Application for 2025 7th Annual Larry Morris Memorial Scholarship is now open.
Instructions for Application
Program Purpose
The 7th annual Larry Morris Memorial Scholarship, offered by The Hillside Source, provides financial scholarship assistance to a University of New Mexico graduate level or upper division undergraduate student pursuing a degree in English Literature or other Language/ Literature degree for work on an academic project in the field of mystical or spiritual literature. This project may be a scholarly analysis of an existing literary work(s) or an original creative work by the student (poetry, short story, book, etc.), or possibly a project to inspire and promote further inquiry into the field through travel and general reading/research.
The purpose of The Hillside Source is to support, inspire, and nourish the spiritual life of the individual in the 21st Century through a range of resources, including audio recordings, daily “Positive Thoughts,” short articles and commentaries on different aspects of spiritual living, and links to more in-depth analyses and scholarship on contemporary topics with spiritual implications.
The deadline for online submission of application and supporting documents is December 5, 2024— to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time. The award recipient will be notified and posted on this website in January 2025. The scholarship funds are available for use from January 2025 through August 1, 2025.
Award Amount: $2,500
Eligibility
Enrolled at the University of New Mexico for the 2024-2025 academic year as graduate student or exceptional upper division (Junior of Senior) undergraduate
Pursuing a degree in English literature, other language/literature fields or studies otherwise pertaining to contemporary spirituality and/or mysticism
GPA of 3.2 or higher
This scholarship is available to ALL students at UNM who meet the above criteria, regardless of documentation status or if you have been displaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic or federal government actions. Students studying remotely are welcomed.
Criteria for Selection and Application Review
The Hillside Source scholarship committee meets once a year to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the selection criteria outlined here. The Scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis. The Hillside Source does not comment on the deliberations of the award committee and is unable to provide written or oral evaluations of applications. No provisions exist for reconsideration of grant proposals after the committee has acted.
The following criteria apply to the selection process:
Degree to which project proposal meets the stated criteria and intent of the scholarship
Demonstrated commitment to education and project
Feasibility of project and proposed time schedule
Validity of proposed budget and budget narrative, including sufficient outside support
Quality of written proposal
Regulations
The Larry Morris Memorial Scholarship funds are available for
Educational expenses
Living expenses
Dependent childcare
Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars, or research facilities
Except where expressly stated otherwise, the scholarship is NOT available for
Purchase of equipment
Indirect costs
Research assistants
Previous expenditures, deficits, or repayment of loans
Publication costs
Institutional (overhead) costs
Tuition for dependent’s education
The Hillside Source regards the acceptance of a scholarship as a contract requiring fulfillment of the following terms:
The scholarship is a one-time-only award.
The scholarship is direct financial assistance to the applicant and cannot be administered by an academic institution or organization at which the applicant is employed.
The scholarship is awarded for student use between January 2025 and August 1, 2025 only. Grants may not be deferred.
The recipient is required to sign a contract as acceptance of the award. Retain these instructions, as they will become part of the contract if the applicant is awarded the scholarship. The scholarship is awarded in one payment immediately following notification and acceptance.
Any tax liability associated with the receipt of a Career Development Grant is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed with the Internal Revenue Service, the applicant’s financial aid office, or a personal tax adviser. (The Hillside Source is a resource project of Hillside Community Church, a nonprofit, tax- exempt 501(c)(3) organization founded for religious purpose.)
Applications for the 2025 edition of The Larry Morris Memorial Scholarship are currently being accepted.
Required Components
Applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements listed above under eligibility.
Applicants must fill out and submit the online application form below.
Applicants must arrange to have supporting documents emailed to us at Hillsidesource21st@aol.com to specifically include a) your academic transcript and b) two confidential academic letters of recommendation by faculty members who know you well and are familiar with the quality of your academic work.
You may email unofficial transcripts directly to us, which, if you are selected, will be officially verified before receiving the award. Please contact the faculty members about the recommendation letters (they won’t be prompted by us) and have them email the letters directly to us at Hillsidesource21st@aol.com.