February 16, 2023
Southern Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund (deadline March 3rd)*:
Southern Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund
“…open to students from Josephine, Jackson, and Klamath Counties. This scholarship’s primary aim is to build leadership in our region’s communities.” [Emphasis added. -BA]
Award Amounts: $1000 a year for a 4-year university, $500 a year for a community college. Renewable up to 4 years upon meeting program requirements.
Oregon Student Aid:
http://oregonstudentaid.gov/scholarships-statements-essays.aspx (in recent years, two of the main essay questions have been the same as SOLSF’s!)
“…one application that includes more than 600 scholarships. The Scholarship Application includes student contact and background questions, college plans, transcripts, activities chart, and personal statements.”
ADDED 2/21, another big opportunity with a March 1 deadline:
The Ford Family Foundation, four different scholarships that lean toward students and recent grads from community colleges, but there is also financial aid for “parents of any age and adult learners over the age of 25” at accredited colleges in Oregon and California.
https://www.tfff.org/program-areas/postsecondary-success/scholarship-programs
Goal for today:
• Write down some words about yourself that describe your “Latinicity” and how it relates to your current education as well as your future goals; take those away and later compose a rough draft of short essays to show teachers, friends, family and anyone else who will read them and help you improve them!
• Goals for a.s.a.p. before March 3rd (if you’re planning on applying for the SOLSF scholarship):
- Create an account with Kaleidoscope (the application portal, linked from the SOLSF page on the Redwood Foundation website address above).
- Use word-processing software, the grammar checker as well as spellcheck, to help make your final essays flawless!
- Ask 2 people to be your recommenders (at least one if not both should be a current professor), and show them your answers to the essay questions so they know what you’re writing about yourself.
- Obtain a copy of your transcript to complete your application.
- Find at least 5 other opportunities this month to apply for (it’s “open season” on scholarships) using Oregon Student Aid, the SOU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (finaid@sou.edu) ScholarshipUniverse, etc. You’ll find that the process, as well as the essay-responses, becomes more and more familiar with each application — plus it’s easier to ask for letters from your recommenders, now that they have written about you already!
*The SOLSF Questions (EACH OF THESE IS maximum 200 words):
Your family background including how you view your Latinx heritage and its importance to you and your education.
The financial obstacles (for example: unmet need, special economic circumstances, etc.) that you feel are impacting your ability to pursue a post-high school education.
Academic awards, leadership and community service experience and their significance to you.
Your planned major field of study and your future plans for making a difference in the Southern Oregon Latinx community. [Remember the “primary aim” to build leadership in our region’s communities. -BA]
Robert Arellano 