The Letterman Telecommunications Scholarships were established in the 1985-1986 school year by David M. Letterman, a 1970 radio-television graduate of Ball State. Mr. Letterman’s intention is to continue these scholarships indefinitely, and in no event for less than 10 years. In 1987 he guaranteed that intention by depositing $90,000 in the Ball State Foundation. The purpose is to provide financial assistance to Ball State majors and minors in telecommunications.
Award Amounts
- $10,000 for the winner
- $5,000 for the first runner-up
- $3,333 for the second runner-up
These awards apply to the next academic year.
Eligibility
- have between 30 and 102 credits at the end of the Fall semester
- major or minor in telecommunications with at least 12 credits at the time of application
- continue as a full-time student for the Fall and Spring semester following the awards presentation
Criteria
- Grades are not to be a criterion or condition for eligibility, evaluation or consideration, but a recipient’s grades must be high enough to meet minimum enrollment requirements of Ball State University and the Department of Telecommunications.
- Each scholarship is to be awarded on the primary basis of creativity. This may be in the form of a written project, a research effort, an audio project, interactive media project, a computer graphics design, website, or similar presentation, so long as it can be defined as creative in the area of telecommunications. The submission should be the "intellectual property of one person," not a team. If this is a collaborative effort, only one person can be designated the winner. The group will be required to select the designee and submit that person’s name, in writing, with signatures of everyone involved in the collaborative group.
- The Letterman Telecommunications Scholarships will be awarded regardless of such non-pertinent factors as race, creed, sex, national origin, ethnic background, or handicap. It is understood that the recipients of the scholarships shall give their consent to publicity regarding the scholarships and will provide a copy of their entry to be included in the Letterman Scholarship Library.
Evaluation
A committee of Telecommunications faculty and two graduate students will evaluate your creative endeavor. Each evaluator will work independently of the others. An administrative coordinator will tally and rank the results. The department will present the award at the Telecommunications Awards Banquet.
Project Summary
Attach no more than two pages explaining how you conceived, developed, and prepared your creative project. Be sure to credit all outside assistance in whatever way you received it. This is to be the vision of an individual, not a team. Though some entries might necessitate a crew, the submission should still be the intellectual property of one person. The group will need to select the designee and submit that person’s name, in writing, with signatures of everyone involved in the collaborative group.
Additional Copies
All winners must provide copies of their entries to be included in the Letterman Scholarship Library as well as an additional copy to the department’s administrative coordinator to send to Mr. Letterman.
Required Proof
All winners may need to provide a review board with proof of their project’s authenticity. It’s important to keep all source materials for the review. Failure to comply with the interview process will jeopardize your award.
Questions?
Please contact Wes Gehring or Kris Scott.
Download the Application (PDF)