Everyone deserves an opportunity to receive a high-quality education, but unfortunately, socioeconomic status is a common barrier limiting the educational opportunities of students across the country.
Only 14% of low-income students receive a bachelor’s degree within 8 years of graduating from high school. This is staggeringly low.
While a college education can be a great way for low-income students to escape the cycle of poverty, many of these students do not take this path. They often face difficult choices – Do I get a job and support my family, or do I take out large loans and further my education? These are tough choices to make at a young age.
As one small way to make higher education more accessible to low-income students, the WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship will be awarded to five students in any field of study who have an exemplary academic record, but are in need of financial assistance to pursue their dreams in higher education.
To apply, please write about your greatest achievement, what it taught you about yourself, and what you hope to achieve in the future.
What do you think is your greatest achievement to date? What did that experience teach you about yourself? What you hope to achieve in the future?
The application deadline is Jul 1, 2021. Winners will be announced on Aug 1, 2021.
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The scholarship award is $5,000.
The winner will be publicly announced on Aug 1, 2021. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
We will send the award check to the financial aid office of the winner’s academic institution or future academic institution in their name, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school’s requirements). If the student's academic institution does not have a financial aid office, the student will receive the funding directly.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to verify their academic enrollment status by providing a copy of their most recent transcript.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.