NRF PROTECT Scholarship Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. Void where prohibited by law. This Scholarship Program is subject to all federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances.

The 2025 NRF PROTECT SCHOLARSHIP (“Scholarship Program”) begins at 8:00 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on March 5, 2025, and ends March 31, 2025 (the “Scholarship Period”).

This Scholarship Program is organized by the National Retail Federation (“NRF”), located at 1101 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington D.C. 20005 (“Organizer”), with the support of NRF member retail organizations (“Retail Sponsor”) and NRF industry partner member organizations (“Industry Partner Sponsor”). Funds awarded pursuant to this Scholarship Program will be applied entirely and exclusively for students selected to receive scholarship funds to attend NRF PROTECT, June 23-25, 2025, at the Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, Texas (“NRF PROTECT”).

ELIGIBILITY: This Scholarship Program is open only to those for whom the following applies for the Scholarship Period:

A legal U.S. resident currently residing in one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia;
Have reached the age of twenty-one (21) years prior to NRF PROTECT;
Enrolled at an accredited U.S. university or college as a full-time undergraduate sophomore, junior or senior student, or a graduate-level student currently pursuing a preferred major involving criminal justice, loss prevention, security, law enforcement or a related major with a focus on roles involved in the financial, operational or security-related roles within the retail industry. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Have an interest in pursuing a career in retail asset protection, loss prevention, corporatesecurity or fraud-related positions;
Has not previously attended NRF PROTECT as a recipient of scholarship funds from NRF;
Available to attend NRF PROTECT, June 23-25, 2025, at the Gaylord Texan Conference Center & Resort in Grapevine, Texas, with the ability to travel independently;
Complete the application and all required documents supporting the scholarship program.

Each Applicant must identify and confirm a college or university faculty member or a representative from a Retail Sponsor who will serve as a reference coordinator on behalf of Applicant in all aspects of engagement with the Scholarship Program and NRF PROTECT.

Individuals who are currently or have recently interned with an NRF retail member organization in a capacity or position related to or involving asset protection, loss prevention, corporate security, finance or fraud are not disqualified from applying for this Scholarship Program if other eligibility requirements are met. Notwithstanding the foregoing, current employees (part-time or full-time) of a NRF retail member organization are not eligible to participate in this Scholarship Program.

Employees, officers and directors of NRF or its affiliates, representatives, consultants, contractors, legal counsel and members of their immediate families (spouses, parents, siblings and children, regardless of where they live) and those living in the same household are not eligible to participate in the Scholarship.

Organizer reserves the right to verify the eligibility of Scholarship Applicant. Participation constitutes full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and to Organizer’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Scholarship.

TO ENTER: During the Scholarship Period, eligible persons (“Applicant(s)”) may enter by completing and signing the Application Form and Certification and submitting the same to Organizer along with the following supporting documentation (collectively, “Submission”):

A written essay (500 words max) describing why the Applicant wants to attend NRF PROTECT and why the Applicant desires to seek a career in the retail industry, asset protection or loss prevention professions.
A copy of Applicant’s college/university transcript. Unofficial transcripts are permitted as long as they provide education institution information and provide a standardized and current Grade Point Average (G.P.A.)

All submissions MUST:

Be in English;
NOT be copied or otherwise plagiarized from any source;
NOT be generated through any artificial intelligence (AI) tool (Grammarly or similar tool for spell/grammar checks are acceptable); and,
NOT contain material that is, in Organizer's sole discretion, hateful, slanderous, libelous, tortious, sexually explicit, obscene, pornographic, inappropriate, violent, discriminatory (based on race, sex, religion, natural origin, physical disability, sexual orientation or age), illegal, offensive, threatening, profane or harassing.

Organizer reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any entry that it believes does not comply with these Official Rules or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the Scholarship Program. All entries become the property of Organizer when submitted and will not be acknowledged or returned to any Applicant. Any attempt by any Applicant to submit more than one entry will render that Applicant disqualified at Organizer's sole discretion. Incomplete, illegible, corrupted or untimely entries are void and will be disqualified. Organizer and its agents are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, stolen, misdirected or illegible entries; lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections; or miscommunications, computer or software malfunctions, telephone transmission problems, technical failures, garbled transmissions, damage to a user's computer equipment (software or hardware), or other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether human, mechanical, electronic or otherwise.

