Project Discovery of Alexandria Advisory Board

Scholarships

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

https://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/PD-Alumni-Scholarship-2022

For more information, email Sheila Purce.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria February 2022 Newsletter

Have you completed your FAFSA? It’s never too late to complete the FAFSA and get free money for college. Please contact us if you need help with filling it out. As mentioned previously, an alternative financial aid application is now available! Students who have traditionally been ineligible to complete the FAFSA are now able to apply for state aid to a Virginia college or university using the VASA application!!!

TC ALUMNI: 

  • Don’t forget to renew your FAFSA! – It is time to submit your 2022-2023 FAFSA for next school year! Feel free to reach out to the Scholarship Fund adviser for assistance. We’d love to hear about your fall semester & help you renew your financial aid.
  • Transferring? – For many of you it is time to start thinking about transferring from NOVA to a 4-year school.  We would be more than happy to assist with narrowing down your list of schools, editing essays, navigating the Guaranteed Admissions Agreements with Virginia colleges, etc.
  • Graduating? - Class of 2018, we can’t believe your college graduation is almost here! If you need help brushing up your résumé, writing cover letters, preparing for job interviews, or completing grad school applications, please know that you can still reach out to me for help!

SENIORS: 

  • Don’t forget to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible! – Every senior seeking to enroll in college, trade school, or a CTE program should complete the FAFSA if eligible. Completing the FAFSA can potentially qualify students for up to $6,495 via the Pell Grant, as well as additional funding in state or institutional aid. Even if the student is not eligible for the Pell Grant, he or she may still be eligible to receive thousands in state or institutional aid. Every family should complete the FAFSA to see what they might qualify for! The FAFSA is an application that students have to renew every year that they are enrolled in college.

JUNIORS & SOPHOMORES: 

  • Rising ACHS Juniors and Seniors (current Juniors and Sophomores) who are interested in attending Virginia Tech should consider Virginia Tech’s Black College Institute. This is a FREE program that takes place virtually from June 12-17 for rising juniors. The program is also free for rising seniors, but the program dates and details have not yet been announced. The program is designed to attract underrepresented or first-generation students but is open to any student with an interest in Virginia Tech. Applications for 2022 are being taken RIGHT NOW, so please take the time to check out the details. The deadline to apply is April 1. 
  • Rising ACHS Juniors and Seniors (current Juniors and Sophomores) who are interested in attending University of Virginia should consider UVA Advance. This is a four-week summer program that takes place at the University of Virginia where students will get the opportunity to experience college life at UVA. Students will take two undergraduate courses- one is the generic course that all UVA Advance students will take and the other is an elective of the student’s choice. Students will also be able to attend a series of academic prep workshops. Limited, need-based scholarships are available. The deadline to apply is March 15.

Below is a list of upcoming scholarships. Local scholarships are indicated by pink text. 

Some priority financial aid deadlines have already passed- submit the FAFSA ASAP to maximize the financial aid you will receive!  

