ScholarCHIPS’ College Scholarship Application

Due to the current state of the economy, federal reductions in nonprofit funding and grants, and the reprioritization of some foundations and funders' funding priorities, ScholarCHIPS CANNOT guarantee scholarship funding for the selected and incoming 2026 cohort; however, if you are still interested in becoming an active member of this incredible, growing national community of children of incarcerated parents who are breaking barriers in pursuing their college education and the careers of their dreams, then you've come to the right place and should still apply.

Selected 2026 cohort members will receive a brand new MacBook laptop, and if circumstances allow, a trip to Washington DC in the Summer for ScholarCHIPS Annual Awards Ceremony, and multiple supports and opportunities such as virtual and in-person professional development, career planning, financial literacy workshops, care packages, bonding and networking opportunities, occasional opportunities to travel for public speaking and to share your story on social media platforms and in local and national media to inspire other youth like you who have incarcerated parents.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The application deadline is March 31, 2026. You are encouraged to apply early if possible.

Please DO NOT RUSH through this application and read everything carefully. Any application that is missing information or is done haphazardly will not be considered.

Reviewers can tell if you rushed through the application. If you rush through an application, in many cases you end up accidentally not answering all of the questions and making grammatical errors. You are encouraged to take a few days to complete this application, especially the essays, and have at least one trusted adult in your life - family member, teacher, counselor, mentor, etc. to proofread your application and essays before you submit.

ScholarCHIPS (For Children of Incarcerated Parents) provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health supports and a robust support network to college-bound graduating high school seniors who have or have had an incarcerated parent/s or primary caregiver. We understand that having an incarcerated loved one can often negatively impact your life. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, identity, or background.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Further, in order to be considered for this program, you must be willing to actively participate in virtual and in-person gatherings and events and share your story in informative and empowering ways by way of video testimonials, interviews, and/or on panels if invited from ScholarCHIPS to do so.

If your email or phone number changes, you are expected to provide your updated contact information to ScholarCHIPS staff.

The eligibility criteria are as follows:

• You must have or have had an incarcerated parent/s or primary caregiver/guardian, so they can be currently incarcerated or formerly incarcerated. The length of incarceration does not impact your eligibility.
• You must have a 2.0 (cumulative) GPA or higher
• You must be a graduating high school senior or currently a college student

Completed applications must be submitted by March 21, 2026. For your application to be considered complete, you must email the following attachments/documents to scholarchipsfund@gmail.com:

• Complete the application and personal background information in full (your information will be kept confidential)

MANDATORY ATTACHMENTS (Send to us via email to scholarchipsfund@gmail.com)

• Email us TWO recommendation letters - 1) one recommendation letter from one of your teachers/professors, counselors, and/or school administrators and 2) a second recommendation letter from a community member, or community service site supervisor, or leader in a place of worship who can speak to your work ethic, leadership, and character. References should NOT be family members. We prefer that the reference letters be signed with the signature of the person who wrote the recommendation letter. Please ask your recommenders to personalize their letters to speak to your unique qualities and characteristics as a student, volunteer, and/or community member and why they believe you will be successful in college and an active part of the ScholarCHIPS community.
• Email us a copy of your resume and/or brag sheet
• Email us a copy of your high school transcript (can be an unofficial copy)
• Proof of financial need: Please submit your Student Air Report (SAR) or FAFSA Submission Summary that showing a family’s expected contribution. This report, generated after submitting the FAFSA, details the Student Aid Index (SAI)—formerly the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)—which represents the calculated amount a family is expected to pay. If you do not have this by the time you apply or have trouble receiving the document, please inform us in your email when you email your attachments.
• Email us proof of your parents' incarceration if you have it (i.e. a copy of a letter you mailed, make sure to share their name and prison number - this is usually public information via local jails and via the Federal Bureau of Prisons).
• If you have them by the time you apply, email copies of your college acceptance letters. Before the disbursement of your scholarship, if selected, we will ask you to send us a letter of proof of your enrollment.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility or the application, please email us at scholarchipsfund@gmail.com.

If we are interested in interviewing you, we will reach out to you. Please refrain from excessively emailing us to check on the status of your application.