Proof of sending Submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt of Submission by Organizer. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an Applicant, any Application Form or Submission specifying invalid, non-working or inactive contact information will be disqualified and ineligible to win.

SELECTION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT(S): After the end of the Entry Period, Organizer will review Submissions and may select up to four (4) Scholarship Program recipients, depending upon entry volume and scholarship award availability, and based on how articulately and persuasively the Submission aligns with program’s intent. Organizer may utilize current NRF retail members, involved in loss prevention or asset protection, as an advisory group to assist in the selection process. Any NRF retail member who has either a current or previous relationship or knowledge of an Applicant will not be eligible to participate in the selection process.

NOTIFICATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT(S): NRF will notify all applicants via email no later than April 25, 2025, whether the Applicant was selected to earn a Scholarship Program award. Scholarship Program awards are contingent upon Applicant satisfying all the eligibility and submission requirements, verification of the information furnished on the Submission, and compliance with all applicable laws and these Official Rules as determined by Organizer in its sole discretion.

VERIFICATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: ALL POTENTIAL WINNERS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY ORGANIZER, WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. A PARTICIPANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY SCHOLARSHIP UNLESS AND UNTIL PARTICIPANT’S ELIGIBILITY HAS BEEN VERIFIED AND PARTICIPANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE.

In addition to verification, except where prohibited, each selected Scholarship Program recipient may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (the “Affidavit/Release”) prior to receipt of any Scholarship Program award. Noncompliance with or failure to abide by these Official Rules and applicable laws may result in disqualification and either the refusal or revocation of Scholarship Program award.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: For each student selected to receive a Scholarship Program award, NRF will coordinate, purchase and provide specific expenses for travel and attendance at NRF PROTECT. These covered expenses may include: (1) coach or main class round trip rail or air fare from any location within the continental United States to the airport closest or determined to be best suited by the Organizer to NRF PROTECT; (2) up to four nights complimentary business-class hotel stay; (3) registration of a full conference retailer pass to NRF PROTECT; and (4) a gift card for meals and ground transportation, as well as other common travel incidentals, during NRF PROTECT. Scholarship Program awards will be paid by NRF and must be used to defray the award recipient’s costs of attending NRF PROTECT. NRF will coordinate with the Recipient all travel-related accommodations upon selection and verification of the Recipient. All travel itineraries will be provided to the Recipient no later than June 6, 2025. Should an award recipient fail to attend NRF PROTECT, that person shall be responsible for refunding all portions of the Scholarship Program award costs already provided by NRF no later than thirty days after the last date of NRF PROTECT.

The following travel limitations and restrictions will apply to any Scholarship Program award.

Airfare: Round trip flights will be coordinated and reserved by the Organizer. Airlines and travel dates and times will be coordinated in cooperation with the award recipient. NRF will select the most appropriate flights based on common carrier costs and location. Should travel or transportation other than air travel be available or necessary, the Organizer will work with the award recipient to provide alternative travel based on a reasonable amount as determined in Organizer’s sole discretion.
Lodging: Hotel accommodations will be coordinated and reserved by the Organizer at one of NRF’s approved conference hotels. Lodging expenses will include nightly room rates, taxes and required resort fees.
- Recipient will be responsible for any and all damage to the hotel room or property.
- Recipient will be responsible for any hotel incidentals beyond those provided above.
Conference Registration: NRF will provide Recipient with a full conference pass, allowing access to all retailer programs with the exception of special programs that are based on specific titles, roles or criteria that the recipient does not meet.
Specific Travel Incidentals: Recipient will receive through NRF a gift card with a value of $250 to cover the cost of meals and ground transportation as indicated below:
- Rideshare transportation to and from Recipient’s destination airport and NRF-provided hotel accommodations and/or NRF PROTECT venue (two rideshare roundtrips).
- Meals, bottled water or snacks not included in NRF PROTECT meetings and events based on Recipient’s conference registration.
Prohibitions: Award recipients are strictly prohibiting from utilizing the aforementioned gift card or any aspect of the award for: (1) the purchase of alcohol or any intoxicating substance, (2) transportation outside of the recipient’s arrival and departure date or beyond the location area of NRF PROTECT, (3) any expense related to any person other than the award recipient, and 4) any activities, services or programs not identified in these Official Rules.

