Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by Tree Fund

Overview and history
The Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship is the TREE Fund’s oldest endowed award, created in the organization’s founding 2002 Declaration of Trust. It honors Robert (Bob) Felix, whose more than 30 years of service to the green industry left a lasting mark on the National Arborist Association (now the Tree Care Industry Association, TCIA). Bob served on the NAA Board, was elected president in 1972, and then served 23 years as the association’s executive vice president. The scholarship bearing his name supports students enrolled in undergraduate or technical programs who are actively preparing for professional careers in commercial arboriculture.

Award terms
- Amount: $5,000, disbursed in two installments — one payment in the fall semester and a second in the spring semester. The spring installment is contingent on proof of continued enrollment and meeting the required GPA standards.
- Non-renewable: recipients may receive this award only once; no applicant may be awarded more than one grant from this program.
- Payment: awards are paid directly to the educational institution after TREE Fund receives the required documentation. Funds are restricted to tuition charges. Applicants must not request an award amount that exceeds their projected tuition cost for the academic year in which the grant will be applied.

Eligibility (all requirements must be met)
- Actively pursuing a professional career in commercial arboriculture.
- Will be entering the second year of a two-year program, or the third or fourth year of a four-year program in the fall term following the award (for example: apply January–March 2023 for classes beginning Summer/Fall 2023).
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Current student member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

How to apply — timeline and initial contact
- Initial letters of interest to apply are accepted January 15 through March 1. Candidates who meet basic eligibility will be given until March 15 to complete the full application.
- To begin, send an email (no more than 100 words) introducing yourself — include name, school, year, expected graduation date, and relevant work experience — to [email protected] stating your interest in the Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship. TREE Fund staff will verify eligibility and, if you qualify, will issue a numbered application form. One application form may be used to apply for multiple TREE Fund scholarships.

Submitting your completed application
- Complete the numbered application form, save a copy in Word for your records, then convert the finished document to PDF. Name the PDF using the format: “Your Surname, Scholarship Program, Application Number” (example: “Smith, Felix, #20-023”).
- Email the PDF application as an attachment to [email protected] along with PDFs of the two required reference letters and your academic transcript. TREE Fund staff will acknowledge receipt.

Required application materials and formatting notes
- Educational standing and enrollment status.
- Record of previous scholarships and extracurricular involvement.
- Essay (maximum 1,000 words) explaining why you chose this career path, your goals and objectives, and why you are a strong candidate for the award.
- Current academic transcript.
- Proof of active student membership in the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
- Two letters of recommendation (PDFs) or contact information for referees who will supply them; one recommendation must come from your academic advisor.
- Word counts are strictly enforced. Exceeding stated limits may result in disqualification prior to review. Prepare and verify text in a program that provides word counts before entering it into the application.

Selection process
- TREE Fund seeks candidates likely to begin and remain in careers within arboriculture, urban forestry, or related green industries. The essay, academic record, work history and extracurricular activities should demonstrate commitment to this career path.
- Applications are reviewed by the TREE Fund Education Committee and scored according to this rubric:
- Cumulative GPA: 20 points
- Essay: 30 points
- Advisor letter of recommendation: 20 points
- Second letter of recommendation: 15 points
- Demonstrated potential to continue a career in arboriculture, urban forestry, or related fields: 15 points
- Maximum possible score: 100 points

Decision timeline and policies
- Scholarship recommendations are forwarded to the TREE Fund Board of Trustees for consideration in May each year. Award decisions will be announced within two weeks of the Board’s action.
- 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 trustee are not eligible to receive TREE Fund scholarships.