This fall, Stand for Children will award $20,000 college scholarships to five or more outstanding students who have “Beat the Odds.” The scholarship is $5,000 per year, renewable for up to four years provided the recipient maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA, completes 12 or more credits each term, and funding is available. Beat the Odds is a partnership between Stand for Children (a nonprofit organization) and the Renaissance Foundation.

Criteria for the Scholarship
Applicants must:
• Be a student enrolled in an Oregon public high school, who will graduate in 2025.
• Have a 3.0 GPA. Students with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.9 may be considered if their transcript shows       marked improvement in recent terms.
• Plan to earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college in the United States.
• Be able to clearly communicate, both in their written application and in an interview setting, how education and/or their school is helping them transcend obstacles and land on a path to success.
• Priority consideration will be given to students who will be the very first person in their immediate family to attend a 4-year college.
• Have a demonstrated financial need.

Scholarship applicants should be comfortable sharing their story and speaking publicly about how education is helping them to achieve their goals. Recipients will participate in the creation of a short video about their accomplishments and may be the subject of local news stories. Recipients will be acknowledged at the Beat the Odds celebration and fundraiser on November 14, 2024.

How to Apply Interested students can access the application at https://smr.to/p96361. We use an online application process; applicants will submit personal and demographic information, a personal essay, high school transcripts, financial information and two letters of recommendation.