PURPOSE:
The Texas Braunvieh Association (TBA) in an effort to promote academic excellence; to promote interest in cattle care and exhibition; and to promote the Braunvieh breed, will provide an incentive to the Texas Junior Braunvieh Breeders Association (TJBBA) exhibitors in the form of awards and scholarships.  The number and amount of awards/scholarships may vary from year to year.

 DETERMINATION:
Annually the TBA Board of Directors will review the Awards and Scholarship Program as part of the budgeting process. With input from the Finance Committee, TJBBA Advisor(s)/Committee, and Show Committee the Directors will determine what awards and/or scholarship(s) will be offered for the next calendar year shows.  The awards for the current calendar year will have already have been established and funded.  Additionally, the Board will establish a proposed level of support for the following calendar year Awards Program, to include a funding plan for the proposed level of support.  The review of the current Awards and Scholarship Program and out-year planning should take place as early in each calendar year as possible (recommend this be the top agenda item for the first Board meeting following the election of new Officers/Board members).  Once the Board has approved the level of support for a particular calendar year, they will announce that approval to include the specific awards/scholarship(s) being offered.

 FUNDING:
Only funds already available and earmarked at the beginning of the current year can be expended to purchase awards, make scholarship payments to colleges or universities, or commit/transfer to deferred scholarship accounts during the current year.  The out-year funding plan should include, not only the proposed amounts, but also a detailed outline of how the money is to be raised, by whom, and by when.  The burden of raising the necessary money should not fall solely on the TBA membership, but must be shared by the TJBBA membership and their parents.  Methods to fund the Awards Program may include, but are not limited to, solicitations of TBA members for donations, solicitations of local businesses/organizations for donations, raffles, fun auctions, and other fund raising events.  All Awards Program funding must be raised and collected by the end of a current calendar year to be able to expend that money during the next calendar year.

 ACCOUNTING:
All monies used in support of the Awards Program will be maintained under the control of the TBA.  This may be accomplished by establishing separate accounts or by being able to identify all related Awards Program income and expenditures within other TBA accounts.  No one other than the TBA Board of Directors can approve the expenditure or the commitment of Awards Program funds.  All persons involved with Awards Program funds will adhere to strict accountability/record keeping.  This includes recording names, addresses, amount of cash donations/identification of merchandise, and date of all donations.  It also includes obtaining invoices/statements and receipts for approved expenditures. 

SHOW AWARDS:
Prior to the beginning of a calendar year the Board will have announced what awards will be given for the specific shows/events.  These awards normally would be in the form of ribbons, belt buckles, and custom jackets; however, other type of awards may be appropriate.  The awards will typically be presented to class and division winning exhibitors.

Award Eligibility
a.       Be a current member of the TJBBA.
b.       Be a current member of 4H or FFA.
c.       Be both the registered owner and the exhibitor of the animal being shown.  Exceptions may be granted by the designated TBA Show Representative for true emergencies such as last minute illness or injury.  Request for an exception must be submitted in writing to the TBA Show Representative and a determination will be made prior to the entry into the show ring by the first class of Braunvieh to be shown.  The decision of the TBA Show Representative is final.  No request for exception is required for group classes such as cow/calf as long as the registered owner is exhibiting one of the animals of the group.  When an exception has been approved and all other criteria has been met, any award will be presented to the registered owner not the substitute exhibitor.
d.   Conform to special rules or instructions published by a governing body such as the TBA or BAA.
e.       Conform to the requirements as set forth in the rules and regulations of the show catalog/handbook.
f.         Present to the TBA Show/Event Representative a 4H/FFA Verification Form for all open shows.

 A TBA Show/Event Representative will be appointed for each TBA event/show.  The Show/Event Representative is responsible for collecting a 4H/FFA Verification Form (open shows only) and recording the placing of all exhibitors in each show class.  Additionally the Show Representative will record the class, division, grand champion, and reserve champion winners/high placing junior exhibitor.  Within three (3) days after the show, the Show Representative will annotate and sign/date these recordings as being ”true and correct” and forward them to the TBA Board of Directors.

SCHOLARSHIPS:
Prior to the beginning of a calendar year the TBA Board of Directors will announce what scholarship(s), if any, will be offered during the following calendar year.  A major consideration will be the availability of funds. After the completion of the specified show(s)/event(s) the scholarship winner(s) will be determined.  The Board of Directors will conduct a review of the Show Representative’s records and any other pertinent information and then name the scholarship winner(s).  If the apparent winner is declared ineligible for all or part of the scholarship, the Board may at their option, award all, part, or none of the scholarship to the next in-line junior exhibitor.  Once an exhibitor has been officially determined to be a scholarship winner, funds of an appropriate amount will be set aside into a special account or earmarked in a regular TBA account as a deferred liability.  This scholarship money may not be used for any other purpose other than the payout of the designated scholarship.  If a scholarship winner is, at a later date determined to be ineligible, or becomes ineligible, only then can the scholarship money, or remaining portion of the specific scholarship money be reclaimed and designated by the TBA for other purposes.

SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR:
The TBA Treasurer will normally fill the function of Scholarship Coordinator: however, the Board may appoint another TBA member or Board member to serve in that position.  The Coordinator will act as a liaison among the recipients, the TBA Board, and the Administrator.  The Coordinator is responsible for keeping abreast of all aspects of the Scholarship Program and keeping the Board appraised of program progress and changing situations. 

THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR:
The TBA Board of Directors, at their option, may designate/hire a third party administrator to verify the eligibility of the recipients and to disburse the correct amount of payment to the recipient’s college/university.  The Administrator will keep accurate records and provide a semiannual report to the TBA in a format specified by the Board. 

DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS:
Funds will reside with the TBA or its third party Scholarship Administrator (if one is designated by the TBA).  All payments will be made directly to the college or university designated by the recipient for the benefit of that recipient.  Funds will be disbursed at the beginning of each semester at the rate of one-eighth (1/8) of the total amount per semester. Scholarship funds may be used only for tuition, books, and fees if billed by the college. The fund may not be applied to room and board.   No payment will be made directly to a recipient, nor will funds be disbursed until the recipient has complied with all requirements and rules of eligibility listed herein.

            Scholarship Award Eligibility (checked before declaring a winner):

a.       Be a current member of the TJBBA.

b.       Be a current member of 4H or FFA (in open shows must present a 4H/FFA Verification Form to the TBA Show Representative signed by the appropriate 4H/FFA official).  This is not required for college students who meet all other eligibility criteria to include two years of 4H or FFA while in high school.

c.       Be both the registered owner and exhibitor of the animal being shown.  This does not apply to group classes i.e. cow/calf as long as the owner is exhibiting one animal of the group being shown.  In single animal classes no exception will be granted in order to meet scholarship eligibility.

d.       Conform to special rules or instructions published by a governing body such as the TBA or BAA.

e.       Conform to the requirements as set forth in the rules and regulations of the show catalog/handbook.

f.         Attending a Texas middle school, high school, or college/university.    

g.       An exhibitor is limited to a total of $4000 in TBA sponsored Scholarship money during his/her TJBBA show career. Should an exhibitor or his/her animal be disqualified for any reason in this or any subsequent TBA/BAA sponsored show, any TBA scholarship he/she has been awarded will be forfeited.

            Additional Scholarship Requirements
                (checked before making payment):

a.       Recipient must have maintained a “B” grade average during the junior and senior year of high school.

b.       Recipient must have participated in a minimum of two (2) years of 4H or FFA while in high school.

c.       Recipient must have submitted to the TBA Scholarship Coordinator the completed Scholarship Requirements and Criteria Form by 15 April of the year in which the scholarship was awarded.                                                                                 

d.       Recipient must submit to the TBA Scholarship Administrator a completed Information and Payment Request Form, and a certified copy of his/her High School Transcript not later than sixty (60) days prior to the beginning of the initial semester.  Additionally, an official college registration Slip must be submitted prior to the disbursement of scholarship payment.

e.       Recipient must carry/complete a full course load (minimum of twelve semester hours) while maintaining a ”B” grade average each semester.

f.         Recipient must pursue a course of study leading to a degree in agriculture or a closely related field, as defined by the TBA.

g.       Recipient must begin his/her initial college semester within one (1) year of graduating from high school; he/she must remain enrolled on a continuous bases, (summer breaks excepted) meeting the minimum semester hour load and grade point requirement.

h.       Recipient must submit to the TBA Scholarship Administrator, immediately upon the close of each semester, official Grades for that semester and an official Registration Slip for the succeeding semester.

i.         Should a recipient not attend college, pursue a degree not related to agriculture, or fail to maintain academic standards or college enrollment with the minimum course load, the balance of his/her scholarship shall revert to the TBA Scholarship Program.

FORMS
The following links will open pages containing forms that can be printed by using the print command on your browser.  The forms can than be filled out and mailed as instructed on the form.  If you have a problem printing these forms, you can send an e-mail to TBA@Braunvieh.com  requesting forms be e-mailed to you as Word Documents or sent to you by USPS (snail mail).

[Open Show 4H/FFA Verification Form]
[Scholarship Requirements and Criteria Form]
[Scholarship Information and Payment Request Form]
[Letter of Scholarship Declination]
[Awards and Scholarships For 2004]
[Back to TJBBA Home Page]