DECA’s scholarship program provides over $200,000 in scholarships to high school and college DECA members at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) each year. Many corporate partners of DECA provide scholarships through the DECA scholarship program. DECA Inc. administers the program based on guidelines set by the donor. DECA scholarships are strictly merit-based.

The scholarship portal is open for the 2021-2022 academic year. The deadline to apply is January 14, 2022. Please click on the “Apply Now” button to start your scholarship applications.

Apply through the DECA membership system and click on “Student Member Portal.” Only current, submitted DECA members may apply, using their membership ID # and password. Once logged into the student member portal, click on the “Apply for Scholarships” button at the top.

Once in the scholarship portal, complete your profile and click “Submit” at the bottom. After submitting your profile, the scholarship applications will populate with any scholarships for which you meet the criteria. Scholarship applications may be saved and finished later, providing that your Student Profile is submitted. Be aware that the scholarship program will time out after 20 minutes of non-usage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

NTHS (National Technical Honor Society) provides two (2) $1,000 scholarships awarded to DECA members who are also members of NTHS.

Otis Spunkmeyer provides three (3) $1,000 scholarships awarded to DECA members who work in their school stores and sell Otis Spunkmeyer products.

Publix provides five (5) $1,000 scholarships awarded to DECA/Collegiate DECA members who are associates of Publix.

Whataburger provides five (5) $1,000 scholarships to DECA members who have an interest in the restaurant/food service industry.

HARRY APPLEGATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Harry Applegate Scholarship Program is a scholarship fund that corporate supporters contribute to, but the scholarship is actually in the company’s name. Scholarships are awarded based on DECA/Collegiate DECA involvement, leadership ability, community service and academic performance.

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COLLEGE AND ORGANIZATION PARTNERS

Many college, university and organization partners offer scholarships to DECA members. These scholarships are available directly through the college, university or organization.

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Apply for Scholarships by January 14, 2022 APPLY TODAY

Frequently Asked Questions

To help you better understand DECA’s scholarship process, check out these frequently asked questions and answers.

Do I have to be a current Collegiate DECA member to apply for DECA Scholarships?

Yes, you must be a current Collegiate DECA member to be eligible for DECA scholarships.

What are the requirements to become a Collegiate DECA Member?

Ask your school counselor if you school has a Collegiate DECA chapter and register through your chapter advisor. For Collegiate DECA members that do not have a chapter, you may apply as an individual member.

What is the deadline to submit my application?

The deadline to submit your application is January 14, 2022.

Whom do I contact if I forget my user name and/or password?

Email scholarships@deca.org or call DECA at 703 860-5000 and ask to speak with the Partnerships Department.

Can I apply for more than one scholarship?

Yes, you may apply for more than one scholarship as long as you meet the criteria for each scholarship.

Does my student profile information export over to the scholarship applications?

Yes, data from your Student Profile carries over to automatically fill in certain fields (i.e. name, address, school, DECA involvement, etc.).

Does my advisor have access to my profile?

No, your profile is strictly confidential unless you provide the advisor with your user name and password.

How much information should I include in the profile for Collegiate DECA activities?

You should include as much as possible in the long answer section. For your DECA activities, include ALL details from your time with DECA.

Do I have to be a Collegiate DECA freshman to apply?

No, all grade levels are welcome to apply. Unless the scholarship application specifically requires a grade level/collegiate, you can safely assume that all members can apply.

Are Collegiate DECA scholarships based on financial need?

No, most of DECA scholarships are merit-based.

Do I have to be an employee or child of the corporate sponsored scholarships?

You are not required to be a relative/employee to apply for most of our corporate scholarships. Some of our donors such as Whataburger and Hilton give special attention to applicants who work for them. Publix Super Markets does require you to be an associate with their company.

Do I have to be interested in a particular career or industry for some scholarships?

Some scholarships such as AICPA, Hilton, RevRoad, Whataburger do provide scholarships that are focused on a specific industry and/or career interest (i.e., finance, hospitality, entrepreneurship, restaurant, etc.)

Once my application is submitted can I go back in and make changes?

No, once you submit your application you cannot make any further changes.

What happens if I make the qualifying round?

DECA will notify you via email that you have made the qualifying round and provide you the list of additional materials required to upload.

What materials need to be submitted if I make the qualifying round?

You will be asked to upload a statement of interest, three letters of recommendations, transcripts and any additional documents you feel would be important to the scholarship review committee (i.e., resume, awards, etc.)

What happens if I haven’t taken my ACT/SAT?

You must include a statement indicating so.

Are unofficial transcripts accepted?

Yes, you may submit unofficial transcripts.

How does DECA know where to send the scholarship monies?

DECA will contact you via email to request this information.

Can I use the scholarship if I am a part-time student?

No, you must be enrolled as a full-time student at a college/university.

Where are the scholarship monies sent?

Monies are sent directly to the college/university that you will be attending by completing a form that will be emailed to you in May.

Can my scholarship be deferred?

Yes, your scholarship can be deferred for up to three years.

Should I win a scholarship, do I get to meet the sponsor and/or be able to send a thank you letter?

Yes, you will be able to meet the sponsor if you attend ICDC. DECA will also email you contact information to send a thank you letter.

Do I have to attend the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) if I win a scholarship?

No, you do not need to attend ICDC in order to receive your scholarship.

How will I know if I win a scholarship?

DECA will notify your chapter advisor and send you an email that you provided in your scholarship profile.

What is the deadline for uploading my supporting materials?

DECA will notify you of the deadline once it is determined that you have made the qualifying round.

What is a statement of interest?

A statement of interest is an opportunity to share some valuable information about who you are, and why do you feel that you should receive a DECA scholarship. This part of your application gives the review committee to see more than your GPA, by including your future goals and interest.  It basically gives you an opportunity to stand out from other applicants. There is no word limit to your statement of interest.

What is a community leader?

A community leader is an individual that represents the community. Some examples of a community leader:

  • Elected officials
  • Local youth councils
  • Camp counselors
  • Coaches
  • School officials
  • Religious leaders
  • Fire Chiefs
  • Supervisor of where you may have done a community service activity

For additional questions, please email scholarships@deca.org or call 703-860-5000 and ask for the Partnerships Department.

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