Twenty scholarships will be awarded to students, interns at botanical gardens, nature centers and/or parks, and to beginning professionals. Any student, intern or beginning professional who can demonstrate an interest in native plants and their use in the landscape---through horticulture, botany, ecology, landscape architecture or a related field---is encouraged to apply. This year the Cullowhee Conference Scholarship Program has been redesigned to more actively involve scholarship winners in the events, content, and production aspects of the conference. Based upon their interests and experience, scholarship winners will assist and be mentored by conference presenters, ommittee members, and workshop and field trip leaders. Another new feature of this year’s conference is an invitation to all onference participants to create and present posters. Posters will be displayed for the duration of the conference in a central area in the main arena. More information about poster presentations and a poster prospectus is available here.

Two (2) categories of scholarships are available:
NR – Not Restricted. Open to students and student interns.
BP – Beginning Professional. Open to applicants that have less than five years professional experience in a native plant-related field.

And two (2) types of scholarships are available:
Field Trip Scholarship – Recipients must arrive at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC between 6 and 8pm on Tuesday, July 22, 2008. Field trips begin early onWednesday and last all day.
Non-Field Trip Scholarship – Recipients arrive Wednesday evening, July 23. The conference officially begins on Thursday, July 24.

Applicants may apply for either a field trip or a non-field trip Scholarship. Both types of scholarships cover all conference expenses: registration fee, a semi-private room and all meals during the conference. Field trip scholarships cover the additional fee for the field trip and Tuesday night housing and meal.

To apply for a scholarship, write a letter and include the following applicable information:

• Your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address where you can be reached until May 31, 2008.
• The name of the school you attend and a description of the degree program or internship in which you are enrolled/employed.
• Your expected date of graduation or completion of internship, your overall grade point average, and your cumulative grade point average in your degree program at
  the completion of the most recent academic term.
• If you are a beginning professional, please describe what you do, how you became involved in your work, and how you envision it evolving.
• The type of scholarship for which you are applying.
• A statement explaining financial need.
• A statement explaining your specific interest and current involvement with native plants and why attendance at the Conference would be of value.
  Students are asked to provide a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in their degree program. Interns and beginning professionals are asked to provide a letter of recommendation from an advisor, employer, mentor, professional colleague, or client.
• Scholarships will be awarded based on merit and need. Please note that scholarship winners will be selected primarily on the strength of their letter of application and their faculty or professional recommendation.

Mail or email scholarship applications to:
Miegan Gordon
Cullowhee Scholarship Committee
35 Cullowhee Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

To assure consideration application material must be received by Friday, April 18, 2008. Applications received after this time will be considered after punctual applications
have been judged and awarded. Applications without the requested information are incomplete and will be considered late. An announcement of the scholarship awards will be made May 31, 2008.

For additional information, email Miegan Gordon at rcgordon@bellsouth.net or call 828-254-5733, leaving a message, your phone number and a time window for a return call.