Formally known as Presidential Leaders and University Scholars, the PLUS scholarship is awarded to outstanding high school seniors who have excelled in the areas of academics, leadership, involvement and community service. Cameron's PLUS scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships - it not only offers substantial financial support, but it also trains students through a four-year leadership development program aimed at shaping tomorrow's leaders.

The Award

The PLUS scholarship is a four-year program, providing recipients with a full tuition waiver for up to 18 hours per semester, a single room waiver, an $800 first-year stipend and a $500 fourth-year stipend. 

Selection of Scholarship Recipients

 To be considered for the PLUS scholarship, students must:

• Be a resident of Oklahoma.
• Achieve an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Achieve an ACT composite score of 24 (or SAT equivalent).
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities as demonstrated by the resume, essay and three letters of reference.

In order to be considered, students should meet the criteria above and complete the following no later than February 1:

1. Apply for admission to Cameron University and pay application fee
2. Submit a current high school transcript, ACT/SAT scores, and any college transcripts (if applicable).
3. Submit a scholarship application.
4. Submit a resume describing extra curricular activities, leadership positions held, and a listing of honors received throughout high school
5. Submit a one page typed essay describing your most meaningful leadership experience and how this experience will help you to contribute to Cameron.  (Resume and essay may be attached electronically to the scholarship application or mailed to the Office of Admissions.)
6. Submit three reference letters: 1) one from a counselor or principal 2) one from a teacher 3) one from someone who can detail your leadership potential or experience.

After applications are submitted, a committee reviews the applications and selects students for interviews.  Following the interviews, the committee recommends approximately 25 students to receive the scholarship.

For more information about applying for the PLUS scholarship, call (580) 581-2244. 

Requirements

Students who accept the scholarship must sign a contract committing to fulfill all of the academic, service, campus involvement and leadership requirements for retaining the scholarship.  These requirements include:

          Academic Requirements

• Recipients must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester.
• Recipients must maintain a grade point average of 3.00.
• Recipients must maintain status as a full time Cameron student (12 hours or more each semester).

Service Requirements

Recipients are required to complete a minimum number of 16 service hours per semester.

• All service hours must have prior approval from a student's advisor.
• Acceptance of a student's hours is at the discretion of the advisor. Advisors will check the validity of hours and notify a student if the hours are unacceptable.
• Service hours will not be granted if a student has been paid for their time.
• Hours must be service to the community and should not be an activity in the daily routine of the student.
• Recipients will also participate in group service projects. These projects may count as partial fulfillment of the service hours requirement at the discretion of the advisor.
• Service hours must be completed by the Friday one week prior to the end of the semester.

Campus Involvement
It is expected that PLUS students are involved on campus and serve in leadership positions in campus organizations. In addition, PLUS students are required to attend five campus events each semester. These events may include, but are not limited to:

• Organization Meetings
• Music/Theatre/Art Performances
• Festival Events
• Athletic Competitions
• Lectures

Leadership Training
The leadership training aspect is the most important part of the program. It involves a four year commitment to leadership development. During the fall semester, first year students are required to enroll in and attend Introduction to University Life, a one hour course designed to assist students with the transition to higher education. In subsequent semesters, students are required to attend monthly meetings, scheduled by the advisor. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION ARE MANDATORY!

Through the PLUS program, students will learn what it means to be a leader and they will evaluate their own "personal best" leadership style. The students will function as leaders and organize various service activities that require implementation of leadership principles. Students study current leadership topics, including communication, ethics, and diversity. During the final year, students will prepare for the career search process by developing a resume, learning how to apply to graduate and professional schools and gaining interview and presentation skills. 

Retention of PLUS Scholarship

At the completion of the each semester, the PLUS advisors will objectively measure and subjectively evaluate each student's contribution to the program. This scholarship is renewable for students who successfully complete requirements.