BROADCAST EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM RULES AND GUIDELINES
Purpose
The Broadcast Education and Development program is designed to encourage Colorado broadcasters to participate in educational opportunities that advance their skills. The overall purpose of the scholarship fund is to foster continual development of Colorado’s radio and television workforce. The CBA has established a $15,000 annual fund to assist employees of CBA member stations participate in eligible, broadcast-focused courses and events including continuing education, training programs, conferences, online and virtual training, plus other learning opportunities.
Criteria
- Applicant must be a fulltime employee of a Colorado radio or television station.
- Applicant must be employed full-time at a Colorado radio or television station for at least six (6) months prior to seeking a scholarship.
- Station of employment must be a CBA member in good standing.
- Applicants must be Colorado residents, as defined by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
- Application should be submitted at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of any course or event.
- Scholarship funds cannot be applied to previously attended events.
- Scholarship funds may only be applied to eligible courses and events. Please review the Eligible Courses and Events section below for more information.
- Applicant may receive no more than one (1) scholarship award, of up to $1,000.00, per CBA fiscal year.
- Each member station is limited to a total of $5,000.00 in scholarship funds, per ownership group, per market, within the CBA’s fiscal year.
- CBA-sponsored workshops are offered as member benefits and are ineligible for BEDP assistance.
- The CBA’s staff and Board of Directors are ineligible for this program.
Eligible Courses and Events
Applications are considered to help defray the cost of registration, tuition, and related fees for courses/events specifically related to the applicant’s continuing education and advancement of his/her professional skills in media or broadcasting. Scholarship funds are not to be used for meals, lodging, any travel-related expenses, or for ancillary training or skills such as medical procedures, therapy, wardrobe purchases or selection, or any other ancillary expenses that the CBA may, in its sole discretion, deem ineligible.
**To qualify as eligible, the course or event must be approved by the CBA. In general, the CBA will only approve courses or events that provide specific training in local-media content creation, distribution, or station operations.
Examples of acceptable educational programs include undergraduate or graduate for-credit classes in broadcasting, college-level media programs. Preference is given to projects leading to degrees or certificates. However, workshops or conferences offered by recognized national trade and professional associations will also be considered.
Review Process and Schedule
All BEDP applications are screened by the CBA’s Scholarship Committee on a first-come, first-serve basis and granted on their ability to improve applicant’s skills and capabilities. Applications must be submitted using the application form, along with all attachments indicated therein.
This program has no single deadline. Scholarships will be awarded to qualifying applicants on the basis of merit and submission priority while sufficient funding remains for the year. The Committee may earmark funds for a particular program or course of study, and may allocate funds by market size or between Radio and Television Members.
All scholarship awards are paid by check, and may be issued to the educational institution or to the station of employment. Checks cannot be made out to the applicant.
Expiration of Awarded Funds
Scholarships awarded for courses/events with no specific start date will expire ninety (90) days from the date of issuance. Scholarships awarded for courses/events occurring on a specific date or range of dates will expire thirty (30) days after the final date of the course/event. All expired scholarship dollars are returned to the CBA Scholarship Fund. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm that his/her award is utilized appropriately prior to expiration.
*The CBA fiscal year runs July 1st – June 30th.
**In unusual circumstances, the CBA may, in its sole discretion, consider courses or events that are not specifically focused on media. In those cases, the applicant must thoroughly explain how participation will nevertheless provide training directly applicable to careers in local media.
last update July 1, 2024