The EMPOWER Scholarship program is designed to help ethnically diverse students to attend college and become healthcare professionals. Established in 1994 through the David Hersey Endowment Fund, the scholarships are available only to students who live in Minnesota or Western Wisconsin.
The scholarship competition is managed by Courage Center, a nonprofit rehabilitation and resource center, and EMPOWER is an acronym that stands for Encourage Minority Participation in Occupations With Emphasis on Rehabilitation. Selection is based entirely on the applicant's intentions, achievements, volunteerism and need.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will use their educational training, must have been involved in some type of community service (minimal 20 hours), and must be able to demonstrate a continuous interest in medical or rehabilitation studies. In addition, applicants must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
On the online application, students are required to list any honors that they have achieved or been awarded. And, in addition to the application, applicants must also submit two letters of personal recommendation (one from a coordinator of volunteers). Also needed is their most recent transcript, grade or progress report (high school, trade school, or university), and a copy of a school acceptance letter.
One selected, the scholarship award will be mailed directly to the student's institution.
The deadline for this scholarship is usually in MAY of each year, and the award amount usually VARIES.
For more details, visit www.couragecenter.org/PreviewPages/empower_details.aspx