for more than ninety (90) days from the last date of academic activity will forfeit his/her scholarship. Recipient who returns from an approved absence will be subject to version and program updates per the University of Phoenix Academic Catalog.
Recipient may only fall into academic probation (AP) and provisionally admitted (PV) once and must raise his/her academic status within four (4) consecutive classes. Recipients may not be placed on academic disqualification (AD) or denied admissions (DA).
Recipient acknowledges that at no time can he/she become an employee of Apollo Group, Inc., or any of its affiliates, including University of Phoenix and retain this scholarship.
Recipient agrees to complete his/her degree program in the time set forth in the University of Phoenix Academic Catalog. Switching degree programs, whether by choice or due to a version and/or program update, may result in a loss of credits that this scholarship will not cover. If recipient changes degree programs and/or versions, which result in a loss of credits, the scholarship will cover up to six (6) credits that do not transfer to the new degree program. Payment for any credits not covered will be required for future courses. The scholarship will be placed on hold until all lost credits are covered in full at which time the scholarship will resume.
Should recipient drop, receive a W-grade or otherwise fail to complete a course for which the scholarship, or a portion of the scholarship, has been used to pay the tuition, in no event will any cash refund be given at any time. Recipient is only permitted a predetermined number of dropped courses, or W-grades, based on his/her degree program. Recipient who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program is permitted a total of five (5) dropped courses, or W-grades, for the entire degree program. If recipient begins an associate’s degree and advances into a bachelor’s degree, the associate’s and bachelor’s degree are considered as part of one undergraduate degree program for the purposes of this scholarship award. The five (5) dropped courses will be covered by the scholarship. Recipient who is enrolled in a master’s degree program at University of Phoenix is permitted a total of three (3) dropped courses, or W-grades, for the entire degree program. The three (3) dropped courses will be covered by the scholarship.
Recipient is only permitted a predetermined number of failed courses based on his/her degree program. Recipient who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program is permitted a total of three (3) failed courses. If recipient begins an associate’s degree and advances into a bachelor’s degree, the associate’s and bachelor’s degree are considered as part of one undergraduate degree program for the purposes of this scholarship award. The three (3) failed courses will be covered by the scholarship. Recipient who is enrolled in a master’s degree program is permitted a total of two (2) failed courses. The two (2) failed courses will be covered by the scholarship. Recipient acknowledges that said scholarship shall not pay tuition and fees for any courses, in which a letter grade of A-D was earned, that recipient chooses to retake in order to earn a better grade.
During the term of the scholarship, recipient shall notify University of Phoenix immediately if he/she is convicted of a crime, excluding traffic offenses. Recipient acknowledges that said conviction may impact this scholarship in University of Phoenix’s sole discretion.
Recipient acknowledges and agrees that he/she will not portray Apollo Group, Inc., University of Phoenix or any affiliates in a negative, harmful, disparaging, offensive or otherwise inappropriate manner as determined in the University of Phoenix’s sole discretion. Nor will recipient associate Apollo Group, Inc., University of Phoenix or any affiliates in any way with content related to tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs or sexually explicit material or engage in conduct that is immoral or illegal that results in a criminal conviction.
Recipient agrees to abide by the University of Phoenix Academic Catalog, including, but not limited to, the Student Code of Conduct.
These terms and conditions are in addition to any other terms and conditions set forth in any other part of this document. Any necessary determination, or clarification, as to the interpretation or to the application of a particular term shall be made by the University of Phoenix Center for Scholarship Excellence officials in their sole discretion. Furthermore, University of Phoenix reserves the right in its sole discretion to make any changes or modifications to the scholarship, including but not limited to, the criteria, the selection process, the deadline dates, and the terms and conditions.
There will be no exceptions to these terms and conditions unless otherwise approved in writing by the University of Phoenix Center for Scholarship Excellence officials in their sole discretion.
Any violation of these scholarship terms and conditions, as determined in University of Phoenix’s sole discretion, will result in disqualification of the scholarship and/or termination of the scholarship award. Recipient acknowledges and agrees that he/she shall have no right to appeal or contest the decision of University of Phoenix to terminate the scholarship as set forth herein. Any unused portion of the Scholarship will be returned to University of Phoenix and is non-transferable.
