Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Fund
The Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Program was established to assist students who plan to continue their education at an accredited college or vocational school in Minnesota.
Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Fund
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.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Program must be:
- Be a high school senior or graduate or current postsecondary undergraduate or graduate level or professional level student.
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate, graduate or professional level study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in Minnesota for the entire 2026-2027 academic year.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).
OR
- Be a worker displaced under extraordinary circumstances, planning to enroll in a retraining program at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in Minnesota for the entire 2026-2027 academic year.
Awards
The authorized distribution for awards is determined annually by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation based on the total amount available from the Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Fund.
Awards will not exceed $5,000.
Awards are not renewable. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in April.
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 Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Payments are made in one installment in early August.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- Statement of educational and career goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An online recommendation.
Financial need, as calculated by Scholarship America, must be demonstrated for the student to receive an award.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation play a part in the selection. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
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. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than February 27, 2026 3:00 PM Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
