Oklahoma City Community Foundation
Jackson Wilhite #LoveTheKicker
Memorial Scholarship


Mission Statement

The Jackson Wilhite #LoveTheKicker Memorial Scholarship was established as a memorial gift in 2019 by Jackson’s family and friends. This scholarship will be awarded annually to football players attending college in Oklahoma, preferably kickers attending Division II Oklahoma colleges. Jackson began playing football in 6th grade, specializing as a kicker. His academic, athletic, and leadership talents were recognized in high school and he earned a full-ride scholarship to Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He worked hard his freshman year and earned a starting kicking position for the Bulldogs. Jackson was known for his character, wit, and intelligence.

Eligibility Requirements of Application

  • First priority is to Norman North or Norman High School graduates attending Division II colleges to play football as a kicker.
  • Second priority is to Oklahoma high school graduates attending Oklahoma Division II colleges to play football as a kicker.
  • Third priority is to Oklahoma high school graduates attending Oklahoma Division II colleges to play football on special teams.
  • Fourth priority is to Oklahoma high school graduates attending Oklahoma Division II colleges to play any football position.
  • Fifth priority is to Oklahoma high school graduates attending any college to play football.

Other Criteria

Applicants will be required to have a minimum 2.20 GPA to apply, with preference to students with higher GPAs. All applicants must submit (1) an essay (Prompt: Describe your career goals and how your education will help you achieve your goals. What school do you want to attend, and why is this school a good fit for you?), (2) a letter of recommendation from a high school or college teacher, coach, counselor, or community member to speak to your abilities and capacity in the areas of education, leadership, and community service, (3) a resume, and (4) a copy of student’s most recent transcript.

Scholarship Type and Status

The Jackson Wilhite #LoveTheKicker Memorial Scholarship is...
       renewable award, based on funds available
  X  one year award

The award may be used for tuition, fees, housing, books, equipment and/or supplies. Payments are made directly to the college after proof of enrollment has been provided to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Scholarship Recipient Selection Process

Selection of recipients for this scholarship will occur by the following process:

  X  Selection may be made with input from a donor. The OCCF needs to ensure minority donor involvement related to scholarship funds with alumni groups, memorial funds, company funds, professional group funds, scholarships established by churches or other charities, or scholarships established by individuals. The OCCF Scholarship Committee and/or Trustees must approve the review committees that have donor involvement. OCCF retains final approval of the selected recipient(s). Conflict of interest policies must be signed by all committee members.

In the event that the donor/donor group is no longer able to participate,
  X  Selection will be made by a committee appointed by OCCF (usually comprised of staff and retired educators).

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 states that a donor or donor group may not control the recipient selection process. Therefore, persons participating in the selection process must be appointed by the Trustees of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Restrictions and Limitations on Scholarship Funds.

Scholarship funds administered by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation are administered in compliance with the Internal Revenue Service guidelines for Grants to Individuals. Exceptions to these guidelines cannot be approved. Stated briefly, these include but are not limited to:

For degree or certification studies only.

IRS guidelines also require that all scholarship application processes be:
  X  open to any individual that qualifies,
  X  promoted to all qualified groups,
  X  awarded based on specific achievement, academic merit, financial need, or qualifications for a particular course of study.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation Trustees place the following restrictions on use of scholarship funds:

  • At institutions that are academically accredited
  • At institutions that are domiciled in the United States
  • At not-for-profit institutions
  • At Vocational and/or Technical schools
  • Full-time enrollment only (12 or more credit hours per semester)
  • As a full-time student no more than 6 credit hours of online programs may be accepted per semester; online coursework must be through your school of enrollment/home school.
  • Awards may be deferred for up to one year.
  • To be used for academic expenses - tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment.

Exceptions to these guidelines may be approved if the exception furthers the purpose of the scholarship fund and does not create an administrative burden.

Oklahoma City Community Foundation scholarships will be promoted on the Community Foundation’s website and applications will be accepted through the Community Foundation’s online application system, unless otherwise stated.

Issues not specified in the Appendix A will conform to the operational procedures of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Scholarship applicants generally are expected to apply for federal and state educational grant programs and provide the Scholarship Selection Committee with information about any other financial assistance they receive. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation will comply with state and federal regulations and guidelines regarding the administration of scholarships (Grants to Individuals).