The Higher Foundation Scholarship

The Higher Foundation Scholarship promotes post-secondary education by providing merit-based financial aid to Georgia college students. We award one-time $1,000 scholarships directly to Georgia college students to help secure their basic needs. We select our scholarship recipients based on their academic success, leadership skills, service, and professional development. Please apply by July 15th for the Fall Semester or by December 15th for the Spring Semester. Students will receive application updates by the 30th of the month. Please do not contact us for an application update. If you have any questions or concerns, you may find answers in our Frequently Asked Questions. If you do not find your answer there, please email us at students@higherfoundation.org.

The Higher Foundation Scholarship Priorities

Basic Needs Insecurity

We help students secure their basic needs by assisting them with their cost-of-living expenses.

Academic Success

We reward students for maintaining a good GPA while prioritizing development, service, and leadership.

Leadership

We reward students for being leaders on their campus and in their communities.

Service

We reward students for serving their communities and making community service a top-priority.

Professional Development

We reward students for preparing for post-graduation with internships, co-ops, and research.

Passion

We reward students for showing their commitment and passion in their chosen college and career fields.

The Higher Foundation Scholarship Application

Please read through each stage carefully to understand our scholarship process.

Stage 1

Application

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Must be enrolled in a Georgia post-secondary institution pursuing either a Certificate, Diploma, or Degree including Associates, Bachelors, Masters, & Doctorate. (High school students in dual-enrollment programs are not eligible.)
  • Minimum 2.5 Cumulative GPA

Application Requirements:

  • Official Georgia college transcript for the current semester (High school transcripts and unofficial college transcripts are not accepted.)
  • One-page essay: 12-point Arial font, single-spaced, and the topic: “If you could go back in time to serve with one historical community leader, who would it be and why?”.
  • One-page resume
  • Headshot with a backdrop, white wall, or outdoor background. (Blurry photos, AI photos, and selfies are not accepted.)

Award Amount:

  • $1,000.00 USD
  • One-time payment sent directly to the student via PayPal

Please review our Application Checklist or Frequently Asked Questions before you submit your application. If you have any questions, please email us at students@higherfoundation.org.

Stage 2

Selection

Selection Process:

We select 10 top applicants each semester to continue our application process. We select our top applicants by using a merit-based scoring system. Students who are not selected as top applicants are encouraged to request application feedback to improve their future scholarship applications by emailing us at students@higherfoundation.org. 

Application Requirements:

If a student is selected as a top applicant, he or she must submit the following by September 1st for Fall semester or February 1st for Spring semester:

  • The Give Higher Campaign Video Submission (Please follow the instructions here)
  • Proof of Enrollment from the Office of the Registrar to prove you are enrolled in a Georgia post-secondary institution for the current semester.
  • PayPal information to process the scholarship award in case you are selected as a scholarship recipient. We do not process our scholarship awards via cash, check, or any other payment method. 

Stage 3

Approval

Approval & Payment Terms:

If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, the scholarship award will be processed via PayPal by September 15th for Fall semester or February 15th for Spring semester. Higher Students are encouraged to participate in The Give Higher Campaign and submit a Higher Testimonial once the scholarship award has been received. If a Higher Student still needs financial assistance after receiving our scholarship, he or she can apply for The Higher Foundation Grant in the following academic year. Higher Students are eligible to receive only one scholarship from us for their entire college career. 

Submit Your Application

Higher Alumni Testimonials

For privacy reasons, the Higher Alumni pictures here are for illustration purposes only.

I consider Higher Foundation to truly be none less than a blessing and a miracle from heaven. I was wondering where my next meals were going to come from, which led to me worrying about other obligations. Thanks to God through Higher Foundation I can now be at peace. I can afford food and gas that should last until I am employed again and it was perfect timing. Higher Foundation conducted with a sense of urgency in coming to my aid and that speaks volumes. It indicated a presence of empathy and displayed the genuine care which they proclaim. Higher Foundation, thank you!!

Higher Alum, Georgia State University

Higher Foundation helped relieve some financial stress in my last year with supplementing part of my rent. This was immensely helpful as I was in a crisis situation and gave me some relief in my final year.

Higher Alum, Georgia Institute of Technology

It’s not easy working and going to school. It can get frustrating and put a lot of stress on you, especially if you have to work and complete a big assignment. I didn’t have that problem last semester because of Higher Foundation. I saw Higher Foundation’s organization on my classmate’s Instagram account, and I noticed they helped college students financially. I completed a grant application, and I was approved for the grant. If it wasn’t for Higher Foundation, I don’t know how I would’ve paid my bills. Thank you all!

Higher Alum, Fort Valley State University