Microsoft HOLA Scholarship Program
The Seattle Foundation and Microsoft’s Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action Inclusion Network have established a scholarship program to assist current high school seniors who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.
Microsoft HOLA Scholarship Program
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team and a committee at Microsoft’s Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action Inclusion Network.
Eligibility
Applicants to the HOLA at Microsoft Scholarship Program must:
- Be a U.S. based, high school senior
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident or be an individual granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA).
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study in Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or one of the following Business programs- Business Administration, Finance or Marketing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational school, in the United States, for the entire upcoming academic year.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.
Employees and children of employees of Microsoft are ineligible.
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a $10,000 , $5,000, or $2,500 (single-time) award. Up to 19 awards will be granted as follows:
- Three (3) recipients will receive a $10,000.
- Six (6) recipients will receive a $5,000.
- Ten (10) recipients will receive a $2,500.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in June.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of The Seattle Foundation. Payment is made in early August. Payments are made payable to the school and mailed to the school.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic record
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- A statement describing how you plan to engage in the technology industry (1500 characters)*
- Unusual personal or family circumstances**
- An online recommendation
Financial need will be considered. Financial need will be weighted as 25% of the evaluation and recipients must demonstrate need.
Selection of finalists is made by Scholarship America. Microsoft will select recipients. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
*Essay Topic: Please describe your future plans to either pursue a career and/or engage in the technology industry and explain how you are currently working towards achieving those goals. Also, if you have any notable achievements or experiences using technology during high school, please describe them too. Your response should be clear and concise and should demonstrate your passion for and commitment to the field of technology/STEM. Please include any impact you have made within a community you support.
**Describe any significant or unusual family, personal, or financial challenges you have experienced. Explain how these challenges impact your ability to afford or attend college and what adjustments you may need to make. You may describe your financial situation generally, but avoid exact amounts or detailed figures. Financial need will be considered and weighted as 25% of the evaluation. Recipients must demonstrate need.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than three business days after the application deadline date.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