February

  1. AEF Scholarship – February 4, 2022 – $20,000 scholarship is open to immigrant students and children of immigrants who are graduating from a New York City high school, regardless of ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status.
  2. BMI Student Composer Awards – February 4, 2022 – $5,000 award is open to citizens of a country in the Western Hemisphere who is engaged in the study of music with a recognized and established teacher (other than a relative). Applicant must be 27 years of age or younger as of the submission deadline. Applicant must submit one composition.
  3. BMI Student Composer Award – February 4, 2022 – $500 – $5,000 scholarships available to composers under the age of 27 engaged in the study of classical music with a recognized and established teacher. To apply, applicants must submit an original music competition that has not been published (unless self-published), or recorded commercially. The composer must be the sole composer of the original work submitted, must have the full right and authority to enter the composition, and should not have previously received an award or prize for the composition.
  4. AMS Freshman Undergraduate Scholarship – February 4, 2022 – $5,000 scholarships awarded $2,500 for each year (freshman and sophomore years). Open to high school students with a 3.0+ GPA who will be freshmen in the Fall of 2022 pursuing a career in the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences (not including marine biology). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or hold permanent resident status. The Society encourages applications from women, minorities, and disabled students, traditionally underrepresented in the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences.
  5. AMS Minority Scholarship – February 4, 2022 – $6,000 scholarship awarded $3,000 for each year (freshman and sophomore years). Open to students who will be freshmen in the Fall of 2022 pursuing a career in the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Applicants must have a minimum of GPA of 3.0 of 4.0 scale.
  6. The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (Various Scholarships) – February 7, 2022 – Scholarships of varying amounts and criteria. Most of which are available to graduating high school seniors but also open to high school graduates, GED holders, and college students. Applicants must reside in the Northern Virginia region. Listed below are links to the CFNV Scholarships with February 7th deadlines:
  1. McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship – February 7, 2022 – Open to high school seniors with 2.8+ GPA who have at least one parent of Hispanic heritage. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents who are younger than 21 years old.
  2. Davidson Fellows Scholarship Fund – February 9, 2022 – $10,000 – $50,000 scholarships awarded to extraordinary young people under the age of 18 by the deadline working on high-level projects in the STEM and Humanities fields. The Davidson Institute is looking for students whose projects are at, or close to, the college graduate level with a depth of knowledge in their particular area of study. Applicants can submit the application individually or as a part of a team of two. Applicants must choose a category and refer to the specific requirements for the selected category. Categories include science, technology, engineering, math, literature, music, philosophy, and outside the box. Projects in the arts including but not limited to photography, sculpture, and film are not eligible for consideration.
  3. ATSS Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship – February 15, 2022 – Scholarships worth up to $10,000 for dependents (children and spouses) of workers killed or permanently disabled in roadway work zones. Parents with custody of legal guardianship of surviving children are also eligible. The scholarship must be applied to a post-secondary institution (including vocational programs and training institutions) that requires a high school diploma or GED for admission.
  4. Hispanic Scholarship Fund – February 15, 2022 – $500 – 5,000 scholarships open to Hispanic high school seniors with a 3.0+ GPA and current college/graduate students with a 2.5+ GPA of Hispanic heritage. Open to U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, eligible non-citizens, and DACA students. Applicants must plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public or not-for-profit, four-year university, or graduate school, in the US, for the 2022-2023 academic year.
  5. FormSwift Scholarship Program – February 15, 2022 – $1,000 scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and current college students. Applicant must create a business plan infographic for one of the given industries provided.
  6. Virginia State Scholarship Fund – February 15, 2022 – $1,500 – $2,500 scholarships open to young women who will be incoming college freshman in the fall of 2022 or current college students. Applicants should have financial need and must have a 3.0+ GPA. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, in addition to being a Virginia resident who will be attending an accredited Virginia institution of higher education as a full-time undergraduate student.
  7. 2022 FOSSI (The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative) Scholarship – February 15, 2022 – $10,000 renewable scholarships available to exceptional high school seniors pursuing studies in a pertinent chemical and engineering industry STEM field at an HBCU. Applicants must possess a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and be entering their freshman year of college. Applicants must be US citizens or legal US permanent residents with demonstrated financial need.
  8. HBCU Week X NFL Scholarship – February 15, 2022 – Scholarships for students planning to attend an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) as a freshman in college in the 2022-23 school year. Students must have a minimum, unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.
  9. VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation – February 16, 2022 – $1,500 – $7,000 scholarships (some of which are renewable available to high school seniors with an interest in golf. The Foundation intends to award up to 25% of its scholarships to VSGA employees or children of VSGA employees, but applicants are not required to hold this affiliation. Applicants are required to provide a letter of recommendation from a VSGA representative.
  10. Animal Welfare Institute Scholarship – February 16, 2022 – $2,000 scholarships available to high school seniors with a demonstrated commitment to animal welfare. Applicants will be asked to provide four essays and two letters of recommendation (one of which should come from a reference who is able to verify your involvement in advocating for or working with animals).
  11. Scholarships for Military Children Program – February 17, 2022 at 11:59 PST – $2,000 scholarships available to students under the age of 23 whose parents are serving in or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard. Open to high school and college students who will be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor’s degree or a community or junior college designed to allow for direct transfer into a four-year program. High school applicants must have a 3.0+ GPA, and college applicants must have a 2.5+ GPA.
  12. Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship – February 17, 2022 at 11:59 PST – $5,000 maximum scholarships available to dependent unmarried children under the age of 23 of active-duty personnel, Reserve/Guard, and retired military members. Applicants must be the child of a parent who has died or become disabled through their active military service on or after September 11th, 2001. (More detailed criteria specifications in regards to service and disability can be found here.) Open to high school and college students who will be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor’s degree or a community or junior college designed to allow for direct transfer into a four-year program. High school applicants must have a 3.0+ GPA, and college applicants must have a 2.5+ GPA.
  13. City of Fairfax Young Artist Scholarship – February 18, 2022 – $2,000 cash award for a high school junior or senior enrolled in a northern Virginia high school band or orchestra (or homeschooled students who are active and regular participants in a community or youth performing ensemble). Applicant must play a standard band woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument. Applicants are required to submit an audiotape or CD with a prepared selection of readily available in band accompanied form. If selected as a finalist, the applicant must be willing to participate in a competition recital. If ultimately selected as a winner, the applicant must be willing to perform with the City of Fairfax Band.
  14. Dream US National Scholarship – February 28, 2022 at 11:59 PST – Renewable scholarships worth up to $16,500 towards an Associate’s Degree and up to $33,000 towards a Bachelor’s Degree.  Recipients may also be eligible for an additional stipend of up to $4,000 annually for books, supplies, and transportation. Scholarship for DACA and TPS high school and college students applying to a Dream US partner college (NOVA, Marymount, or GMU).

