Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship
The Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship Program is intended to assist and encourage high school seniors from the Austin, Houston, North Texas, and San Antonio areas to pursue a degree at U.S. post-secondary institutions. The Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship Program is sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund and administered by the LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC).
The Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship Program awards $2,000 scholarships to qualified high school seniors. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent and plan to enroll full-time in an accredited college or university. The Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship Program is available to qualifying students from select schools in North Texas and school districts in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for a scholarship:
- Must be a graduating high school senior in the spring of 2021
- Must be a student planning to pursue full-time studies leading to a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university in the U.S.
- Must have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent
- Locations: Austin, TX, Houston, TX, North Texas, San Antonio, TX
Application
For consideration, applicants must submit the following online by March 31, 2022:
- High school transcript
- “What Dreams Your Dreams” essay (500 – 1000 words, 12-pt font, double-spaced, PDF)
- One letter of recommendation addressed to the Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship Selection Committee
- Resume
Program Impact
For the last program year, the program awarded two hundred fifty (250) $2,000 scholarships to students from the North Texas area, fifty (50) in the Houston area, and twenty-five (25) from the San Antonio area, totaling $650,000.
From the previous cohort of recipients, 90% of students continued their studies in a post-secondary institution.
Student Voices
“I recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and this day would not have been possible if it weren’t for the help of the Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship. As a first-generation college student from a low-income household, the scholarship has tremendously lightened my financial burden and allowed me to focus on the most important aspect, which is my academics and pursuing my dreams.”
– Bunnarin, Texas A&M University, Biology
““ When I was granted the Ford Driving Dreams scholarship, it helped relieve my financial stress during my first year at the University of Texas at Arlington. I was able to focus more on myself and my studies, and because of that I have been able to become the better version of myself without having to worry about any financial burdens. Going into my senior year, I'm still grateful that I was able to receive the Ford Driving Dreams scholarship, the help I received from the beginning of my academic career has helped shape myself going forward to the end of my senior year.”
– Giobanni, University of Texas at Arlington, Business Administration in Economics/Finance
“The Ford Driving Dreams Scholarship has provided me with more than just financial assistance towards my college education, it has also been a source of inspiration and motivation to succeed in my college career. Over the last two years, I have had several opportunities to gain real-world experience within the film industry, along with being able to pursue countless extracurricular and personal goals/objectives of my own. Since 2015, I have had several opportunities to gain real-world experience as I started Mediaverse, my own multimedia production company. Last year, I produced some advertising content for a sports marketing company that is a sponsor for Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. After slowly building my business and expanding my media services and portfolio, I now have several large company clients, both national and internationally based.”
– Jackson, Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Film Production
“Finding ease in the ability to afford college gave me the motivation to not only put forth my focus and effort towards my coursework but also participate in leadership, research, and team-led projects outside of my classes that would allow me to further my knowledge and understanding of my field and uplift others along the way. This fall I will be a rising senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. The person that I am right now and experiences that I have gained have been a product of my courage to dream and my confidence to pursue those dreams all of which have been reflected in the Ford Driving Dreams’ motto.”
– Raniyah, Texas A&M University, Biomedical Engineering
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