Anne Sullivan Bezdek Legacy Scholarship

The Anne Sullivan Bezdek Legacy scholarship was established by Anne’s family to honor and memorialize Anne, who was a lifelong learner, scholar, and teacher. Scholarships will be awarded to female students who are currently in the foster care system, were adopted out of foster care after the age of 14, or have aged out of foster care.

Eligibility
To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • identify as female
  • be currently in foster care, have been adopted out of foster care after the age of 14, or have aged out of foster care.
  • plan to enroll full-time at an accredited, nonprofit, trade/technical school, two-year college, or four-year college or university in the United States.
  • be a resident of Missouri or the Illinois counties that comprise the St. Louis metropolitan area (St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin)
  • demonstrate unmet financial need.

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

Selection
Selection will be based on the student’s academic and career goals and what they have done to prepare themselves to achieve those goals, contributions to the communities in which they live, the quality of the essay and letter(s) of recommendation, the student’s academic record, and consideration of financial and unusual circumstances.

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.

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.

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, physical or mental disability.

Donor
Anne Sullivan Bezdek
Award
$5,000, renewable
Deadline
04/15/2025
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. This scholarship is for students who are currently in foster care, were adopted from foster care after age 14, or have aged out of foster care. Please check all that apply:
  4. List any extracurricular school activities or family responsibilities, 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. List any volunteer/community activities, including the activity, the time involved, dates of involvement, and position(s) held:
  7. ESSAY: Tell us about your gifts, talents, and strengths. How will these gifts, talents, and strengths help as you pursue your degree? (500 words or less)
  8. Why did you choose your field of study and what are your plans when you complete your degree? Share your goals and vision for your career. (200 words or less)
  9. Upload your FAFSA Submission Summary for next year.
  10. Enter your Student Aid Index that is on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
  11. 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.
  12. What school issued the award letter that you uploaded?
  13. Upload documentation from the school you plan to attend that shows your total cost of attendance.
  14. Where will you live during the academic year for which you are applying?
  15. Within the pool of qualified applicants, all other factors being equal, preference will be given to students who identify as women or as members of the LGBTQIA community. Do you identify as female or as a member of the LGBTQIA community?
  16. 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.
  17. If you are currently in foster care, were adopted from foster care after age 14, or have aged out of foster care, please upload a letter from you case worker/social worker that cofirms your status.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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 Summary 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?
  21. 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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