Kailee Mills Foundation Scholarship Program

The purpose of the Kailee Mills Foundation Scholarship Program is to educate teen drivers about seat belt safety through seat belt awareness, research, volunteerism, and leadership. Scholarship recipients deliver high levels of academic achievement, ambition, leadership, and a desire to make a difference. The Kailee Mills Foundation has awarded $191,000 in scholarships since 2020.

We award numerous scholarships to students across the United States each year. The scholarship awards vary in range but could be up to $20,000. These scholarships must be used at any 2-year or 4-year accredited college or university. All applicants must show academic achievement and help to spread seat belt safety awareness in their community. The scholarship application is now open, and we will accept applications through April 1, 2024.

Scholarship awards of $5,000 and above are distributed at $5,000 per semester. Awarded amounts under $5,000 will be a one-time distribution. Any awarded amount unused in a semester will be rolled over to the next semester. All scholarship funds will be paid directly to the college or university at the beginning of each spring and fall semester as long as the recipient requirements have been met.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a high school senior or current post-secondary undergraduate.
• Receive or have received a high school diploma at/by the end of the graduating school year. (If you are a current college student, you must have taken classes consecutively).
• Be enrolled or plan to enroll in an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university in a full-time (at least 12 hours) degree-seeking program for the first time
• Be a US citizen or legal resident.

Academic Achievement​

Applicants should:

• Have a current GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Have at least a 1050 SAT score or a 20 ACT (UPDATE: Now that many colleges do not require SAT or ACT, submitting these scores are now optional. If you wish to submit them, it will help your score. However, if you do not submit them, it will not hurt your score.

Citizenship and Character

Strong applicants would:

• Demonstrate a desire to make a meaningful contribution to society
• Have volunteered for organizations in their community and submit verifiable proof of volunteer hours
• Strive to maintain excellence in their education

Scholarship Distribution

• Scholarships must be used at an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university.
• Scholarships $5,000 and above will be distributed by semester in $5,000 increments. Any excess amount may be rolled over to the following semesters as long as the recipient requirements have been met.
• Scholarship awards under $5,000 will be a one-time distribution (if necessary, unused amounts may roll forward after meeting recipient requirements).
• Scholarship distributions will be paid at the beginning of each spring and fall semester as long as the recipient requirements have been met.
• Distributions will be paid directly to institutions or appropriate and verified recipients.
• Awards can be used towards tuition, books, room and board, and other educational fees incurred through the educational institution.
• Any excess amount after degree completion will be forfeited and returned to the Kailee Mills Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Recipient Requirements ($5,000 scholarships and above only)

Please review the expectations and requirements for recipients of scholarships $5,000 and above online.

Applying for a Scholarship

To be eligible for the Kailee Mills Foundation Scholarship you must submit a completed application found below, including all required attachments listed within the application.

Supporting documents to assist you with your application are:

1. Seat belt safety awareness CAMPAIGN GUIDELINES
2. PAST CAMPAIGN EXAMPLES
3. FINANCIAL PLAN TEMPLATE
4. Approved LIST OF FAMILIES to interview

All applications must be received on or before April 1. The application includes items which may take weeks or months to complete. It is recommended to review the application in full and allow enough time to complete it in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be eligible for review and will be discarded. *Note: All applications are scored by our scholarship committee and scored based on these CRITERIA.