TPI Scholarship Application

Scholarship Application

The following application and the subsequent detailed procedures apply to both the Indyk and Weerts scholarships. Applicants will be awarded one of either of these scholarships based on the quality of responses, included content, and merit of their submission.
Dr. Henry W. Indyk Scholarship - Established in 2006 by The Lawn Institute, the Dr. Henry W. Indyk Scholarship honors a founding father of Turfgrass Producers International while supporting the educational goals of TPI members and their families. Open to TPI Producer and Supplier members, their employees, and immediate family members, the scholarship provides up to $10,000 in financial aid for higher education, including technical, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs.

Bob Weerts Memorial Scholarship - Established in 2025 by members of TPI, the Bob Weerts Scholarship honors past-president Turfgrass Producers International, Bob Weerts, who was passionate about access to education, as well as supporting TPI members and their families. Open to TPI Producer and Supplier members, their employees, and immediate family members, the scholarship provides up to $5,000 in financial aid for higher education, including technical, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs.

ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS

Scholarships are intended for high school seniors and existing college students for future studies. Eligible recipients must be a new or continuing student in an accredited public or private college, university, technical or vocational school.

Applicants must be either 1) an immediate family member of a TPI Producer/Supplier member; or 2) an immediate family member of a full-time employee of a TPI member company.

Please note previous recipients of a TLI Scholarship are not eligible to apply.

A course of study related to the natural grass industry is encouraged but not required; the Committee may consider chosen major when reviewing application and ranking applicants.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Please be prepared to submit all of the following:
- Personal Background/High School Information
- A certified copy of most recent high school or collegiate transcript
- A written essay: 400-600 words, double-spaced and typed
- A letter of recommendation from a school faculty member, employer, or other professional who is familiar with the applicant's character, accomplishments, or activities. The letter may not be written by a family member and must not exceed 300 words.
The Application Deadline is October 31st, 2026.

AWARD PROCEDURES

Winners will be announced and contacted directly in December of each year.

Winners will be required to submit a photo, brief bio, and a written or video “Thank You” that can be shared with TPI membership. These submissions should be completed by January 15th of each year and sent to info@TheLawnInstitute.org.

A certified university-issued copy of the semester transcript should be sent to info@TheLawnInstitute.org by March 15th of each financial award year. A check will be made payable to the student no later than June 1st of each financial award year.
Awards of $2,500 or less will be given to the recipient in a single payment.
Awards larger than $2,500 will be issued each year in increments no larger than $2,500 until the entire award has been issued. Recipients will need to provide a certified university-issued copy of their fall semester transcript by March 15th each year to info@TheLawnInstitute.org in order to remain eligible.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered by Committee.
Applicant Information
Full Legal Name

First NameLast Name
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Format: (000) 000-0000.
TPI Membership Company (as listed by TPI)
Academics
Current School
School Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Class Rank
Number in Class
GPA
GPA Scale
Date Expected to Graduate

MonthDayYear
2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit yearDate
School Name Planning to Attend
Have you been accepted to the above institution?
Anticipated Major/Course of Study:
Is Your Major Turfgrass Related?
Please explain in a few sentences how you plan to use your area of study to support the turfgrass industry. If your area of study is unrelated, enter “N/A"
Please list any school, work, and community activities in which you have engaged, including offices held, honors or awards received, and other factors that might help the scholarship committee in reviewing your application. If you need more space, or wish to include any supporting documentation, a file upload option is available below.
Upload Optional Supporting Documents

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Please describe (if any) experience that you have working on or with a sod farm, or within the green industry in general.
A certified copy of your most recent high school or collegiate transcript is required for this scholarship.
Upload Transcript

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Written Essay
In a single essay, please address the following:
- Your educational and career goals and how this scholarship will assist you in achieving them.
- The impact that the turfgrass industry has had on your personal character, including lessons learned through work, family involvement, leadership opportunities, community service, or other experiences.
Strong essays will connect personal experiences to future ambitions and illustrate how involvement in the turfgrass industry has contributed to your growth and development.

Essays should be between 400-600 words, double-spaced and typed.
Upload Essay

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Recommendation Letter
A letter of recommendation is required from a school faculty member, employer, or other professional who is familiar with the your character, accomplishments, or activities. The letter may not be written by a family member and must not exceed 300 words.
Upload Recommendation Letter

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Submission Affirmation
I affirm that the information I have provided is accurate. I intend to enter an accredited school of higher education and will use any funds awarded for that purpose.
I understand that my enrollment must occur within the coming academic year; if I do not enroll during this time, my scholarship will be forfeited.
For recurring awards, I also understand it is my responsibility to notify TLI of any changes to my school, mailing address, or enrollment after my first year of study.
I understand it is my responsibility to submit fall semester transcriptions to info@thelawninstitute.org prior to March 15th of each year of my award to ensure my next dispersement will be approved and issued by TLI by June 1st. Failure to submit documentation may result in the forfeiture of my award.
Today’s Date

MonthDayYear
2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year
Applicant's Signature
Applicant Name
TPI Membership Company (as listed by TPI)
TPI Membership Company Primary Representative Name
Primary Representative Email
example@example.com
Primary Representative Phone
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Should be Empty:

Scholarship Application

Applicant Information

Academics

Written Essay

Recommendation Letter

Submission Affirmation