The NSPA-SPE-A list includes activities that are associated with scholarship programs.

Standard Name:

NSPA Activity List
Standard ID: NSPA-SPE-A-1.0-1
Issued By: NSPA
Version: 1.

0-1

Obsoletes:

NSPA-SPA-A-1.0d-1
Obsoleted By: --

Overview

The purpose of the NSPA-SPE-A list is to define and standardize values used to refer unambiguously to activities in the context of scholarship eligibility and applications.

List Values

View the full list:

• Activity List

Illustrative examples from this list:

• Model United Nations

• Choir

• Basketball

• Tennis

• Stamp Collecting

Usage

In the NSPA Exchange, an activity is a sport, hobby

, or similar active pursuit. Contrast with the Interest List, which indicates an enjoyment of, or passive, spectator role.

Sources

Academic Activities

The NSPA Exchange list of Academic Activities is defined as school-based or education-based pursuits that focus on knowledge and/or skill-building. The definition approximates Wikipedia’s definition that an academic activity is “designed to educate students in any scholarly subject matter,” and Wikipedia’s entries were helpful in suggesting additions beyond those already seen in NSPA member programs.

Art

Art activities include visual and literary creative disciplines. The list is detailed by Wikipedia’s categories of the “major constituents of the arts”.

Community Service

This category encompasses a wide variety of activities. Scholarships that include community service requirements often include all types of community service (or include specific Affiliation Entities that can be reflected in that list). This list is currently maintained as a general category without specific listings.

Games

This list includes generally non-athletic play and competition such as card games, tabletop/board games, and video games. While there are extensive lists that detail the many games available today, only a small number of these games have specific scholarships associated with them. As such, the code list is defined based on program requirements.

Hobbies

A hobby is defined as a leisure activity done for enjoyment. Due to the broad nature of what can be considered a hobby and the likelihood that one’s hobby may be another type of activity or an interest, this list is constructed based on programs’ requirements. The exception to this is the subcategory of collection hobbies.

Performing Arts

Performing arts are defined as creative endeavors that are typically put on for an audience. The code list is made logically complete by including the general Performing Arts categories published by Wikipedia.

Religious Activities

This list is expanded as programs with specific religious activity requirements are sourced. Many religious scholarships are associated with particular Affiliation Entities instead of activities.

Sports

This list aligns with the dictionary definition that sports are “athletic activit[ies] requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature”. Wikipedia’s very detailed list of sports is used as a reference.

Work

This could be as broad as the Profession list, so it is captured on a program by program basis and/or on another list (ex. Situation > Employment Detail or Affiliation Entities).

References

The core list of Activities was based on programs offered by NSPA members. External lists were consulted for standardization and to fill in logical gaps. No existing external list was exclusively or completely used. Primary references used include:

• Wikipedia, general lists for:

  • Arts

  • Hobbies

  • Sports

  • Student Activities

• Brown University, list of varsity sports

• Prep Scholar, list of high school sports