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Gold Scholars

This annual merit-based Scholarship Program will award (2) BIPOC students $1000.00 to support college expenses for students within their first year of college. Often, many scholarships are limited to tuition, room and board, and are sent directly to the school, meaning that students in many educational institutions are unable to access funds until weeks into their college semester. Many students of color often struggle to meet school expenses for books and supplies, transportation, or technology and software until that time that their funds are released, which can put students of color behind their peers before the semester even begins. This scholarship seeks to promote equity and help alleviate the pressures of pre-semester school expenses by sending scholarship funds directly to the student or guardian based on our community trust based-philanthropy model.

Eligibility Criteria

  • First Year College Student or High School Graduate/High School Senior with a college acceptance letter

  • Minimum 3.0 GPA

  • Students must be from Kent County, MI, yet they may attend any college or university in the nation

  • Must identify as a member of the BIPOC Community (Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color)

  • Must have ability to attend the Gold Gala on Thursday, November 9, 2023. (Each winner will receive two free tickets for the event for themselves and a guest)

Application Process

  • Complete the Application Form

  • Submit a 500 word essay 1) telling us about yourself, 2) describing how this scholarship will make a meaningful impact on your educational career, and 3) what are your personal and/or professional goals.  

  • Electronic submission via the online application

  • Deadline for submission is 11:59pm on Sunday, October 1, 2023

  • Late entries will not be accepted

  • Winners will be notified via email on Sunday, October 15, 2023

Scholarship Process

  • Once the two awardees are selected, each student and a guest will be invited to attend the Gold Gala dinner on Thursday, November 9, 2023 where they will be publicly announced and presented with their award checks. Attendance at the Gold Gala is an extremely important portion of the scholarship process.

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  • AQUME Foundation follows a trust-based philanthropy model, meaning that the funds are given directly to the student or guardian to support pre-semester educational expenses.

Questions: please email  info@aqumefoundation.org

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