The Facilities Services Scholarship fund was originally established by the employees of WSU Facilities Operations (formerly Physical Plant) to provide a standing benefit derived from employment within Facilities Operations by providing scholarships to incoming freshman at the WSU Pullman campus who were the dependents of a current employee, a retired employee or of an employee who died while employed at Facilities Operations. In recent years the scholarship committee has expanded scholarship eligibility to  sophomore, junior and senior students in addition to freshman at all WSU campuses not just those at the Pullman campus. With the recent merger of Capital Planning & Development and Facilities Operations within Facilities Services, the scholarship eligibility has also been expanded to dependent children and grandchildren of Capital Planning & Development employees meeting the same eligibility criteria.   While preference is first given to children or grandchildren of parents or grandparents who are current Facilities Services’ employees or was an employee of Facilities Services at the time of their retirement or their death, if scholarship funds are not depleted by applicants in this category, the remaining funds are made available for allocation to all other WSU students at all campuses.

The Scholarship Committee, made up of current Facilities Services employees, determines the total dollar amount to be available for scholarships each year based on the success of fund raising activities. Evaluation of applications and identification of potential scholarship recipients is handled by the WSU Financial Aid Office.

The proceeds from the 2014 Jess Ford of Pullman Hardhat Classic along with a very successful year in terms of personal contributions to the scholarship fund have allowed the Scholarship Committee to endow an annual $2,000 scholarship. Each year a percentage of the proceeds from this golf tournament may be added to the endowment principle to help grow the endowment and assure the viability of future scholarship opportunities. For the coming academic year 2015-2016 the Scholarship Committee will award scholarships totaling $10,000, to provide support to new and current students in obtaining their educational goals.

The tournament raises funds from three sources. Proceeds from participant entry fees will provide $58 from each participant entry fee of $135 to the scholarship fund. The second source is tournament sponsorship opportunities with a variety of sponsorship options which are displayed on the tournament website at www.hardhatclassic.com. Jess Ford of Pullman has once again committed to being our title sponsor and for the fifth year will sponsor the hole-in-one prizes which include this year a 2015 Ford F150 XLT. A third source of funds are proceeds from an auction of donated items to take place during the lunch at the end of the tournament.