Hatton W. Sumners Scholars receive $3,500 per semester (up to $7,000 per academic year) in conjunction with any other institutional or organizational scholarships. Total awards cannot exceed the cost of tuition.

The scholarship may be applied for a second school year provided the student meets the following criteria:

1. Good standing with the university.
2. 3.0 grade point average or better.
3. Completion of at least 12 credit hours per semester.
4. Participation in a reasonable number of campus or civic activities for the benefit of Texas Wesleyan, the community and/or the Sumners Foundation.

Besides providing a significant amount of financial support, the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation offers its scholars access to numerous special programs and events.

In conjunction with the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), the Sumners Foundation regularly sponsors the Hatton W. Sumners Distinguished Lecture Series, a line of business-attire luncheons featuring nationally and internationally renowned speakers. Luncheons are held in Dallas and all Hatton Sumners scholars are invited to attend alongside many elite metropolis business owners and leaders. General Tommy Franks, U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and former White House press secretary Tony Snow have recently addressed the NCPA’s prestigious assembly. Following the luncheons, Sumners scholars are escorted to a private room for private briefings with the speaker. Former-president Gerald Ford, then-governor George W. Bush, former governor Jeb Bush, Queen Noor of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are among the other prominent public figures with whom the Hatton Sumners scholars have held private meetings.

The Hatton W. Sumners Student Leadership Conference is hosted annually by the Center for Ethical Leadership at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin to inspire, train and further develop student leadership skills. The four-day program involves large sessions with acclaimed speakers, interactive small group sessions led by UT graduate students, a free leadership assessment with a workshop on how to interpret the results, and an opportunity to network with students hailing from universities and colleges all over the U.S. and Mexico as well as representatives from each U.S. military academy.

Key speakers from the recent 2010 conference include:

1. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century"
2. Raj Sisodia, Professor of Marketing at Bentley University, "Leadership in the Age of Conscious Capitalism"
3. Melissa Stockwell, first Iraqi War Vetern to qualify for the Paralympics and the first female soldier wounded in the Iraq War, "Bagdad, Beijing and Beyond"
4. Dr. Howard Prince, director of the Center for Ethical Leadership in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Past conferences have featured guest speakers such as

1. Michael Powell, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
2. Ginger Kerrick, one of NASA’s lead flight directors and the first non-astronaut spacecraft communicator.
3. Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill and renowned author.
4. Dominque Dawes, 1996 Olympic gymnast and gold medalist who served as national spokesperson for the Girl Power campaign.
5. Buzz Aldrin, who made the historic first walk on the moon with Neil Armstrong and, at President George W. Bush's appointment, served on the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry.

Professional and post-graduate networking continues after graduation and is extended to each Scholar commensurate with their interests and career goals. Sumners Alumni events and activities are coordinated through the Foundation office.

Texas Wesleyan University and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation seek dynamic, motivated students who embrace civic responsibility and will enhance their campus, community and the scholarship program through personal involvement.

Specifically, to be eligible applicants must:

1. Be a citizen of the United States.
2. Have completed 60 academic hours by the beginning of the fall term in which the scholarship begins.
3. Have a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average.
4. Be in good standing with the university.
5. Have a record of participation in campus or civic activities that benefit the university and/or the community at large.

To view the Foundation's expectations of scholarship recipients, click here.

Download the sample application for use in preparing the application. Please submit your actual application on the official form to be obtained from Wesleyan’s Office of Financial Aid.

A completed application, an official community college and/or university transcript(s) reflecting all academic course work and your photograph must be relinquished to the Texas Wesleyan Office of Financial Aid by the deadline. Additionally, please include a professional resume outlining all honors and awards received, extracurricular activities and leadership and work experiences. Finally, an essay (of no more than 750 words) narrating your personal background, extraordinary life experiences, leadership roles performed, reasons for selecting your particular field of study and your ambitions for the future is required.

Choice applicants will be asked to complete a personal interview with representative trustees from the Sumners Foundation on an arranged date. Final selection is competitive and determined by the strength of the application, resume, essay and personal interview with Trustees.

Yes. Total awards, however, cannot exceed the cost of tuition.

No. You are responsible for paying these charges before the payment deadline each semester.

No. However, you must be planning to attend Wesleyan the following semester and as with all financial aid opportunities you must first apply and be admitted to Texas Wesleyan University prior to being eligible for the scholarship.

No. Preference is given to students who are majoring in political science, pre-law or history, and to those who plan to teach in the field of social studies; however, students from other program areas who have high academic achievement, are involved in activities, and exhibit leadership and a strong sense of community responsibility will also be considered.

Generally, the trustees make their decisions immediately following the final candidate’s interview. You will be notified via U.S. mail within two weeks.

No. It is, however, strongly encouraged and an expectation by the university that scholars will participate in as many events as possible. The Sumners Foundation has graciously funded your education and sponsored these events to further your training; exposing you to today’s foremost leaders and public speakers is one of their means of doing so.

The Sumners scholarship is awarded for two years only and can only be used for undergraduate studies during a Scholar’s junior and senior years. Should a Scholar continue into graduate work, the financial scholarship is no longer available; however, Scholars are still welcome to join our current Sumners Scholars at the luncheon events in Dallas as well as at other Sumners alumni-sponsored events.