Scholarship Opportunities for Latino Youth
The “S” in student stands for Scholarships!
What are scholarships?
Scholarships are grants or payments that provide students financial support by helping pay for their higher education, whether that is college, university, technical schools, or other. Unlike loans, you do not have to pay back any of the money received from a scholarship. Moreover, the number of scholarships available for students is high and their amount can vary from $100 to $100,000 and more. Scholarships can be classified in several categories: need-based, academic, athletic, identity specific, major, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), etc.
Where can I find scholarships?
There are numerous online resources and tools that help finding scholarships easier for students. For Washington students, The Washboard, an online matching site, lists various scholarships available for students who are looking to attend an in-state school. There are several other similar websites readily available and constantly updated for students. Outside of the net, there are several social media pages dedicated to posting scholarship opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Immigrants Rising (@immigrantsrising) is constantly posting scholarships for undocumented students! A piece of advice is to look through hashtags, especially if you identify with them! Most accounts always include hashtags in order to reach a bigger audience.
Additionally, you might want to look into your local community foundation. All you need to do is type in your city name along with “community foundation scholarships”. Hopefully, you will find even more scholarships to add onto your list!
Does Clark County have a community foundation?
Yes, they do! Community Foundation for Southwest Washington (CFSW) strives to cultivate, celebrate, and sustain all forms of charitable giving in southwest Washington to help strengthen our region. One way CFSW does this is by providing scholarships for students who are pursuing higher education. Just last year (2022), they awarded more than 300 scholarships with award amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
One awesome aspect of CFSW scholarship application process, is that you are able to take an Eligibility Quiz to easily determine which scholarships, you should invest your time in! Moreover, the information you entered in the quiz will then automatically fill in for later applications (like your contact information and address), making the process even quicker. Applications for the 2023-24 academic year are open now and the deadline to apply is May 1 (except for the Vancouver Rotary Scholarship which deadline is February 27). Apply now!
So, what now?
Head on over to the various resources outlined in this blog post and make sure to check out our own Flowcode, as we have also linked various scholarship opportunities and resources. Remember, scholarships can be found year-round, but deadlines, eligibility requirements, and usage terms differ from scholarship to scholarship!
Investing quality time in applying for scholarships can bring you a very much deserved award! -
-Sam, your LLNW collegiate intern, and December blog post author signing out!
Common Hashtags:
#firstgen
#fellowships
#StudentSuccess
#accessscholarships
#scholarshipopportunities
#payingforcollege
#undocumented
#highereducation
