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Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship Program

PLEASE NOTE: The Memorial Scholarship application is NOT an application for high school students seeking the Millennium Scholarship. There is no application process to receive the Millennium Scholarship for traditional students who graduate from a Nevada public, private or charter high school. High schools and school districts will submit student information for those who qualify upon high school graduation. Eligible students can expect to receive an award letter in the mail during the months of July and August following their high school graduation.

What is the Memorial Scholarship?

In 2011, the Nevada Legislature unanimously approved, and Governor Sandoval signed into law Senate Bill 220, establishing the Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Millennium Scholarship. The Memorial Millennium trust fund is used to bestow scholarships to four qualified Governor Guinn Millennium Scholars each year, two in northern Nevada and two in southern Nevada, who are majoring in elementary or secondary education with the intent of teaching in Nevada. While the Memorial Scholarship directly serves award recipients, the scholarship also serves Nevada by keeping our best and brightest future educators in State.

The Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship may be awarded to four students each year that are majoring in elementary or secondary education with the intent of teaching in Nevada and who meet the following criteria:

Memorial Scholarship Requirements

  • Satisfy the eligibility requirements for a Millennium Scholarship set forth in NRS 396.930

  • Be in or entering his/her senior year at an eligible institution*
    * Eligible institutions are the University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada Las Vegas; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; a non-profit university that awards a bachelor’s degree to Nevada residents (i.e. Western Governor University, etc.); any other college or university which awards a bachelor’s degree in education and which is designated by the Board as an institution representative of northern or southern Nevada.

  • Have a declared major in elementary or secondary education;

  • Have a college grade point average of not less than 3.5 on a 4.0 grading scale, or a commensurate level of academic achievement provided to and verified by the College Savings Board for students enrolled at an educational institution that does not calculate the grade point average;

  • Have a stated commitment to teaching in Nevada upon graduation; and

  • Have a record of community service.

Award

The maximum award for each selected awardees, to the extent of available funding, is $5,000. Scholarship funds must be used to pay the educational expenses of the recipient for the following school year. The Memorial Scholarship must be used only for payment of:

  • Tuition, registration and laboratory fees and other related expenses.

  • To purchase required textbooks and course materials if all other costs related to attendance are paid.

Memorial Scholarship Application

The 2023 Memorial Scholarship Application is now OPEN. The State Treasurer’s Office will begin accepting completed applications on February 3, 2023. Completed applications must be received no later than 11:59pm PST on April 3, 2023. We recommend that you send in your completed applications as soon as possible during the posted time frame.

Applicants are required to submit:

  • A resume which includes information about the applicant’s school and community involvement, awards, and achievements;

  • A short essay (no longer than 500 words) describing what the Memorial Scholarship means to you and how you will use your education degree to teach within our state and benefit the citizens of Nevada (essays will be reviewed for correct spelling, grammar, and content);

  • A statement detailing community service you have performed or been associated with, and contact information for references so this information can be verified;

  • At least one letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, or department head. Applicants should submit no more than three (3) letters of recommendation from non-family members in total. All letters of recommendation must be sent directly to the Treasurer’s Office from the letter writer. Letters of recommendation submitted directly by an applicant will not be accepted. Letter writers should email their letter of recommendation to: MillenniumScholars@nevadatreasurer.gov with the following subject line “[Applicant Last Name] Memorial Scholarship Letter of Recommendation”.. Letter writers may also drop off their letter or send it via mail to:

    Nevada State Treasurer’s Office
    Kenny C. Guinn Memorial Scholarship Program
    555 E Washington Avenue, Suite 5200
    Las Vegas, NV 89101

  • An official college transcript that shows a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher or a document that confirms a commensurate level of academic achievement for students enrolled at an educational institution that does not calculate the grade point average.

Applications may be submitted electronically or by hard copy to the State Treasurer’s Office.  Students may not submit more than one application. Name and contact information must be clearly stated.

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility by the State Treasurer’s Office.  Eligible applications will be presented to the Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plans of Nevada (Board), which will consider, evaluate, and choose the recipients.

Approval of the four recipients will be at the complete and sole discretion of the Board.

Distribution of the Award

The Memorial Scholarship award will be withdrawn from the Memorial Millennium Trust Fund in a lump sum and sent directly to the eligible institution by the State Treasurer’s Office on behalf of the recipient students.  The Memorial Scholarship may be used only for educational expenses in the same manner as the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship Program.

The award is not transferrable to another student and will be rescinded if there is evidence of deceit, false, and/or intentionally incorrect information submitted on the application.

If the recipient(s) of the Memorial Scholarship are not able to utilize the entire award, the remaining balance will be returned to the Memorial Millennium Scholarship Trust Fund.

General Information

All applications for the Memorial Scholarship will remain the property of the State Treasurer’s Office.

Students may apply only one time for the Memorial Scholarship award.  If a change, update, or addition to the application is necessary, those updates must be received by the State Treasurer’s Office prior to the deadline date. Thereafter, no further updates or additions will be accepted.

The State Treasurer’s Office is not responsible for applications that are lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, damaged, incomprehensible, illegible, undelivered, or delayed.

All applicants will be notified by e-mail after the Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plans of Nevada (Board) has chosen a recipient during their June meeting.

Memorial Scholarship Helpful Links