Each year, up to 20 students throughout Siskiyou County, California are selected to receive a Ford Scholars award. The scholarship is not a set amount, but is calculated to cover 90% ($1,000 minimum/$25,000 maximum per academic year) of each student’s college costs that are not covered by other resources (such as grants and scholarships), their expected family contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and a $1,000 Ford Scholars work expectation. The scholarship can be renewed annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Applicants must be residents of Siskiyou County, California as well as U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. There are two types of eligible applicants: 1) students with a high school diploma or GED, or about to complete high school, and have not attended college full-time 2) students who have completed or will be completing two years at an accredited public or private two-year college, and will be entering their junior year at a four-year college in California in the fall of the application year.
Applicants must plan to earn a bachelor’s degree and to enroll full time in the fall of the application year at a public or private, accredited, Title IV non-profit California college. Students with existing bachelor’s degrees are not eligible to be recipients of Ford Family Scholarships.
Graduate school funding may be an option for continuing Ford Scholars who successfully complete their bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.6 cumulative grade point average (GPA) from their degree-granting institution. For further eligibility requirements, contact the Foundation Scholarship Office.
Below are additional selection criteria for the Ford Scholars Program. The applicant must demonstrate:
- Financial need as calculated by information presented on the FAFSA and by the judgment of the school(s) to which the student applies. The FAFSA must be submitted online after January 1 and no later than March 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- Leadership skills and leadership roles in school and community activities.
- A concern for others and a contribution of time and energy to volunteer projects and/or service organizations.
- A contribution to personal success through paid work experience.
- An ability to think clearly about personal strengths and goals and to present ideas clearly and concisely in both the essays and the required individual interview with a Foundation selection committee.
- An ability to succeed in college as demonstrated by satisfactory SAT or ACT scores or a high school or college GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA can submit a Ford Scholarship Program Special Recommendation form to verify academic potential. Forms are available on the website: www.getcollegefunds.org/ford_siskiyou.html.
Apply online for the Ford Scholars Program by visiting www.getcollegefunds.org/ford_siskiyou.html. The online application is available after December 1 of each year. The Siskiyou County, California Scholarship eApp Workbook is available in the fall of each year and can be used as a paper application.
Consult the website or contact the Foundation Scholarship Office for application materials and additional information about financial aid and scholarships in Siskiyou County, California.
Don’t forget that in order to qualify for need-based scholarships, applicants must submit a FAFSA before March 1 to be certain it is available in time for the Ford Family Scholarship review. Submit online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
All online applications must be submitted by March 1. All application materials (application, essays, transcripts and special forms) must be received by March 1. All applications are reviewed and the most qualified applicants are invited to individual interviews in mid-May. Applicant interviews are conducted from Weed, California.
The Ford Family Foundation Scholarship Office
440 East Broadway, Suite 200
Eugene, OR 97401
Toll free: (877) 864-2872
Local: (541) 485-6211
E-mail: fordscholarships@tfff.org
Fax: (541) 485-6223