WM Scholarship Programs
WM has established a scholarship program to assist employees’ children who plan to continue their education in college, vocational-technical school, or graduate school.
WM Scholarship Programs
- WM General Scholarship, the Stephanie Valdez Memorial Scholarship (for current high school seniors only): WM has established the WM General Scholarship, and the Stephanie Valdez Memorial Scholarship to assist employees’ children who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs. Renewable scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.
- Robert Simpson Honorary Scholarship (for students in their senior year of college or college graduates who will be enrolling in a Master’s or Doctorate program in one of the specified fields): WM has established the Robert Simpson Honorary Scholarship to assist employees’ children who plan to enroll or students who are already enrolled in full-time graduate study pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree in Engineering (all types), Business or Law at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.
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 WM General Scholarship and the Stephanie Valdez Memorial Scholarship must be:
- Current high school seniors who plan to enroll for the first time in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
- Children of regular full-time (30 hours or more a week) WM employees who have a minimum of one year of employment with the company as of February 1, 2026. The student’s parent must continue to be an active regular full-time employee at the time a scholarship is awarded.
- Enrolled in college in the fall of the year for which the scholarship is given.
Applicants to the Robert Simpson Honorary Scholarship must be:
- Current college seniors or college graduates who plan to enroll or students who are already enrolled in full-time graduate study pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree in Engineering (all types), Business or Law at an accredited four-year college or university.
- Children of regular full-time (30 hours or more a week) WM employees who have a minimum of one year of employment with the company as of February 1, 2026. The student’s parent must continue to be an active regular full-time employee at the time a scholarship is awarded.
- Enrolled in graduate school in the fall of the year for which the scholarship is given.
Awards
WM General Scholarship and the Stephanie Valdez Memorial Scholarship:
- If selected as a WM General Scholarship recipient, the student will receive a $2,500 award. Up to ten (10) awards will be granted each year.
- The Stephanie Valdez Memorial Scholarship award of $2,500 will be given to the highest qualified minority student.
Awards may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance, maintaining full-time enrollment in an accredited undergraduate course of study and continued full-time (30 hours or more per week) employment of the student’s parent at WM.
Recipients who attend a United States Military Service Academy will receive a one-time grant of $1,000 for their first year only. No additional funds will be awarded for subsequent years of study unless the student transfers to another type of eligible institution. Recipients who transfer from a U.S. Service Academy to an otherwise eligible institution may have their scholarship status and award amount reviewed by notifying Scholarship America in writing of their revised plans.
Robert Simpson Honorary Scholarship:
- The Robert Simpson Honorary Scholarship award of $5,000 will be awarded to one student annually.
After the first year, the award is renewable for two additional years or until a Master’s or Doctorate degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of satisfactory academic performance in full-time study in one of the specified fields and continued full-time (30 hours or more per week) employment of the student’s parent at WM.
An internship/apprenticeship of up to four years in the student’s field is permitted during the course of study.
Notification
Applicants will be notified in May. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.
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 WM.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An online recommendation
Financial need is considered.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of WM play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Recipients may receive only one award from any of the scholarships WM sponsors or participate in the education benefit.
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 for the WM General or Stephanie Valdez Scholarship, 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 March 24, 2026 3:00 PM Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
