Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program

Our program is the nation’s only national scholarship program specifically providing youth that have experienced homelessness with comprehensive support to and through higher education and into the workforce.

Three All-Expenses-Paid Trips

Awards Ceremony Celebration

Meet SchoolHouse Connection staff and your fellow scholars for a 5-day fun-filled trip to celebrate your award during the spring semester of your first year in the program.

Washington, DC Summit

Join staff and your fellow scholars one year after receiving your award for a 5 day trip of advocacy opportunities and fun activities around the nation’s capital.

Wellness & Workforce Success Retreat

Join staff and your fellow scholars between your third and fourth year of the program for a trip focused on post-graduation wellness and workforce success.

You are eligible to apply if you meet all of the following criteria:

You currently reside in the United States. (Undocumented applicants are eligible).

You were born on or after June 2, 2005.

You will be starting college (four-year, community college, or trade school) for the first time in the 2026-2027 academic year (this does not include dual-enrollment courses).

This includes high school juniors, high school seniors planning to take a gap year, or students earning a GED who plan to start college in 2026-2027.

Our program begins working with students one year before they begin college to provide more intensive college readiness support.

You have experienced homelessness within the last six years.

How We Define Homelessness

Homelessness is defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

How to Apply

Application Components

Application Components

• Eligibility, Demographic, and Education Questions
• Full High School Transcript (Unofficial or Official)
• Essay (1,000 words maximum that answers all three of the topics below)
• Describe your experience of homelessness and how it impacted your education
• Why is going to college important to you and what are you interested in studying?
• What types of support do you need in order to be successful in college?
• Letter of Recommendation (at least one and a maximum of three)
• You can upload letters of recommendation when you submit your application or letters of recommendation can be submitted online.

Application Tips

Demographic Info: We’ll call the phone number you provide if you’re selected as an awardee. If we can’t reach you by phone, we’ll email you. If we’re still unable to get in touch, we’ll reach out to the point of contact you listed in your application. Please make sure your phone and email are reliable, and if anything changes, just email Jordyn@SchoolHouseConnection.org to update us.

Essay: Be sure to answer all three essay questions to be considered for our scholarship program.

Transcript:  Your transcript should show your full name, date of birth, and all available high school grades. An unofficial transcript is perfectly fine! We recommend asking your school counselor for an unofficial transcript. If you have trouble accessing it, please email Jordyn@SchoolHouseConnection.org before the deadline, and we’ll do our best to help.

Letter of Recommendation:  You can upload letters directly, or send a link to the person writing the letter. If you choose to send a link, be sure to follow up with them to make sure the letter is submitted before the deadline. The link to submit letters of recommendation can be found here.