The Parent’s Association of Sam Houston State has given away two $1,000 cash scholarships to Brooke Sims and Shannon Sosa. Mary Ellen Sims, assistant Dean of Students, said the Parent’s Association has distributed this scholarship for over ten years. This year is the first time the association has given out two scholarships in the fall semester, and two will be given in the spring semester. A committee composed of faculty and staff was responsible in selecting the scholarship recipients. Requirements for eligibility were that the applicant’s parents or guardians must be members in good standing with the SHSU Parent’s Association, with new or renewal membership received by Nov. 15, 2002. Freshman students whose parents joined the association during orientation are also eligible to apply.Assistant Dean Sims said the applicant must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours for Spring 2003 and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to apply for the spring scholarship. Applicants must submit a current transcript, two letters of reference not from relatives, and must not have previously received a scholarship from SHSUPA.Both recipients this year are seniors. “I am very honored to receive this scholarship. It is the first scholarship I have ever received, and it really helped my family out,” said Sims. Shannon Sosa said she was very blessed to have received the award.”This has been a very financially difficult year for me,” she said. For students interested in applying for the scholarship for the spring semester, applications will be mailed to parents before Thanksgiving. The deadline for the application is Jan. 6, 2003. Recipients will be selected and notified by Feb. 15, 2003. The SHSUPA Screening Committee will screen all applications received. The committee will interview selected finalists and the decisions made by the committee are final. The cost is $25 per family each year for those parents interested in joining the Parents Association. “A smaller number of people applied for the scholarship than the SHSUPA would like,” said Assistant Dean Sims. “That is why we are trying to encourage so many to get their parents to join the association.”