Scholarship Policy Update Vote 2025
Title
Scholarship Policy Update Vote 2025
Sponsor
Co-Sponsors
- James Lamken (President of the Board)
- Ed Bennett (Board Member Emeritus)
Vote Results
Quorum:[ ] Yea Votes: [ ] Nay Votes: [ ] Present or Abstain: [ ]
Schedule
Proposal Date
Date this proposal was posted to the membership and a request for a vote date was sent to the Board.
12/08/2025
Member Input
Does the Sponsor choose to open the language of the vote for changes due to member input? (optional and can be modified at any time)
[X] YES [ ] NO
Vote Announcement and Beginning Date of the Discussion Period
The announcement date of the vote proposal is the beginning date of the seven-day (minimum) posting and Member discussion period. (Certain exceptional vote types have longer discussion periods. Check the Bylaws if you are unsure.) If the Sponsor has chosen to include member input, suggested edits can be made in a shared document or other collaborative vehicle until the language is locked. The sponsor can stop taking suggestions at any time.
12/08/2025
Language Lock Date and Start of Voting
Five days prior to the Day of the Vote, the vote language is locked, all edits are frozen, and the language of the vote is converted to a pdf file. Ballots that include the pdf are sent to the Membership, and electronic voting begins. Note that the minimum discussion period of seven days leaves only two days for changes before the lock takes place.
Requested: 12/11/2025. Actual date to be assigned by the Secretary of the Board.
Day of the Vote
Date the Board has assigned for the vote. The Day of the Vote is the day the vote closes.
Requested: 12/16/2025. Actual date to be assigned by the Secretary of the Board.
Background
In the current Scholarship Policy, scholarships are awarded only during limited selection windows each year. This makes it harder to respond to changes in membership, financial need, and interest in the space. It also limits how quickly new members who rely on financial assistance can get involved.
This proposal revises the Scholarship Policy to:
- Award scholarships on a monthly basis instead of only twice a year.
- Standardize scholarships as six-month terms.
- Scale the number of scholarships to current membership levels.
- Allow scholarship recipients to request a single six-month extension from the Board based on their activity and contributions.
- Use a clear, equity-minded application and rubric that centers alignment with PS:1’s purpose, creativity, and demonstrated interest.
Synopsis
This vote replaces the existing Scholarship Policy with a new, monthly scholarship model. Scholarships will be granted for six-month terms, with a limited number of slots each month based on a percentage of current membership. Applicants who are not selected in a given month can reapply, and continued interest will be factored into selection.
The new policy also allows scholarship recipients, in the final month of their term, to petition the Board for a one-time six-month extension, based on a short presentation of what they have done and what they plan to do next.
The detailed policy, including the application questions and scoring rubric, is defined on the page Scholarship Policy 2026, which will become the active Scholarship Policy if this vote passes.
Language of the Vote
The membership of Pumping Station: One, NFP votes to repeal all existing Scholarship policies and replace them in full with the policy defined on the page Scholarship Policy 2026. That page and policy shall become the official Scholarship Policy of PS:1.
Footnotes
This vote was originally drafted in December 2025 by Joe 'theJuggler' Mertz with the assistance of ChatGPT and input from many PS:1 members and volunteers.
