2009-Dream Scholarship Fund-application
The Right to Dream
Korean American Youth Launch 2nd Year of National Dream Scholarship Fund
(Los Angeles) The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) and Korean Resource Center (KRC) are proud to announce the second year of the Dream Scholarship Fund. Founded by Korean American youth who have tirelessly campaigned the last six years for the passage of the DREAM Act – tailored legislation that would provide a path to legalization for eligible immigrant students who grew up in the United States – the Dream Scholarship Fund will award $1,000 scholarships to students with financial need and who face undue hardships.
“When we started our college application process this year, we found that some of our peers would not be eligible for most financial aid for various reasons. That is why we started the Dream Scholarship Fund. We should all be able to go to college no matter what,” said Han Joon Kim, member of Fighting Youth Shouting Out for Humanity (FYSH) in Chicago, IL.
“The Youths are seeds of change – this is the principle that drives RYSE and FYSH, the Korean American youth groups in Los Angeles and Chicago. Our dreams matter and that is why we began the Dream Scholarship Fund so we that can support our friends and family members who want to study, reach their dreams, and give back to society,” said Ashley Park, member of Rise of Youth to Serve and Empower (RYSE) in Los Angeles, CA.
“The scholarship fund is another way that we can give back to our communities. DREAM Act will always be a priority for us and while we continue to organize and advocate for the passage of the DREAM Act in 2009, we hope that this fund will encourage young people to follow their dreams of attending college,” said HyunJoo Lee, National Organizing Coordinator of NAKASEC.
For more information, to download an application, or to make a donation to the Dream Scholarship Fund, please visit www.nakasec.org. Applicants from Illinois may also visit www.chicagokrcc.org for more information; applicants from California may visit www.krcla.org. Deadline for applications is May 15, 2009.
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Eligibility
• Identify as Asian Pacific Islander American
• Demonstrate financial need
• Currently is a senior at a U.S. high school or up to a junior in a U.S. accredited college or university as a full-time, degree-seeking student
• Have demonstrated achievement in the arts, community service, sports, or other activities
• Applications must be submitted by mail, email or fax and postmarked by May 15, 2009 to be considered. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted
Application deadline is May 15, 2009.
All applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2009. Please email or mail your application to the appropriate organization, depending on your state of residence.
Illinois – Eunyoung Lee – eunyoung@chicagokrcc.org
California – Jung Hee Lee – junghee@krcla.org
National – HyunJoo Lee – hlee@nakasec.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Note: Most questions are answered within the application itself. Please read the application carefully. For further questions, please contact the appropriate NAKASEC affiliate organization according to your state of residence.
Q: I will be using the scholarship for graduate/law/medical school. Can I apply?
A: No. Only high school seniors to undergraduate juniors may apply.
Q: What do you mean by “accredited college”?
A: When a college is “accredited,” it means that it has been reviewed and programs have been evaluated for quality. The accreditation is usually done by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE). All public universities, community colleges and most private universities are accredited. Do not worry about whether or not your college or university is accredited or not – most likely they are and if there are any concerns we will contact you.
Q: How do I prove that I am Asian American or Pacific Islander?
A: You only need to identify yourself as Asian American or Pacific Islander.
Q. When are you going to announce the scholarship recipients?
A: Decisions will be made by early August at which time you will be notified.
Q: Do I have to send in my FAFSA and my parent’s tax returns?
A: Only if you have your FAFSA and/or your parent’s tax returns. If you do not have your FAFSA or parent’s tax returns, just fill out the “Household Financial Information” worksheet in the application (page 4).
Q: I don’t know which college I want to go to. Do I have to send in the tuition information for all the colleges I got into?
A: No. Just choose one and send the tuition information for that college.
Q: Do I have to provide a copy of my SAT score?
A: Submitting your SAT score is optional.
Q: If I become the scholarship recipient, when will I receive the scholarship money?
A: Please consult with each individual center.
Q: Will the scholarship recipient list be made public?
A: We want to have some form of public announcement (press conference, awards ceremony, etc.) with the goal of encouraging next year’s applicants to apply, and ask the community to help fund the scholarship. Since the Dream Scholarship is supported by the community, we do the publicity in order to be transparent and accountable to those who helped fund the scholarship. However, we will respect your privacy and remove your name (or use a pseudonym) if you request it.
Q: I am a former KRC/KRCC/NAKASEC staff. Can I apply?
A: No. Furthermore, direct family members of the selection committee, current KRC/KRCC/NAKASEC staff or board cannot apply.
