DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ME?
Yes! Start the application process early. We recommend you don't wait until the last days or even a week before the deadline. The committee requires at least 24 hours to process your application, so waiting too long may jeopardize your eligibility. You will also need plenty of time to ensure your reference letters and transcripts arrive before the due date. Remember, the people you are depending on to provide supplemental materials may not have the same sense of urgency about the application that you do. The committee may also have questions that need to be resolved before your application can move through the process. The best thing you can do is to get your application and supplementary materials in a timely manner.
WHO CAN BE MY SPONSOR?
You must be a relative of a Member of The Pipeliners Association of Houston. For purposes of the scholarship program relative is defined as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, child, grandchild, great grandchild, niece, nephew, sibling, or spouse. Children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren may be biological or adopted. In addition, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and other listed relatives may be by birth, marriage, or legal guardianship.
WHAT ARE THE SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS?
In addition to being a relative of the applicant, sponsors must be a member in good standing and shall have paid dues for a minimum of two (2) consecutive years preceding the application. They must also have attended at least six (6) PAH meetings or events in the previous calendar year (January-December). Proof of attendance must be verified through the official Scholarship Attendance Application while at the event. There are no exceptions to this policy.
I HAVE LESS THAN 30 HOURS, CAN I APPLY?
Yes, HOWEVER for your application to move beyond the initial phase you must explain to the committee's satisfaction how you will have completed 30 hours prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. If you are awarded a scholarship however fail to have 30 hours prior to the Fall semester, your school is instructed to return that year's award back to the Educational Fund.
I AM IN GRADUATE SCHOOL, CAN I APPLY?
No, the scholarship program is for undergraduate students in years two through five of their studies toward their first bachelor's degree. (Year two defined as a minimum of 30 hours.)
I WILL NOT BE A FULL TIME STUDENT, CAN I APPLY?
Depends. Generally, you must be a full time student while receiving the scholarship HOWEVER there are two exceptions:
WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN "OFFICIAL" TRANSCRIPT?
An official transcript must be sent directly from your school to the Scholarship Committee.
Hard copies are considered official if they are a sealed, certified copy of your transcript from your school's registrar’s office. Electronic transcripts are considered official if sent directly from the school to the committee.
GRADE REPORTS AND LETTERS FROM PROFESSORS ARE NOT CONSIDERED OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS.
Most schools send transcripts electronically. In most cases, we can accept e-transcripts that come directly from the school. A PDF of your transcript that you or a parent provides is NOT considered official and will NOT be accepted.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SEND MY TRANSCRIPT?
The best way to send your transcripts is electronically directly from your school to the Scholarship Committee. Often schools send transcripts to the Scholarship Committee within minutes of an applicant having submitted the request with their school. Your school may be different so request your transcript as soon as possible.
If you wish to have hard copies sent, please have your school send them directly to the Scholarship Committee via FedEx, UPS, or USPS. Be sure to get a TRACKING NUMBER. Without tracking information, we cannot verify that we received the documents.
You can also deliver them in person, but you will deliver them to a business office. We will only be able to receive them during working hours. The same is true for mail delivery. Remember, we must RECEIVE your documents prior to the closing date and time. Even if they are postmarked by the due date but not received by the noon cutoff, they will not be accepted.
If delivering in person keep in mind that only official transcripts will be accepted. The transcript must be sealed, certified copy of your transcript from your school's registrar’s office. Any hard copy that has been opened or tampered with by the student/applicant, sponsor, delivery agent, or any other party will NOT be accepted.
Pro Tip: When you order your transcripts, have one sent to your home address as well. That way you will know when it is delivered and you will have an extra copy in case there is a problem. In order for a transcript to be considered official, the school seal cannot be broken.
CAN I SUBMIT MY TRANSCRIPT BEFORE I COMPLETE THE APPLICATION?
Yes! We highly recommend that you request your transcripts and references early. We can receive the transcript at any time. References must be submitted through our electronic system, so we urge you to complete your application as soon after the opening date as possible.
I HAVE ATTENDED MULTIPLE SCHOOLS DO I NEED A TRANSCRIPT FROM EACH?
Yes, if you have attended multiple schools, we must receive a transcript from EACH school. If your transcripts from all your schools are not received by the closing date, you will not be eligible to receive a scholarship. No exceptions for any reason.
I HAVE APPLIED IN PRIOR YEARS. DO I NEED TO PROVIDE NEW TRANSCRIPTS EACH TIME I APPLY?
Yes, every year that you apply you must provide a new set of transcripts from EACH school that you have attended regardless of when you attended. If your transcripts from all your schools are not received by the closing date, you will not be eligible to receive a scholarship. No exceptions for any reason.
CAN MY PARENTS COMPLETE MY APPLICATION?
No - Applications submitted by anyone other than the applicant will be rejected and that applicant will be barred from applying in the current year.
I AM TRYING TO DECIDE BETWEEN AN IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL INTERVIEW. IS THERE A BENEFIT TO ONE OVER THE OTHER?
Applicants that interview in-person receive 30% to 50% more points than applicants that elect virtual interviews.
WHAT IF I CAN'T ATTEND THE INTERVIEW?
The scholarship interview is required and must take place during the official interview session. If you cannot attend the interview, you will not be eligible to receive a scholarship. Interviews are held the Saturday before Easter every year. The time allotted for interviews is generally between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm. The exact times depend on the number of qualified applicants.
