Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program

We have some exciting news! To support students earlier in their educational journey, we’re thrilled to announce that students starting college (four year, community college, or trade school) for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year (not including dual-enrollment courses) can apply for our scholarship starting now through June 1st, 2024. This applies to high school juniors or high school seniors planning to take a gap year.

Students beginning college in 2024 would have applied for our program in 2023 and are not eligible for the current application cycle.

Our program is one of the nation’s only national scholarship programs specifically serving youth that have experienced homelessness. The goal of our program is to provide financial assistance and staff and peer support to ensure that you are successful in getting to and through higher education and into the workforce.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

January 4, 2024: Application Opens June 1, 2024: Application Closes

First Week of August, 2024: Applicants Notified

Know someone who will benefit from this scholarship? Let them know!

4 SchoolHouse Connection Scholarship Application

Due by 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time) on June 1, 2024. Please provide the requested information and note that there are three required documents: a transcript, essay, and at least one letter of recommendation. Students who have not reached their 20th birthday by June 1, 2024 and who are entering college for the first time in 2025 may apply (Students who have college credit through high school programs are eligible). Applicants may be high school seniors, students enrolled in a GED or other alternative education programs, or recent high school graduates/GED recipients that will begin college in 2025. Undocumented students who meet these criteria are eligible.]

You are Eligible if:

• You are currently residing in the United States. Note: undocumented applicants are eligible.
• You were born on or after June 1, 2004
• You will be starting college (four year, community college, or trade school) for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year (not including dual-enrollment courses). This applies to high school juniors or high school seniors planning to take a gap year.
• You experienced homelessness in the last six years

NOTE: Students beginning college in 2024 would have applied for our program in 2023 and are not eligible for the current application cycle.

How We Define Homelessness:

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

This specifically includes individuals whose living situations fall into one of the categories below:

• Temporarily Staying with Other People (Couch-Surfing/Doubled-Up)
• Staying in Emergency or Transitional Shelters
• Staying in Motels, Campgrounds, Cars, Parks, Abandoned Buildings, Bus or Train Stations, or any Public or Private Place not Designed for Humans to Live in
• Staying in Substandard Housing

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)
  • Your experience of homelessness and how it relates to your life and education.
  • Your commitment to education during your experience of homelessness.
  • Your desire to attend 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 here.

Scholarship Essay

Please upload an essay (1,000 words max) 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?
• Essay should be in a word or pdf format.

PLEASE NOTE: If your essay does not answer the three questions above, we will be unable to consider you for our scholarship program.

Letters of Recommendation

You will need to provide at least one and a maximum of three letters of recommendation from someone in your life, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, mentor, coach, etc.