Assistance League of Diablo Valley Expands Its Scholarships Program

By BETTY MILLER (Open Post)

One of eight philanthropic programs of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, Scholarships was established in 1999.

Each year, this program has offered financial aid to high school, foster youth, community college, and university students who demonstrate the need and desire to improve their lives by furthering their education.

These future civil engineers, construction managers, computer scientists, and biomedical engineers are Contra Costa County residents, have maintained a 2.8 grade point average, have already given back to the community by participating in service organizations, and have provided a timeline for academic and career goals. Each fall, they pursue their studies at such institutions of higher learning as California State University-Chico, University of California-Berkeley, Cornell University, and Harvard University.

Earlier this year, Scholarships Committee Co-Chairmen Lesley Salo and Cindi Segale announced the addition of two new, specially funded categories of financial support. The Sandi Lou Back to School Scholarship is a need based, $2500 award to benefit a Contra Costa County resident returning to school after an absence. Encouraging a person who has been out of the educational system for any number of reasons to apply for reentry at the community college or university level, its requirements include a high school diploma with a minimum 2.8 GPA or a G.E.D. certificate.

Additional considerations include personal circumstances, recommendations, scholastic record, financial need, job/school activities, community involvement, educational and employment goals. This scholarship fund is open to contributions from other sources. Application deadline is March 27, 2015.

Another added category, the Spotlight Scholarships are open to students who have received a one-year award from Assistance League of Diablo Valley in the past two years and are to be used to help pay for the remaining years of their undergraduate education. Amounts could total up to $7,500, depending on need, and application can be renewed. The Spotlight Scholarships support students who have demonstrated a focused approach regarding their educational goals and career path. The original donation is for $25,000 and the donors anticipate this to be an annual contribution for this fund. This fund is also open to contributions from other sources. Application deadline is December 1, 2014.

As with all of Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s hands-on philanthropic programs, the Scholarships Program responds to additional age groups who hope to improve their lives in an ever changing world, a world that challenges unnecessary roadblocks. To learn more, please visit this website: diablovalley.assistanceleague.org. On the upper, left side of the screen, scroll down and click on to Teacher Grants and Scholarship Applications.

YOU could be one of these recipients!