RESTRICTIONS: Any travel expenses that exceed any Scholarship Program award shall be the sole responsibility of each award recipient. Scholarships cannot be substituted, assigned or transferred; however, Organizer reserves the right to make substitutions at its sole discretion. Only the number of scholarships stated in these Official Rules is available. In the event any Scholarship recipient(s) engage(s) in behavior during travel that (as determined by Organizer in its sole and absolute discretion) is obnoxious or threatening, illegal, or that is intended to threaten or harass any other person, or that in any way disparages or adversely affects the reputation, image and/or goodwill of Organizer or any of Organizer’s members, services, trademarks, service marks, or logos, Organizer reserves the right to terminate the travel early and forbid access to or deject Recipient(s) from NRF PROTECT, with no further obligations or compensation whatsoever to recipient(s) or any interested party, which may, in Organizer’s sole discretion, result in disqualification from the Scholarship Program and forfeiture of any scholarship fund(s).

CONTACT: Forward questions related to the submission process to David Johnston, VP of Asset Protection & Retail Operations, National Retail Federation, johnstond@nrf.com.

PUBLICITY AND OTHER CONSENT: Except where prohibited by law, participation in the Scholarship Program constitutes each entrant’s consent to Organizer’s (and its designees’ and assigns’) use or distribution of entrant’s name, biography, likeness, voice, photographs, video, opinions, statements, hometown, state and country of residence, college or university, and entry for promotional, advertising, research and other purposes (including in communicating with their college or university or, where applicable, employer regarding entry and potential or actual receipt of scholarship funds) in any manner or media (including, without limitation, online, on websites and in social media), worldwide, in perpetuity, and without further payment, consideration, notice, review or consent.

PRIVACY: NRF recognizes the importance of protecting individuals' privacy. The NRF privacy policy located at https://nrf.com/about-us/privacy-policy are part of these Official Rules.

LIABILITY: ORGANIZER SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURIES, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR OTHER DAMAGES OR EXPENSES RESULTING FROM OR ARISING OUT OF ANY TRAVEL OR ATTENDANCE RELATED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION EVENTS, SPONSOR EVENTS, RETAILER EVENTS OR ANY OTHER ASPECT OF ANY PERSON’S ACCEPTANCE OR USE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNTS.

By participating in the Scholarship Program, each Applicant agrees to release and hold harmless NRF and its members, affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability, except as restricted by applicable law, for injuries, loss or damage of any kind including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising from or in connection with: operation of or participation in the Scholarship Program and related activities; use of the website and other materials or tools associated with the Scholarship Program; NRF PROTECT; travel to and from NRF PROTECT; acceptance, use or misuse of Scholarship amounts; and any and all associated claims. NRF, its members, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents are not responsible if the Scholarship Program is terminated, or any Scholarship amounts cannot be provided due to events beyond NRF’s reasonable control including, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of war, pandemics, epidemics, natural disasters, weather or terrorism.

Organizer shall not be liable for technical, pictorial, typographical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Headings used in these Official Rules are for convenience only and shall not be included in any interpretation thereof. Organizer may amend these Official Rules as it deems necessary, in its sole discretion, and such amendments shall automatically and instantaneously be incorporated into these Official Rules.

