William C. and Bertha Black Rhoda Scholarship

To honor graduates of Vashon High School, the William C. and Bertha Black Rhoda Scholarship Fund was established in 1994 from the estate of William Clarence Rhoda in memory of his wife, Bertha Black Rhoda. In his will, William Rhoda indicated that the scholarships were to be used for the “higher education of negro men and women who reside in the St. Louis Metropolitan area who would otherwise be unable to obtain the benefit of such education in colleges and professional schools located in the United States…graduates of Vashon High School shall receive special consideration for scholarships. In selecting scholars, the St. Louis Community Foundation shall consider the character and ambition of such negro applicants who need not necessarily be in the upper third of their class scholastically.”

The amount of this scholarship varies from year to year and is renewable if the student remains enrolled full-time and makes satisfactory progress toward a degree.

Eligibility:
Students must be

  1. residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area
  2. Black or African American
  3. graduating senior in high school
  4. able to demonstrate unmet financial need while enrolled full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university
    Graduates of Vashon High School will be given special consideration.

Selection
Applications will be evaluated based on:

  • character and ambition as demonstrated on the application and from letters of recommendation
  • academic preparation as demonstrated on the cumulative high school transcript
  • unmet financial need at the college in which the student enrolls.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please answer all questions that apply to you, even if they are not marked “required."

Renewal
Recipients may reapply for award consideration for a maximum of four years of undergraduate funding provided they continue to make satisfactory progress toward a degree and continue to meet the eligibility criteria. Please note that because the award amounts are based on available funding and financial need that can change from year to year, the amount of this scholarship award may change if a recipient applies for renewal awards in years to come.

Notification
Application status will be changed from submitted to either offered or denied in June. Applicants can view their status by logging in to their Scholarship Central account. Funds will be mailed to the recipients’ schools in August.

Questions? Contact Ellen Vietor, Scholarship Manager at the St. Louis Community Foundation at scholarships@stlgives.org or 314-880-4960.

Eligibility, financial need, and award amount for this scholarship program will be determined by the St. Louis Community Foundation. This scholarship program, as a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation, does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, gender, age, color, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Donor
William C. and Bertha Black Rhoda
Award
$2,000, renewable
Deadline
04/15/2024
Supplemental Questions
  1. Before you begin this application, please take a minute to read through the scholarship details. This will allow you to see all the eligibility requirements. Click on the scholarship name that is underlined and in blue ink in the upper left-hand corner to see the details. Check here to indicate you have reviewed the eligibility criteria.
  2. To be considered for this scholarship, your Scholarship Central General Application MUST include your FALL transcript for the current academic year. The transcript should show your name, school, grades, and cumulative GPA. If you previously uploaded an earlier transcript, please upload a new transcript to your General Application and change your answer to the GPA question. If your college choice has changed, please update that on the General Application as well.
  3. List any extracurricular school activities or family responsibilities, including the activity, the time involved, dates of involvement, and position(s) held:
  4. List any volunteer/community activities, including the activity, the time involved, dates of involvement, and position(s) held:
  5. List any work experience, including company name, dates of employment, hours worked per week, and position(s) held:
  6. ESSAY: Write an essay that explains why you chose this field of study and what your plans are when you complete your degree. Share your goals and vision for your career in this field.
  7. Upload your FAFSA Submission Summary for next year.
  8. Enter your Student Aid Index that is on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
  9. UPLOAD: Please upload next year's Financial Aid Award Letter from the college you will attend. This document will be required before an award can be determined and should include: college name, applicant name, loans, grants and scholarships offered.
  10. What school issued the award letter that you uploaded?
  11. Upload documentation from the school you plan to attend that shows your total cost of attendance.
  12. List any financial awards you have been notified about for the period for which you are requesting funding. These may include veteran's benefits, tuition waivers, WIA benefits, employee reimbursement, as well as other institutional/grant aid.
    • 1. Name
    • 2. Amount
    • 3. Renewable
  13. List the names of any siblings, their age(s), and what school(s) they are attending (if any).
  14. Where will you live during the academic year for which you are applying?
  15. If you wish to inform the reviewers of any unusual financial circumstances, including costs associated with your education or educational loans already incurred for or by you, please provide here. Please note that tax forms, W-2s or other documentation may be requested to verify information on the FAFSA Submission Summary.
  16. SCHOLARSHIP CENTRAL RECOMMENDATION: Enter the name and e-mail address of an instructor, counselor, advisor, supervisor or other similarly qualified individual who will submit a recommendation on your behalf. NOTE: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform that person to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.
  17. SCHOLARSHIP CENTRAL SECOND RECOMMENDATION: Enter the name and e-mail address of an instructor, counselor, advisor, supervisor or other similarly qualified individual who will submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. NOTE: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform that person to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.
  18. SIGNATURE: By entering my full name below, I certify that the information I have provided is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and I authorize the St. Louis Community Foundation and its agents to examine, verify and discuss my academic records and other information that applies to the consideration of this application. My signature also signifies that, if awarded, I understand that it is my responsibility to inform the St. Louis Community Foundation of any changes to my college plans and that I understand that some portion of scholarship awards I receive from any source may be considered taxable income if the total amount exceeds the cost of tuition and course related fees, supplies and equipment.
  19. Before you submit your application, be sure that the following items have been completed:
    • 1. Did you upload a copy of your FALL transcript that includes your name, school, grades, hours, and cumulative GPA to the My Scholarship Central General Application?
    • 2. Please make sure we can read the document you uploaded for the question that asks for your FAFSA Submission Report and that you included all the pages in the report. Click “view” under the box that shows the uploaded file to check the document you provided.
    • 3. Did you upload the Financial Aid Award Letter from the college you plan to attend that includes your college name, your name, loans, grants, and scholarships offered?
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