The St. Louis Community Foundation Investing for the Future Scholarship

The St. Louis Community Foundation Investing for the Future scholarship provides a renewable $1,000 scholarship award to students with financial need who understand the connection between success and the goals they set and the choices they make and can demonstrate the drive and ambition necessary to succeed in achieving a postsecondary degree or certificate. This scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors or recent GED/HiSET recipients who are planning to continue their education at a two-year or four-year college or university or a trade/technical school.

Established to help ensure more low-income and first-generation students have the support they need to complete postsecondary education, the Investing for the Future Scholarship Fund enables members of the community to provide financial aid through a community-funded scholarship.

Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for the Investing for the Future scholarship, a student must:

  • Be a senior graduating from a St. Louis area high school or a student who recently attained their GED/HiSET. The area is defined as the Missouri counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, Franklin, Jefferson, and the City of St. Louis, and the Illinois counties of St. Clair, Madison, Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Monroe, and Macoupin.
  • Demonstrate unmet financial need at a nonprofit, regionally accredited, two or four-year college/university or trade/technical school in the United States.

Selection
Students awarded the St. Louis Community Foundation Investing for the Future scholarship will demonstrate:

  • drive and ambition to persist to degree/certificate completion
  • unmet financial need

Students will be evaluated on

  • top quality essay
  • strong recommendations
  • financial need

Preference may be given to students who are in the first generation of their family to attend college full-time.

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

At least one award will be made to a student attending the University of Missouri (Columbia, Kansas City, or St. Louis) from the John D. Perry Fund.

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 sent to recipients’ schools in August.

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.

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.

Award
$1,000 renewable
Deadline
04/01/2023
Supplemental Questions
  1. 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.
  2. UPLOAD: If you passed the Hi-SET or have your GED, please upload a copy of your Hi-SET or GED scores. If you graduated from the Excel Center, please upload your transcript or diploma.
  3. Briefly describe your volunteer involvement or community service work. Concentrate on those most important to you and tell us if you plan to continue your involvement during college.
  4. Briefly describe your work experience including company name, dates of employment, hours worked per week, position and responsibilities.
  5. ESSAY: Tell us about your gifts and talents and how education will help you further develop those gifts and talents. How will you use your gifts and talents to make a difference in your career? This essay is your opportunity to tell the scholarship application review committee about yourself. (500 words or less)
  6. Upload your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) for next year.
  7. Enter your EFC that is on your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR).
  8. 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.
  9. What school issued the award letter that you uploaded?
  10. Upload documentation from the school you plan to attend that shows your total cost of attendance.
  11. Where will you live during the academic year for which you are applying?
  12. Do any of your parents (or legal guardians) have an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree?
  13. List the names of any siblings, their age(s), and what school(s) they are attending (if any)
  14. 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 Student Aid Report.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
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