Avi Polischuk established the Fred Polischuk Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor his father and support children of employees at R&S United Services. Key considerations for building a scholarship program include designing a concise application form, setting essay length limits, and standardizing deadlines for submission and winner announcements. Clear guidelines and timelines aid in managing the application process and ensuring a smooth selection of recipients.

1. Three Considerations for
Building a Scholarship Program
Avi Polischuk

2. Introduction
• Owner of R&S United Services, Avi Polischuk acquired
the engineering company from his father, following his
passing in 2013. To honor his service of more than two
decades, Avi Polischuk created the Fred Polischuk
Memorial Scholarship Fund program, which benefits
children of R&S United Services employees. Additional
information about the charity can be found at:
http://fpmsf.org.
When establishing a scholarship program, consider the
following.
Applications

3. Scholarship Program
• A concise application form is ideal. Rather than using a template,
design a form that will provide you the information needed to select
the right winner. Ask relevant questions only and include details
about mandatory items to include, such as a resume, essay, and
recommendation letter. In addition, designate a space where a
review panel can note an application’s score. The website FinAid
suggests in the top corner of the first page to help with sorting.
Essays
If you require an essay for consideration, make sure to place a limit
on the number of words it can include. This will alleviate time
required for reviewing. If you prefer not to place a word limit,
control the length by only allowing applicants to write an essay
within a designated section of your application.

4. Conclusion
• Deadlines
Standardize your deadline, so websites and marketing
materials promoting scholarships are less likely to
publish the wrong date. Selecting a common date, like
the 1st or 15th of a specific month, works best for
requiring applications to be submitted. In terms of
winner announcements, if possible, you should aim to
notify winners two weeks prior to May 1, the date a
majority of colleges and universities require acceptance
of an offer from a student. By giving the winning pupil
advance notice, he or she is able to make a more
informed decision about their academic future.