WHAT IF I HAVE OTHER COMMITMENTS ON INTERVIEW DAY?
We understand that sometimes there are schedule constraints. With that in mind, you can request a specific time or time of day for your interview. It is important that you make your request as BEFORE the interview schedule is posted. While times cannot be guaranteed, the committee will make every effort to honor all requests received prior to when the interview schedule is published. Once the interview schedule is posted no changes will be made.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OR MORE OF MY REFERENCES DOESN'T SUBMIT THEIR LETTER?
If we do not receive three (3) reference letters, we will not be able to process your application. We recommend that you have individuals that can be used as a backup and that you monitor the receipt of your letters. Do not wait until the last minute to request a substitute reference.
WHAT SHOULD BE IN MY REFERENCE LETTER?
No two reference letters are exactly alike. References often include information on how they perceive motivation, character, and potential. Those writing the letter often mention their relationship to the applicant and why they think they should be considered for the scholarship. We encourage the applicant and the person writing the reference to take this step seriously.
WHO SHOULD I ASK FOR REFERENCES?
There are no hard and fast rules for whom you may ask to provide references, but they should be people who know you well in a personal, professional, or educational capacity. The point is that they can shed light on your personality and character. People you have worked for, professors, leaders of volunteer groups, coaches, and pastors are all good choices. We do not accept references from family members or relatives, and we do not recommend you use casual friends and associates from social organizations unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
Pro Tip: Give the people you will be requesting a reference from a heads up that you would like to use them as a reference. Tell them to watch for an email from The Pipeliners Association of Houston Educational Fund and that time is of the essence.
CAN I EDIT MY APPLICATION?
Yes! You can edit your application. To do that, though, you will need your login credentials.
Once you click the “Save & Continue” button on the application’s first page, the system will email the address you provided. This email will contain your login credentials. You will need this information to return to your application. Below the login information is a link to the entry page. Please note that once you have started your application, you must click on the box for “Access Existing 2026 PAH Scholarship Application.” You do not need to create a new application. When you complete your submission, you will receive a confirmation email from the system. This email will also contain your login information. We recommend you put your credentials where you can find them if you need them. If, for some reason, you never receive the email or you cannot locate it, email scholarship@houstonpipeliners.net and we will resend the email.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE AFTER INTERVIEW DAY?
The Scholarship Committee will finalize scoring shortly after interview day. In mid to late April, the Educational Fund's Treasurer will prepare a schedule of funds available to fund scholarships for the coming academic year. In late April, The Association and Educational Fund's Officers will recommend the amount to fund scholarships. In late April/early May, the Educational Fund's Board will finalize the scholarshsip funding and the total will be communicated to the Association Membership. By mid-May, the Scholarship Committee will allocate the scholarship funds to successful applicants and communicate individual awards to recipients. At the Association's June Business meeting scholarship recipients will be recognized; recipients are invited to attend the June meeting at no-cost to be recognized. In mid-June scholarship checks will be mailed to universities.
I CANNOT ATTEND THE JUNE BUSINESS MEETING, DOES THAT AFFECT MY AWARD?
No. Your attendance at the June Business Meeting is optional and does not affect your award. The Association, the Educational Fund, their supporters, and their guests want to celebrate you and recognize your achievement and wish you the best in your continued studies. Historically 50-70% of recipients attend the meeting. We hope to see you there!
WHERE DOES THE MONEY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS COME FROM?
The money available for the annual scholarship distribution comes from proceeds generated by the Educational Fund's five (5) fundraising events (the Spring and Fall Golf tournaments, the Spring and Fall Clay Shoots, and the Fishout) and donations from The Pipeliners Association of Houston, its Members, and other donors. Because the success of each event depends on many factors, the amount of money available to fund scholarships varies yearly.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE HOW MUCH TO AWARD EACH STUDENT?
The amount awarded to eligible students depends on many factors. Elements considered by the committee include personal interviews, the information provided on the application, academic performance, and written recommendations. The scholarship applicants are ranked according to the mentioned criteria. The scholarship applicant's ranking and the amount of money available to distribute determine each applicant’s scholarship.
I TRANSFERRED SCHOOLS AFTER AWARDS WERE FINALIZED. WILL MY AWARD FOLLOW ME AUTOMATICALLY?
No, we will send the full scholarship amount to the school you indicated on your application. If you transferred schools (whether prior to Fall or prior to Spring) it is your responsibility to 1) instruct the old school to return your award to the Educational Fund AND 2) promptly notify the Educational Fund of the transfer, where the awards should be re-directed to, and what you new UIN is. Please note that awards will not be sent to the new school until the award is returned from the old school.
CAN I APPLY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF MY AWARD TO ONE SEMESTER?
No, your award must be split by your school equally between the Fall and Spring semesters. If you decide to graduate in December rather than May, half the funds will be refunded to The Pipeliners Association of Houston Educational Fund.
CAN I APPLY A PORTION OF MY AWARD TO SUMMER CLASSES? OR MINI-MESTERS?
No, your award must be split between the Fall and Spring semesters.
If there is any conflict, discrepancy, or inconsistency between this page and The Pipeliners Association of Houston Educational Fund (PAH EF) Scholarship Grant Requirements Policy posted on The Pipeliners Association of Houston's website under the About Us section, the PAH EF Scholarship Grant Requirements Policy will control.
Updated 10/4/2025