Sierra Pacific Foundation (SPF) Scholarship

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

The application period is December 15th through the last Friday of February. You must apply for the scholarship annually while meeting all of the qualifications or while you are in the process of re-qualifying. However, you may only receive an award for up to four years unless your chosen undergraduate program takes more than four years and you meet the qualifications for a 5th year applicant. Qualifications are listed in the new and returning applications provided online during the application period in the Foundation section of the SPI website (www.spi-ind.com). Applicants must attend an approved college or trade school and be a dependent child of a fulltime SPI employee. *Dependent Child: New Applicants, you are considered a dependent child for the purposes of the SPF Scholarship Program provided your parent or guardian is employed fulltime by Sierra Pacific Industries as of February 1st of the year in which you are filling out the application, you are age 26 or less as of the application deadline and you are substantially supported by your parent or guardian. Dependency is at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee. Returning Applicants must reapply annually, while meeting all other scholarship requirements.

All new applicants must complete a pre-application. Pre-applications must be submitted on-line before 4:55PM on the application deadline as they must be evaluated for qualification purposes. If you are qualified, you will receive an email with further instructions for how to submit your final application and all required attachments which must be received before midnight on the application deadline. Your final scholarship application will be reviewed if you are careful to follow the application instructions and meet the applicant criteria including:

• You are 26 or less before the scholarship deadline.
• Your parent is a fulltime employee of SPI as of February 1st when you are applying for the next academic scholarship year.
• Your application is received on or before the final application deadline in February.
• Your application must be submitted on-line, with all attachments. Your required attachment is as follows:
  • 2 letters of recommendation
• The following must be mailed and be received on or before the application deadline:
  • High school transcript received direct from your High School (and any college transcripts, if applicable)
  • Photo (option to upload is available)
  • If under the age of 18, a Photo Release Form, signed by both you and your parent/guardian, is required.

If you do not know which classes you are going to take, please make the best guess at your classes. We would like to know what classes you expect to take during the next academic year, in which you are applying. We understand that these courses may change; however, we would like to see that you are pursuing courses that will help you attain your degree (or certificate of completion). It may be beneficial to meet with an Academic Advisor or Counselor at your school.

The applications must be submitted on-line by 11:59 PM on the last Friday of February. A verification of receipt email will be sent once the completed on-line application has been received.

Course schedules need to include the following four pieces of information:

1. Your school's name
2. Your name
3. The school term
4. The number of units confirming full-time enrollment (minimum of 12 units), either in a lump sum or per class so that the total may be manually calculated.

Yes. All applications must be completed and submitted on-line. Public computers are available at most libraries.

If you have received the maximum four years of scholarship awards from the SPF for your undergraduate degree and you wish to apply for a fifth year award to complete your undergraduate studies, you must:

1. Complete a “Returning Application”
2. Participate in an interview (in-person, phone, Skype, or Facetime) with the Scholarship Committee
3. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

A Teacher's Credential qualifies as an undergraduate program for the purposes of this scholarship. Graduate study programs do not qualify.

The SPF likes to recognize the recipients of their scholarship awards in the local newspapers and on our SPI TVs. Passport Photos or their equivalents are required for consistency.

Applicants at or under the age of 26 on the application deadline date may apply for this scholarship.

Award notices are usually sent by email within 30 days of the Annual Scholarship Interview Day, usually by mid-May.

You will receive instructions in your Award Notice email about how to receive your award. The awards are paid directly to the school of your choice. If you are a first time recipient of an award, you must submit your enrollment verification/course schedule to the SPF indicating that you are enrolled full-time (12 credits or more). It is your responsibility to confirm that your school has received the check representing your SPF scholarship award. Please check with the Business or the Financial Aid Office. To continue to receive your SPF award, we require an official transcript*, or its equivalent, be mailed directly from your school to us at P.O. Box 493842, Redding, CA 96049-3842 for each term you participate in this program. NOTE: In any term you have received an award, you must complete that term with 2.0 or higher GPA and be full-time (12 units or more, or its equivalent) in order to be eligible for your next award. You must re-qualify if you fall below these minimums. If you are in the process of requalifying, it is important that you submit a “Returning Student Application” during the application period of December 15th through the last Friday of February. *Three (3) Month Due Dates for your Official Transcripts:

1. Fall transcripts are due no later than March 31st.
2. Winter transcripts are due no later than May 31st.
3. Spring transcripts are due no later than August 31st.
4. Trade School transcripts are due according to the schedule in your award letter and within three months after your anticipated completion date.

