Paying For College
Scholarships = free money! There are several scholarships to choose from: local, state, or nationwide scholarships. It is important to ensure that you are applying for all the scholarships available to you. Scholarships are a great way to pay for your turion or tuition related expenses. Books, technology, and even doing laundry on campus can get expensive. You should never pay for scholarship opportunities, be careful that you are not being scammed.
To learn more about scholarships and get access to scholarship opportunities, download this guide You Need to Know About Scholarships. Guide provided by DecidED
Applying To College
When choosing what college to attend, one of the most important components to consider is the campus’s diversity. Not only in terms of race or ethnicity of the student population but also considering how diverse the campus is in terms of cultural background, geographic location, sexual orientations, gender identities, and abilities. These components tend to get overlooked because we are caught up in the beauty of the campus or its reputation.
Diversity is crucial. You must be able to relate to your peers and feel comfortable knowing that your values align with the campus you will earn your degree in.
To learn more about why and how to consider diversity when comparing schools, download this guide Diversity. Guide provided by DecidED
Paying For College
Has your financial aid been impacted due to the challenges that COVID-19 has presented? Same here! Paying for our education is a challenge. Especially when it comes to navigating scholarships and loans. If your financial aid has been impacted and you are finding ways to pay for your education, check out these 5 scholarships below! Good Luck!
5 Scholarships for Undocumented Students
- Women in STEM Scholarship
- Deadline: December 31, 2020
- Academic Level: Any
- Eligibility: Female international students who can legally study in the U.S. or Canada (U.S. permanent resident, DACA, or valid student visa). Applicant must be accepted at or enrolled in, a full-time STEM degree program at a U.S. or Canadian school.
- Region: National
- Field of Study: STEM
- To Apply: https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/scholarships/women-in-stem/
- Jackie Kent Cooke Foundation
- Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest
- Deadline: January 21, 2021
- Academic Level: Any
- Eligibility: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the Fall 2020 Semester, non-DACA eligible.
- Region: California
- Field of Study: Any
- To Apply: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/prize-ethics/contest/
- eQuality Scholarship
- Deadline: January 31, 2021
- Academic Level: High School Senior, Community College Transfers, Medical Students
- Eligibility: Must have demonstrated service to the LGBT+ community. Applicants of all sexual orientations and gender identities are eligible. Eligible for non-DACA students. Check the website for full details.
- Region: California
- Field of Study: Any and Medical
- To Apply: https://www.equalityscholarship.org/apply.html
- California Strawberry Scholarships
- Deadline: February 1, 2021
- Academic Level: Full-time enrollment in a trade school, community college, four-year university, or graduate/professional program during the period for which scholarship is requested.
- Eligibility: First-time applicants must have a parent that is currently employed as a California strawberry fieldworker for the current and prior two harvest seasons. (Applicants may also qualify if they are employed as a California strawberry fieldworker). Maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or greater.
- Region: National
- Field of Study: Any
- To Apply: https://www.calstrawberry.com/en-us/Scholarships
For Spanish Translation, click here.
Applying To College
By
MONICA AGUILERA
Boba-drinking, Zelda-playing, Horror-watching brown girl from Oaxacalifornia.
Welcome to Community College! Community college is a great option for students who are looking to save money, want to explore different career options, hoping to raise their GPA to transfer, etc. In addition, community colleges offer affordable summer and winter courses that can help you speed up your GE requirements if you already attend a UC or CSU! In California, there are over 116 community colleges you can apply to.
According to the CCC Chancellor’s office:
- Nearly half of students earning a bachelor’s degree from a University of California campus in science, technology, engineering and mathematics transferred from a California community college.
- Twenty-nine percent of University of California graduates and 51% of California State University graduates started at a community college.
- Students earning a degree or certificate from a California community college nearly double their earnings within three years.
If these stats are something that you want to be a part of, great, keep following along!
How to Apply
- The first thing you want to do when applying to community college is visit https://www.cccapply.org/en/apply. This helpful source lets you easily go down the list of 116 community colleges in California.
- After selecting the college that interests you the most, (visit our college list if you’re still searching for your just right college), you will be redirected to the college’s personal application.
