Years 4-7 (Continuing Education)

Alumni Scholarship

Eligibility

• You must participate in the 2025-26 Winning Futures Years 4-7 program.
• You must attend at least 70 percent of the Winning Futures sessions through April 2026.
• You are NOT eligible if you have previously won a Winning Futures Alumni Scholarship.
• You may reapply if you did not win previously or if you won a Cupp-Hamilton Scholarship while in high school.
• There is no G.P.A. requirement
• This is a one-time award (not an annual or recurring scholarship)

Scholarships can be used for:

• Tuition payments at a community college or university
• Technical training
• Apprenticeship training
• Certificate programs
• Other related educational costs while enrolled in school

Scholarships cannot be used for:

• Graduate school (master’s degree or higher)
• To pay a student loan

Online Application

• Complete and submit all parts of the Alumni Scholarship application by January 8, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST.
• All submissions must be your original work, written in your own words, without plagiarism or help by generative AI/ChatGPT.

• Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Judging Process

• Essay Assessment: Judges will evaluate your essay based on:
  - Quality
  - Adherence to all essay requirements
  - Responses to the questions
• Interviews:After submitting your essay, you will receive a link to complete your virtual interview. The link will include instructions on how to use the platform. All applicants must complete a virtual interview to be considered for the scholarship.

Winners Notified

• Winners will be notified in May 2026.

To Receive the Scholarship Money

• If you win a scholarship, you must continue participating in Winning Futures throughout your continuing education to receive the scholarship funds.

Need Help or Have Questions?

• Contact Tiffany at Tiffany@WinningFutures.org.

Here are the essay questions you will be asked when completing the application:

Reflect on a Time You Faced Failure and How You Responded (Minimum two paragraphs of at least 4-5 sentences each, may exceed). Think of a situation where you experienced failure. Describe what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from the experience. Focus on how you responded after the failure, what steps you took to recover, and how it influenced your growth. What did this experience teach you about resilience and adapting to challenges?

What are the major steps you need to complete in order to graduate from your continuing education program (Minimum five sentences, may exceed)? Do not include your career goals, focus only on your academics (for example, meeting with your academic counselor to ensure you’re on track to graduate, completing required courses, maintaining GPA requirements, fulfilling any exams or projects, etc.)

Detail your current long-term career goals and why it suits you (Minimum two paragraphs of at least 4-5 sentences each, may exceed). Explain the career path you're pursuing and why it resonates with your strengths and interests. Include any experiences or stories that helped you decide on this career path. Describe the type of job you would like, the industry or the type of company you want to work at, and what you are doing now to gain experience in that field.

Imagine yourself ten years from now and tell us about all aspects of your life (Minimum two paragraphs of at least 4-5 sentences each, may exceed). What does your ideal future look like? Think about all aspects of your life: personal, professional, community, where you live, hobbies, etc. Why are these aspects meaningful to you? How does your ideal future reflect your values and passions?

Imagine you're receiving the Winning Futures scholarship.  Write a speech that you would give to say thank you (Minimum five sentences, may exceed). Include the following points:

• Start by saying your name.
• Tell us the high school you attended.
• Tell us the name of the college, trade school, or other continuing education school you are attending and what you’re studying.
• Tell us about your career goals. What do you want to become?
• Talk about what you have learned or how you've changed since you joined the program. Think about how you were back then and how you are now.
• Share your thoughts about your mentor. Explain how they've helped you and what you've learned from them.
• Take a moment to thank those who supported you along the way. This could be your teachers, mentor, Winning Futures program facilitator, family members, or anyone else you feel helped you.