Official Transcripts should be mailed directly from your school to: When you change schools OR if you have been out of the scholarship program for a semester/quarter or more, you must submit both your enrollment verification AND an official transcript of the most recent term in which you received an award from the SPF.

Interviews are required for first time and 5th year applicants. Currently, applicants will be asked to participate in a remote interview with a Scholarship Committee Member by either Zoom, Skype, or Facetime unless there is a reasonable cause for a phone-only interview. 

Scholarship decisions are made by an independent committee of six (6) individuals who are not employed by SPI. Scholarship decisions are based entirely on information you provide in your application. Application information is confidential; neither SPI employees nor management influence the Scholarship Committee's award decisions.

Scholarships range from $1,000 to $6,500 per year based on the tuition of the chosen school, GPA and merit. Changes in school choice must be reported immediately in order to avoid losing an award. The award amount may increase or decrease during the year based on changes in the school choice.

If you fall below the requirements of maintaining a 2.0 or higher GPA and/or finish with less than 12 units (or the equivalent of full-time), then you will be placed on probation and future awards will be forfeited until you requalify. You may requalify by completing one term while satisfying the usual 2.0 GPA and 12 unit requirements. You must reapply if the application period ends before you have requalified. Once you have completed a qualifying term, you must submit an official transcript from your school. If you are placed on probation for a second time, you will need to complete two consecutive terms, while meeting all of the requirements, before you are requalified. A third failure to meet the scholarship requirements, during a term in which you received an award, terminates your eligibility for this scholarship.

To initiate the release of your first award, you will need to submit a course schedule or an enrollment verification. It will need to contain the following four pieces of information:

1. Your school's name
2. Your name
3. The school term
4. The number of units confirming full-time enrollment (minimum of 12 units), either in a lump sum or per class so that the total may be manually calculated.

Subsequent awards will be released after an official transcript, or your school's equivalent, has been received, showing that you have met the minimum scholarship requirements of a 2.0 or higher GPA while being full-time. If you did not receive an award your last term or have been out of our program for a term or more, you will need to submit both an enrollment verification as well as an official transcript.

Awards are time sensitive at your school. That is why, at the end of each term, it is very important that you promptly ask your school to send us your official transcript, or your school’s equivalent, and check the Awards tab in the web portal to verify we received it. We are unable to process your award without your transcripts, and receipt of late transcripts may result in a delay or even the loss of an award. Transcripts should be received no later than six months after a term in which you received an award. Transcripts received too late may result in a loss of an award. Some schools close out their students’ accounts after completion of a degree or a program. This may also result in an award being unable to be processed and added to your account since all awards must be sent directly to your school. Documentation of successful completion from trade schools must be received within 60 days of the end of your program. Delays in receipt of this documentation may result in a loss of your final award payment.

The Web Portal may be found at http://spf.spi-ind.com. Enter your email address and your password. NOTE: you will need to create a password the first time you log in.

Most accredited Trade Schools, Vocational Training, Tech Schools, Certificate Programs, Community Colleges, as well as 4-year Colleges and Universities are supported. All schools will be evaluated upon submission to the Committee.

You may contact our SPF Scholarship Specialist by either emailing your questions to Foundation@spi-ind.com or calling (530) 378-8416 between 9AM-3PM, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

Yes. As a scholarship recipient, we have paid internship opportunities throughout the company. Go to our website: www.spi-ind.com/internships

Any additional questions will be answered by the SPF Scholarship Specialist. You may email your questions to Foundation@spi-ind.com or call (530) 378-8416 between 9AM-3PM Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).