Fran Ward Women in Arboriculture Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Tree Fund

Overview
The Fran Ward Women in Arboriculture Scholarship was created by the Penn-Del Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture to support college and university students and encourage women to pursue careers and training in professional arboriculture, urban forestry, and related green industries. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited postsecondary program where their major, minor, option, or course of study is directly related to arboriculture, urban forestry, horticulture, forestry, or a closely related field.

Award details
- Amount: $5,000 per recipient.
- Renewal: The award is not renewable, but applicants may reapply in subsequent years.
- Use of funds: Payments are made directly to the recipient’s educational institution and may be applied only to tuition costs. Applicants should not request scholarship funds in excess of their anticipated tuition for the academic year in which the award would be used.
- Payment schedule: The scholarship is paid in two installments — one payment for the fall semester and the second for the spring semester. The second installment is contingent on verification of re-enrollment and satisfaction of required GPA standards.

Eligibility requirements
All of the following must be true for an applicant to qualify:
- Identifies as female.
- Is entering the second year of a two-year program or is at least in the second year of a four-year degree program at an accredited college or university, and is currently enrolled in a program, major, minor, option, or course of study in arboriculture, urban forestry, horticulture, forestry, or a closely related discipline.
- Holds a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Preference will be given to applicants who are from, live in, or are studying in Pennsylvania or Delaware.

Application window and how to apply
- Applications will be accepted only between January 15 and March 15, 2026.
- Apply through the TREE Fund online application portal (you will need to create an account or log in). The portal allows you to save progress and return to complete your application.

Required application materials
You will be asked to provide:
- Current educational standing and enrollment information.
- A record of prior scholarships and relevant extracurricular activities.
- An essay (maximum 1,000 words) describing why you chose your field, your career goals and objectives, and why you should be selected for this scholarship. The essay should convey your commitment to a career in arboriculture, urban forestry, or a related green industry.
- An official or unofficial current transcript.
- Two letters of recommendation, or contact information for two people who will provide letters (one recommender must be your academic advisor).

Selection process
- Applications are reviewed and scored by TREE Fund’s Education Committee. The committee evaluates applicants’ academic standing, recommendations, essay, and evidence of commitment to careers in arboriculture, urban forestry, or related fields.
- Scoring rubric (maximum 100 points):
- Cumulative GPA: 20 points
- Essay: 30 points
- Advisor letter of recommendation: 20 points
- Second letter of recommendation: 15 points
- Demonstrated potential to pursue and continue a career in arboriculture/urban forestry/related fields: 15 points

- Recommendations from the Education Committee are submitted to the TREE Fund Board of Trustees in May each year. Final award decisions are made by the Board and announced within two weeks of their decision.

Notification and disbursement
- Recipients will be notified within two weeks following the TREE Fund Board of Trustees’ decision. The award notification will include instructions on how to accept and submit required acceptance information.
- After the recipient submits acceptance information, TREE Fund will issue 50% of the scholarship directly to the educational institution. The remaining 50% will be released after TREE Fund receives confirmation of fall semester grades and re-enrollment (and that GPA requirements are met).

Policy and eligibility restrictions
- TREE Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national or ethnic origin.
- Current TREE Fund trustees, and immediate family members of any current trustee, are not eligible to receive TREE Fund scholarships.