The Ford Scholars Program is open to 1) graduating high school seniors, and 2) continuing community college students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree and are ready to transfer to a four-year college.

The Ford Scholars Program was created by Kenneth W. Ford (1908-1997), the founder of The Ford Family Foundation, to assist students who otherwise would have found it impossible, or at least very difficult, to obtain a college degree without financial assistance. He established The Ford Family Foundation to help with a number of worthy causes, but the Ford Scholars Program was always one of his favorite projects.

Program and Scholarship Details
Each year, up to 20 new Ford Scholars are selected from Siskiyou County. The scholarship is not a set amount, but is calculated to cover 90% of each student's college costs that are not covered by other grants and scholarships, the expected family contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, 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 U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and residents of Siskiyou County, California. 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; or 2) students who have completed or will be completing two years at an accredited public or private two-year college, and will be entering junior year at a four-year college in the fall of the application year. Students selected from Siskiyou County must attend accredited, Title IV non-profit schools in California. The only exception is for students who qualify for the reciprocal tuition agreement between College of the Siskiyous and Southern Oregon University or Oregon Institute of Technology. Applicants must be planning to earn a bachelor's degree and enroll full-time for fall term of the application year.
Students with existing bachelor's degrees are not eligible for Ford Family Scholarships.

Ford Scholar Graduate Study
Ford Scholar recipients who successfully complete their bachelor's degrees with at least a 3.6 grade point average from their graduating institutions can apply for up to two years of graduate-level funding at 80% of unmet need. Graduate funding is awarded at the discretion of the Foundation.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need as calculated by information presented on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and by the judgment of the school(s) to which the student applies. Submit online as soon after January 1 as possible and no later than March 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Applicants must also demonstrate:

1. Leadership skills and leadership roles in school and community activities.
2. Concern for others and involvement in volunteer projects and/or service organizations.
3. Evidence of contributing to their own success through paid work experience.
4. Ability to think clearly about personal strengths and goals and present ideas clearly and concisely in both the essays and the required personal interview with a Foundation selection committee.
5. Ability to succeed in college as demonstrated by satisfactory SAT or ACT scores and a 3.0 high school or community college GPA. (Students with less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA will be considered if their applications are accompanied by a Ford Scholars Program Special Recommendation Form to verify academic promise.)

Complete The Ford Family Scholarship Programs Siskiyou County Application, available each December at Siskiyou County high school counseling offices, the College of the Siskiyous financial aid office, or from the Foundation Scholarship Office.

Don't forget: In order to qualify for need-based scholarships, applicants must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as soon after January 1 as possible and no later than March 1 to be certain it is available for Ford Family Scholarship review. Submit it online at the FAFSA website http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Deadline: March 1
All applications, essays, transcripts and special forms mailed to the Foundation Scholarship Office at the address below must be postmarked no later than March 1.

All applications are reviewed and the most qualifed applicants are invited to individual interviews in mid-May. Interviews of applicants are usually conducted at College of the Siskiyous.