Amount of Award per Type

Scholarships will be awarded in various amounts, with the maximum possible amount of $4,000 being awarded to a recipient attending a 4-year university or college, $4,000 to a recipient attending a graduate program, $2,000 to a recipient attending community college, or $2,000 to a recipient attending a trade school. The number of awards and recipients will vary according to the number of qualified candidates who meet all the requisite criteria and the agreed upon allocation of monetary support to each candidate, as determined by the selection committee.

4-year University or College: maximum $4,000

Graduate Program: maximum $4,000

Community College: maximum $2,000

Trade Schools: maximum $2,000

Criteria for Academic Scholarship

To be eligible to apply for this academic scholarship, applicants must:

  • Intend to be enrolled or accepted as a student in a degree-granting program at a licensed or certified university, accredited college, or trade-school in the United States for the 2022-2023 academic year

  • Exemplify a dedication to achieving their goals – not through a perfect transcript or resume, but through perseverance despite life’s challenges

To be considered for an academic scholarship, all applicants must submit the following:

  • Complete application.

  • Resumé

  • FAFSA completion or Dream Act; with proof of EFC (Expected Family Contribution)

  • Transcripts from the applicant’s current or most recently attended high school (secondary school), junior college, college, or university. Transcripts that have been downloaded, screenshot, or printed and scanned directly from the applicant’s college or university website are acceptable for the submission of the scholarship application.

  • Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are not family members (i.e., academic mentor/teacher, coach, supervisor, etc.). Letters of recommendation can be mailed in a sealed envelope to:
    1) P.O. Box 186 / Santa Barbara, CA 93102
    2) email directly to Mavel Tortoledo at mavel@theturnerfoundation.com
    3)     or student can hand-deliver the sealed envelope to 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite D / Santa Barbara, CA 93108

  • Life Purpose Essay: Describe your life’s purpose and how this scholarship will help you achieve your goals. Please be specific about the type of higher education you are pursuing (i.e., certification course, trade-school, junior college, 4-year university, etc.), and what your future career goals are. (Maximum: 500-650 words)

  • Personal History Essay: Describe how your unique background and personal experiences have informed your decision to pursue your future goals. In this essay, you may explain any inconsistencies in your transcripts and/or resumé, and include any relevant information on how you have overcome barriers to access higher education. (Maximum 500-650 words)

 

Application Guidelines for Academic Scholarships

Deadlines for receipt of applications are as follows:

  • Application deadline: May 3, 2023

  • Application interviews: May 17, 2023

  • Decision notifications for application: Will be emailed by May 19, 2023

Only completed applications with all required supporting materials that are received by the deadline will be considered by the PJW Scholarship Committee.

Submit all information electronically through the application below.

Selection Process for Academic Scholarship

All completed applications accompanied by all the required supporting materials will be reviewed by the PJW Scholarship Committee to ensure that every applicant receives full consideration.

Applicants will be scored using a point system based on the quality of the content provided and the degree to which the applicant aligns with donor’s eligibility preferences. Each application will be reviewed holistically. The committee will take into equal consideration the potential of each candidate, and the degree to which the awarded funds will make a substantial difference, based on the information provided in the applicant’s essays.

Interviews will be held in person with the PJW Scholarship Committee or via zoom per request.

Award Guidelines for Academic Scholarship

Unless otherwise specified, scholarships are given for only one (1) academic year. The academic year for which the scholarship is provided will be identified in the award.

Successful applicants will be awarded only one (1) PJW Scholarship or award per calendar year. This is inclusive of academic scholarships, professional development scholarships, or other monetary awards. You may reapply for the following year.

Unless otherwise specified, applicants may submit scholarship applications for each calendar year during which they will be attending an accredited institution in a degree-granting program.

Any scholarship awarded for a particular academic year may not be transferred over to any following year. Any unused funds awarded to an applicant will be returned to The Turner Foundation at the end of that particular academic year in which a scholarship was awarded.

Notice of Academic Scholarship Award

  • Initial notice to scholarship finalists will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application

  • The Turner Foundation will ask for final enrollment verification, signature of promotional release, and educational records release documents. The scholarship is not officially awarded until finalists return the required documents

  • Final notice of awarded scholarships will be sent to each awardee via email or postal mail (where possible) after verification is complete

Applicants who are awarded an academic scholarship will have three weeks from the date of notification to submit proof of enrollment and tax forms (if applicable). If documentation is not submitted before the deadline, the scholarship offer may be withdrawn. Exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis if extenuating circumstances are demonstrated. The scholarship payment will be made by check or EFT and sent on behalf of students to the university, college, or trade school address provided during the verification process.

Scholarship Service Commitments by and for Donors

In carrying out its duties pursuant to these Scholarship Guidelines, The Turner Foundation commits to the following:

  • The Turner Foundation will fulfill the written intent and spirit of the established scholarship and will notify and consult with the donor if The Turner Foundation is unable to do so

  • The Turner Foundation will establish an impartial scholarship award panel of no less than three (3) appropriately qualified and trained scholarship judges comprised of project management practitioners, academics, and others

  • The Turner Foundation will review and evaluate all applicants who follow the application guidelines

  • The Turner Foundation will provide donors with the overall number of applications and the number of those applicable to the donor’s scholarship(s) upon the donor’s request

  • The Turner Foundation will provide donors with the name of the selected scholarship applicants for their scholarships

  • The Turner Foundation will adhere to The Turner Foundation Investment Policy regarding the investment of the donor’s scholarship endowment

  • The Turner Foundation will publicize scholarships and scholarship awards in publications, The Turner Foundation website, colleges and universities, secondary schools, The Turner Foundation events, The Turner Foundation’s media accounts, and other appropriate venues. When appropriate, The Turner Foundation will identify donors in such communications

In carrying out its duties pursuant to these Scholarship Guidelines, Scholarship Donors shall abide by the following requirements:

  • Scholarship donors will provide a single point of contact for resolution of any questions or issues that might arise pertaining to donor’s scholarship

  • Scholarship donors shall not be permitted to participate as members of The PJW Scholarship Committee

  • Scholarship donors may publicize and otherwise promote the donated Turner Foundation scholarship(s) on the donor’s website and through other appropriate venues

  • Scholarship donors may identify and cultivate potential applicants, mentor them, and encourage them to complete the application process

  • Scholarship donors will accept the decisions of The PJW Scholarship Committee

  • Scholarship donors will fulfill their funding commitments in accordance with established donation dates

Additional Consideration

The Turner Foundation reserves the right to discontinue or modify the scholarship program, or any component thereof, and to revise any or all of the scholarship requirements, processes, or eligibility criteria at any time. Unless specified otherwise in a written agreement, The Turner Foundation further reserves the right to return funds to a donor if for any reason the funds cannot be distributed as requested by the donor.

Any material misrepresentation of the facts in the candidate's application and supporting materials, whether discovered during the verification process or later, will result in withdrawal of the application from consideration. Following notice to the candidate of the discovery of the misrepresentation, and the opportunity for the candidate to explain the circumstances of the erroneous submission, the candidate may be banned from applying for The PJW Scholarship Fund in the future if intentional misrepresentation to gain competitive advantage is proven to be true.

Only new applicants who have successfully completed the application will be invited for an interview.

Interviews are generally conducted 1-2 weeks after the application deadline; more details to be announced on a yearly basis.

Interviews

If you are chosen, the Foundation will contact you by email to schedule an interview. Please notify us if your contact information changes.

Students currently attending college outside of Santa Barbara County should email the Foundation at mavel@theturnerfoundation.com to indicate dates in appropriate months when they will be available in Santa Barbara for a in-person interview.