In the event that any provision of the scholarship terms and conditions shall be held void, voidable, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

APOLLO GROUP, INC. CONSENT AND RELEASE FORM

For valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, I hereby grant to Apollo Group, Inc., its subsidiaries, agents, and others working for it on its behalf or at its direction and their respective licensees, successors, and assigns (herein collectively called the “Licensed Parties”) the absolute right and permission to use, exhibit, exploit, record, publish, broadcast, and copyright, in whole or in part, in all countries in the world, my: voice, biographical information, academic or promotional submissions (including scholarship application information), educational record information, endorsement/testimonial, picture and likeness, or any material based upon or derived therefrom, or to refrain from so doing, in any manner or media whatsoever (whether now existing or hereafter created, including without limitation, television, radio, and other electronic and computer marketing, print media, and direct mail marketing), without geographical or other limitation, for any educational, advertising or promotional purpose.
I further agree that any such use, recording, publication, or broadcast of my: voice, academic or promotional submissions, endorsement/testimonial, picture or likeness of me, and any material based upon or derived therefrom, in any manner or media, is owned by Licensed Parties. If I should receive any print, negative, or other copy, I shall not authorize its use by anyone else.
I represent and warrant that I own all intellectual property rights (including but not limited to copyright and trademark rights) in any picture(s) or material(s) that I submit to the Licensed Parties and that no other third party releases are necessary. In the event I submit a picture(s) or other material(s) owned by a third party to the Licensed Parties, I shall provide all necessary third-party releases to the Licensed Parties. Said third-party releases shall grant to the Licensed Parties all rights set forth in this agreement. The Licensed Parties shall have the right in its sole discretion to deny any publication of said picture or materials. Furthermore, I acknowledge that any picture or materials submitted are not guaranteed for use by the Licensed Parties.
I shall have no right of approval, no claim to additional compensation, and no claim (including without limitation, claims based upon invasion of privacy, defamation, or right of publicity and claims arising out of equity) arising out of any use, alteration, distortion, or illusionary effect, or use in any composite form. In no event shall I have the right to enjoin the Licensed Parties use, broadcast, copyright, publication, exhibition, or exploitation in any other manner, as specified in this Consent and Release Form.
I agree that this release does not in any way conflict with any existing commitment on my part. I have not heretofore authorized (which authority is still in effect), nor will I authorize or permit without the Licensed Parties express written permission the use of my: voice, biographical information, academic or promotional submissions, endorsement/testimonial, picture, or likeness in connection with the advertising or promotion of any other educational service if such authorization or permission is in conflict or inconsistent with the terms of this Consent and Release Form.
If I have given any endorsement/testimonial, it represents my current honest opinions, findings, or experience. To the extent that I suggest I have used the educational services of a particular entity, I have in fact so used them. To the extent that I suggest I express a preference over other similar educational services, I do in fact prefer them. I agree to immediately notify you of any change in my expressed views or preferences, or if I cease to be able to endorse.
I agree to defend and hold the Licensed Parties harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, losses, liabilities, judgments, costs, expenses (including without limitation court costs, litigation expenses, and reasonable attorneys’ fees), and causes of action of any kind against the Licensed Parties as a result of any material breach of any representation made herein in this Consent and Release Form and/or resulting from any intellectual property violation including but not limited to any copyright infringement or alleged copyright infringement regarding pictures and materials that I have provided to the Licensed Parties.
This Apollo Group, Inc. Consent and Release form may be executed electronically or by mail. An electronic copy of the agreement will be valid and given full force and effect and considered an original and will be denied legal effect because it was executed electronically.
This Consent and Release Form shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Arizona and the United States of America without reference to conflict of laws principles. The Superior Court of Maricopa County and/or the United States District Court for the District of Arizona shall have exclusive jurisdiction and venue over all controversies in connection with this Consent, and each party irrevocably consents to such exclusive and personal jurisdiction and venue.