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The application program will be live on or after December 2, 2024. Please return later and navigate to the Scholarship America Hub to register your account and begin your application process!

Mark and Laurie Sutton Young Leaders Scholarship Program
Live application window: December 2, 2024 through January 20, 2025 3:00 pm CT

International Paper Company has established a scholarship program to assist children of employees who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.

The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the Mark and Laurie Sutton Young Leaders Scholarship Program must:

  • Be dependent* children of regular, active full-time International Paper employees and regular, active, part-time International Paper employees who are employed on a non-temporary basis and work a minimum of 20 hours per week. Employees are required to have a minimum of 3 years employment with the company as of the application deadline date.
    *Dependent children are defined as your natural children, stepchildren, legally adopted children, children placed with you for adoption, foster children, or children for whom you are legal guardian. An eligible foster child means a child who is placed with you by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, and other order of any court of competent jurisdiction. The children of your domestic partner are eligible to participate if they meet the same relationship requirements for your domestic partner as those for you and your children.
  • Be high school seniors/students in their final year of upper or higher secondary school, who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year within the United States.

Children of officers (VP and above) are ineligible.

Candidates must provide their parents(s) name, employee ID number (can be found on paystub), position/location, and email address.

Awards

If selected as a recipient, the student will receive up to a $10,000 award, unless the cost of qualified education-related expenses is less, in which case the amount of such specific award would be the actual cost of the qualified education-related expenses. A maximum of up to 3 awards will be granted per year, assuming the required amount of eligible applications are submitted for evaluation. All students must apply to and attend a school in the United States to be eligible.

Award amounts are listed in U.S. dollars (USD) and award payments will be issued in USD.

Awards are one-time only. Past recipients may not reapply.

Awards are for undergraduate study only.

Awards can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and required materials.

Notification

All applicants will be notified in March.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of International Paper Company. Payment is made in August.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances

Financial need is not considered.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of International Paper Company play a part in the selection. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately.

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

International Paper Company has partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you to the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.