NRF reserves the right to revise any Scholarship Program policies and practices at any time as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion. NRF’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

DISPUTES: All issues and questions concerning the Scholarship Program, NRF PROTECT, or the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the District of Columbia without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of laws rules. Any disputes related to the Scholarship shall be resolved in the local and federal courts of Washington, D.C. In the event of any conflict between the terms of these Official Rules and any Scholarship Program-related materials in any format including, but not limited to, the website, the terms of these Official Rules shall prevail and have precedence. In addition to the foregoing, each Applicant hereby agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Scholarship or any award shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in Washington, D.C., and (2) in no event shall Organizer be held responsible or liable for any attorneys’ fees or punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including without limitation lost profits (collectively, “Special Damages”), and Applicants hereby waive all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have such damages multiplied or increased. Washington, D.C. law, without reference to Washington, D.C.’s choice of law rules, governs the Scholarship and all aspects related thereto.

The rights and obligations under these Official Rules that by their nature or implication continue beyond the Scholarship Period shall survive it.

MISCELLANEOUS: By participating in the Scholarship Program, each person agrees to abide by all applicable laws and these Official Rules. All federal, state and local laws apply. Void where prohibited by law and outside the United States. Applications that do not comply with these Official Rules shall be subject to disqualification without notice, and NRF reserves the right to make substitutions for any disqualified application. NRF reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify, to prosecute and/or to seek damages from any individual or entity undermining or tampering or attempting to undermine or tamper with the nomination process or the legitimate operation of this Sponsorship Program; violating the Rules or applicable laws; or acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.

Each Applicant, not NRF or any of its affiliates, is responsible for any costs that may be associated with entering or participating in the Scholarship Program or the receipt of Scholarship amounts. NRF and its affiliates and their directors and employees are not responsible for: (1) late, lost, incomplete, damaged or misdirected entries; (2) lost, misdirected or stolen Scholarship amounts regardless of the cause or reason; (3) acts or omissions of any college or university personnel and their employees; (4) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized as part of the Scholarship Program operation; (5) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (6) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the application process or the Scholarship Program; (7) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Scholarship Program; or (8) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, in whole or in part, from any participation in the Scholarship Program or from the receipt, use or misuse of any Scholarship amounts. NRF will not replace lost, misdirected or stolen scholarship awards or travel allowances.

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: Recipients of the Scholarship Program award attending NRF PROTECT must attend certain and specific pre-conference, in-conference and post-conference virtual and in-person meetings and/or calls. These virtual calls and/or in-person meetings will be coordinated by NRF, to include the student, Retail Sponsor and/or Industry Partner Sponsor. Failure to participate in the meetings and/or calls may subject the Recipient to disqualification in NRF’s sole and absolute discretion.

Pre-Conference Calls and Meetings: NRF will coordinate a call(s) with the student and all necessary parties to coordinate travel, Retail Sponsor and Industry Partner Sponsor coordination, and a discussion to finalize all planned in-conference schedule and requirements. Student will also be required to coordinate and attend a one-hour virtual conference meeting with their Industry Partner Sponsor to understand their industry offering and coordinate an in-conference time period of ninety (90) minutes to participate in their Exposition Floor booth.
In-Conference Meetings: Students will be responsible for meeting with NRF selected representatives, fellow students and Industry Partners during specific time periods of the NRF PROTECT conference. The purpose of these meetings will be to solicit feedback, attend specific sessions and identify any needs, concerns or changes to the student’s engagement at the event. Students will also be required to attend the Exposition Floor booth of their Industry Partner Sponsor for a period of 90 minutes during one of the open sessions of the Exposition Floor. This engagement is meant to educate the student on the offerings of their Industry Partner Sponsor while understanding the value of partnerships between retail practitioners and industry partners. Students will be required to attend Keynote and Featured Sessions throughout the NRF PROTECT conference.
Post-Conference Virtual Meeting: NRF will coordinate a one-hour virtual conference call with all students who attended the NRF PROTECT conference within 45 days of the last day of the event. This virtual meeting will be used to ask questions regarding engagement and learnings and to solicit feedback from students on the value and benefits of a scholarship. Feedback will also be solicited about the student from the Retail Sponsor and Industry Partners Sponsor.

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