March

  1. American Chemistry Society – March 1, 2022 – $2,500 renewable scholarships for underrepresented minority students who want to enter chemistry-related fields; open to current high school seniors as well as college students.
  2. Akerson Family Foundation Scholarship – March 1, 2022 – $40,000/Renewable 4 year scholarship open to ACPS seniors who have at least a 3.3 GPA, EFC of no more than $8,000, and must be a first generation college student. Applicant must be FAFSA eligible.
  3. National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. – March 1, 2022  – $3,000+ scholarship open to full time students currently studying, or who wish to study horticulture, conservation, biology, landscape design, environmental concerns, and more. Applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
  4. Air Force Officers’ Spouses’ Club Scholarship – March 4, 2022 – Merit-based scholarships for eligible US Air Force dependent children who are either graduating high school seniors with a 3.25+ GPA or are current college students with a 3.0+ GPA.
  5. Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Scholarship – March 15, 2022  – $2,500 nonrenewable scholarship awarded to seniors of the Northern Virginia Region who have shown leadership in their schools and communities. Applicants must have a 2.5+ GPA and must plan to attend a HBCU.
  6. Apple Federal Credit Union – March 15, 2022 – $3,000 scholarship awarded to a senior with a 2.5+ GPA who banks through the Apple Federal Credit Union.
  7. Jewel College Scholarship – March 4, 2022 – $2,000 scholarship available to graduating high school seniors residing in the greater Washington D.C. area who plan to enroll in college for the Fall 2021 year.
  8. Educational Opportunities for Alexandrians – March 5, 2022 – scholarship award amount varies; granted to a graduate or graduating senior of ACPS with a 2.5+ GPA who will be attending Northern Virginia Community College. Applicant must be born outside of the US and/or be ineligible to apply for federally funded scholarships. Must also demonstrate financial need.
  9. Granville P. Meade Scholarship – March 7, 2022 – $2,000 scholarship awarded to a high achieving graduating senior that demonstrates financial need.
  10. Religious Liberty Essay Contest – March 14, 2022 – $2,000 essay contest open to high school juniors and seniors answering the following prompt: “Using the First Amendment and RLUIPA, discuss whether prisoners should have the right to have a religious adviser present in the execution chamber and what, if any, final religious practices a prisoner should be able to request.”
  11. Estelle Gaymon Memorial Scholarship – March 15, 2022 – $5,000 renewable scholarship awarded to a graduating senior in Northern Virginia who has a 2.5+ GPA. Applicant must show demonstrated leadership ability and must plan to attend an accredited college.
  12. Kozy Kerchief & Kozy Kap Scholarship – March 15, 2022 – award amounts vary. Applicant must be directly impacted by cancer, either by illness of applying student or their parent(s). Scholarships are granted to students who live in Northern Virginia who have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership ability in the school or university.
  13. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship – March 15, 2022  – $5,000 non-renewable scholarship for the graduating class of 2022 who have a 3.75+ GPA on a 4.0 scale. Must also show demonstrated leadership ability in the school and community and provide evidence of participation in STEM activities.
  14. CommonWealth One Kathryn Coleman Scholarships – March 31, 2022 – Two $2,500 scholarships open to current college students and high school seniors who are members of CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union.
  15. Foster Care 2 Success – March 31, 2022 – $2,500 – $5,000 renewable scholarship open to students who have been in public or private foster care for the 12 consecutive months leading up to and including their 18th birthday; OR have been adopted or placed into legal guardianship after their 16th birthday; OR have been orphaned for at least one year at the time of their 18th birthday and not subsequently adopted.
  16. Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship – March 31, 2022 – Scholarship for high school seniors and current college students planning a career in the automotive industry.
  17. Davis Putter Scholarship – March 31, 2022 – $15,000 scholarship open to high school seniors and current college students who actively participate in struggles for civil rights, economic justice, international solidarity or other progressive issues (including undocumented or DACA students).
  18. Leslie A. Ebert Legacy of Life Scholarship – March 31, 2022 – $1,000-$5,000 scholarship where the applicant will write an essay or create a video encouraging the audience to become an organ donor.
  19. Actuarial Diversity Scholarship – March 31, 2022 – $1,000-$4,000. Applicants must have at least one parent who is a member of one of the following minority groups: Black/African American, Hispanic, Native North American, Pacific Islander. Applicant must also have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and intend to pursue a career in the actuarial profession.

Additional Scholarship Sources

  • Scholarship America: Scholarship application site where nearly 100 scholarships are listed
  • United Negro College Fund: Various scholarships available for college-bound African-American students
  • Naviance:Listing of local, state, national, and college-specific scholarships maintained by the ACHS College and Career Center
    • Students will login to Naviance using their ACPS Clever login, select “Colleges” at the top of the screen, then click on “Scholarship Search.”
    • Scholarship Sharing: Virginia-based scholarship search engine

As usual, please feel free to contact SFA with any questions. Please feel free to make an appointment using this link to discuss any of the topics below.

  • Scholarships and financial aid
  • Analyzing financial aid award letters
  • Writing college and scholarship essays
  • Building a résumé
  • Financial aid options for undocumented students

Best,


Ms. Kenney

Shalita Kenney

College Adviser

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria

3330 King Street

Alexandria, VA 22302

703-824-6873

www.alexscholarshipfund.org

@alexscholarship