Dear Esperanza community,  

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We’d like to provide scholarship applicants and volunteers and donors with an important update regarding the 2024 Esperanza Education Fund scholarship.

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In celebration of our 15th anniversary, Esperanza will deepen our mission to bring critical financial aid to those most overlooked and underserved in the competitive scholarship process. In 2024, we look forward to awarding $20,000 in funding to applicants exclusively pursuing two-year Associate Degrees in the DMV area. 

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For 15 years, we dedicated our efforts to supporting exemplary immigrant and first-generation college students across the board. Scores of past scholarship applications illuminated for us the complex hardships our applicants experience that prevent them from consideration for other academic financial aid and scholarships. In addition to the obstacles they face related to documentation, many Esperanza applicants also work to finance their tuition, act as caretakers of younger siblings, serve as their family's translator and cultural ambassador, and provide additional income to pay household bills and support their families abroad. The physical and figurative distance traveled by immigrant students seeking higher education in the United States is nothing short of impressive and admirable.    

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In 2024, we seek to recognize that ‘the distance traveled' carries a heavy weight and, for some students, the lack of a robust high school resume, the time for extracurricular activities, and straight As on a report card decreases competitiveness for scholarships for otherwise deserving candidates. 

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Focusing our efforts on serving this applicant pool allows us to: acknowledge the significance of these journeys; celebrate and expand opportunities for high-potential but often overlooked applicants; and uphold our mission through this strategic use of our resources. The 2024 Esperanza scholarship timeline is as follows: 

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• Scholarship application open: May 15 - July 1

• Finalist interviews: July 20-31

• Winner announcement: August 1

 

Information on full eligibility, award process, and timeline can be found here. Please reach out to apply@esperanzafund.org for specific questions at any time. 

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Esperanza is eager to stay engaged with our current scholars, alumni, volunteers, and donors this year, and has big things in the works toward this aim. We hope to invite you to our 15th Anniversary Celebration this fall to share more. Stay tuned for details!

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Best,  

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The Esperanza team