- While every application is different, a majority of applications will consist of:
- Your Full Name
- Mailing Address
- Social Security (SSN)
- Driver’s License Number
- High School Transcripts
- Latest English and Math Classes Completed
- After the application is finished, you then complete your FAFSA or Dream Act Application and connect the school you are applying to using their school code.
- U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or eligible non-citizens with a valid Social Security number
- California AB540 eligible students
If you need support applying for FAFSA, find our guide here
- After finishing your application, your college will most likely request for you to attend orientation, take a math/ english placement test (if you were not able to send in your high school transcripts), and meet with an academic counselor to plan out your courses.
- Finally, you start registering for classes and wait for the semester to begin. You are now a college student!
Here are some important dates:
FAFSA: Opens October 1st- Closes June 30th, 2020
Class Registration: Varies per Campus (check on their personal website)
Other Important Sites to pay for Community College:
CCC Money
CCC California Promise Grant
Paying For College
By
ANA ANTUNA
LA girl who enjoys films, vegetarian food, and art. USC Alum.
Scholarships are a great way to help pay student tuition. Scholarships are hard to come across, especially when trying to find scholarships tailored for you. Whether you are in high school or college, you should be applying to scholarships because tuition changes and so do our own personal lives. Below are 5 scholarships due this month! Be sure to check the eligibility requirements before you start your application. Best of luck, y’all got this!
5 scholarships due in November
1. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
Due: November 13, 2020
Award: $40,000
Academic Level: College Junior or Senior
Region: National
Field of Study: Any
Eligibility:
- Planning to enroll full-time in a baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university in fall 2021
- Demonstrate financial need
- Students who have attended a 4-year institution in the past are not eligible for this scholarship
- GPA requirement: 3.5
Link: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
2. MPower Global Citizen Scholarship
Due: November 15, 2020
Award: $1,000 – $3,000
Academic Level: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student
Region: National
Field of Study: Any
Eligibility:
- Enrolled or accepted full-time in a degree-granting program at a U.S. or Canadian school that MPOWER supports
- Must be DACA-eligible or authorized to work in the U.S.
Link: MPower Global Citizen Scholarship
3. NSHSS Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award
Due: November 15, 2020
Award: $1,000
Academic Level: High School Junior or Senior
Region: National Field of
Study: Any
Eligibility:
- Demonstrate commitment to expanding the diversity and inclusion initiatives in their school, community or workplace
Link: NSHSS Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award
4. Emery Reddy Scholarship for Legal Studies
Due: November 28, 2020
Award: $2,500
Academic Level: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student
Region: National
Field of Study: Legal Studies and Law
Eligibility:
- Interest in pursuing careers in the legal field
Link: Emery Reddy Scholarship for Legal Studies
5. Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr. Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders
Due: November 30, 2020
Award: $500 – $1,000
Academic Level: High School Senior, College Freshman or Junior
Region: National
Field of Study: Any
Eligibility:
- Enrolled or accepted full-time in an accredited 4-year or 2-year institution in the U.S.
- At least one parent must be of Hispanic ancestry
- Demonstrate financial need
Link: Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr. Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders
Click here for scholarships due in November scroll down to page 70 of the PDF
IMMIGRANTS RISING SCHOLARSHIP & FELLOWSHIP LISTS
Undergraduate Scholarship List: https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/undergraduate-scholarships/
Undergraduate Fellowship List: https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/undergraduate-fellowships/
Graduate Scholarship List: https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/graduate-scholarships/
Fellowship List: https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/graduate-fellowships/
ADDITIONAL DATABASES
Check out these additional databases of scholarships and fellowships available for undocumented young people:
Dreamers Roadmap: www.dreamersroadmap.com/scholarships/
Geneseo Migrant Center: http://migrant.net/scholarships/
MALDEF: https://www.maldef.org/resources/scholarship-resources/
My Undocumented Life: https://mydocumentedlife.org/
Scholarships A-Z: http://www.scholarshipsaz.org/
Silicon Valley Community Foundation: https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/scholarships
The College Expo:https://www.thecollegeexpo.org/resources/scholarships
CAUTION: Scholarship requirements and deadlines often change from year to year. Please double-check all information listed below with the scholarship directly. If you find any errors, please email us at communications@ immigrantsrising.org so we can update the list
Credit: Immigrants Rising
