Heat Social Responsibility Scholarships

The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund is offering $25,000 in scholarship funds to high school seniors attending Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe or Palm Beach schools. Scholarship applications are available each school year and recipients are awarded between April and May. This year's application deadline is Saturday, February 10, 2024. This will be the 28th year that the Miami HEAT has offered scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance and outstanding community service. Scholarships include the following:

• Three (3) $5,000.00 HEAT Scholarships
• One (1) $5,000.00 Dr. Jack Ramsay Scholarship
• One (1) $5,000.00 Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be considered for any of our five HEAT Scholarships, the student must meet the following criteria (required documents in bold):

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Applicant must be a high school student enrolled in a Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe or Palm Beach County public or private school.
• Applicant must have a minimum un-weighted GPA of 3.0 by the end of the first grading period of their senior year.
• Applicant must submit an official transcript from the high school registrar along with a copy of their SAT and/or ACT score.
• Applicant must have an unmet financial need for assistance as determined by the university’s Financial Aid Office. In order to prove a financial need, please submit a copy of the household’s W2 form(s) and a copy of the last tax filing (i.e. 1040 form) for all household members.
• Letters to be submitted by applicant:
• Two (2) letters of recommendation – each from a current high school teacher or administrator on school letterhead.
• Two (2) or more letters from a community based organization, on that specific organization’s letterhead verifying community service and hours performed.
• One (1) letter from High School Athletic Director or Coach on school letterhead verifying candidate’s participation in a high school sport. (Only applies to Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship applicants).
• Applicant must be accepted to and enroll in a four-year accredited college or university in the USA. Please submit a copy of the letter of acceptance to the four-year accredited college or university.
• Applicant must submit a writing sample as outlined in the application form.

SELECTION CRITERIA

A panel comprised of Miami HEAT employees and Miami HEAT Charitable Fund Board Members will review/rate the applications and make final decisions on scholarship awards. The following criteria will be considered equally in evaluating applicants:

• Career Goals
• Writing Sample
• Financial Need
• Teacher/School official recommendations
• Academic Achievement
• Community Service Verification Letter(s)
• College/ University Acceptance Letter
• Sport Participation (Only applies to Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship applicants)