Texas Urban Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Sponsored by Texas Association of Developing Colleges

Urban Scholarship Fund — Program Summary

Description
**Purpose:** The Urban Scholarship Fund provides annual scholarship support to eligible students pursuing undergraduate study at accredited nonprofit colleges, universities, or technical schools. It targets graduating high school seniors as well as new and returning college students who plan to enroll full time. The program is restricted to institutions that are nonprofit and may be public or independent (private), and it awards funds on an annual basis. For specific application dates and administrative details, applicants should consult the fund’s official communications.

Key takeaways:
- Supports full-time undergraduate students at accredited nonprofit two- or four-year colleges or technical schools.
- Open to graduating high school seniors plus new or returning college students.
- Awards are made annually; check official sources for current application details.

Eligibility
**Basic eligibility criteria:** Applicants must meet citizenship, residency, enrollment status, and demonstrated financial-need requirements to qualify. Eligible applicants are full-time undergraduates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and who reside in Texas. Financial need is strictly defined (an Expected Family Contribution not exceeding 1500), and applicants must be graduates of a high school located in one of 41 specified Texas cities.

Key takeaways:
- Must be a full-time undergraduate student.
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident (permanent residents must provide I-551 front and back).
- Must be a Texas resident and a graduate of an approved city high school.
- Financial need required: EFC ≤ 1500 (no exceptions).

Approved Texas graduation cities
**City residency requirement:** Applicants must have graduated from a high school in one of the following 41 Texas cities to be eligible for the award.

Key takeaways:
- Eligible cities: Abilene, Allen, Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, Carrollton, College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Fort Worth, Frisco, Garland, Grand Prairie, Houston, Irving, Killeen, Laredo, League City, Lewisville, Lubbock, McAllen, McKinney, Mesquite, Midland, Odessa, Pasadena, Pearland, Plano, Richardson, Round Rock, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Tyler, Waco, Wichita Falls.

Essay requirement
**Application essay:** A central component of the application is a written essay addressing a specified prompt; quality and completeness can affect selection decisions. The required essay must be at least 500 words and respond to the prompt: “Learning life lessons is necessary for personal growth and development. What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned? What did it teach you?” Applicants should answer clearly, provide examples or reflection, and meet the minimum length.

Key takeaways:
- Essay minimum: 500 words.
- Prompt focuses on a significant life lesson and what it taught you.
- Well-developed, reflective responses are expected.

Award value and disbursement
**Funding amounts and schedule:** Awards are issued annually and vary by the type of institution attended. Annual award amounts are $700 for community, junior, and technical colleges; $1,000 for public four‑year colleges or universities; and $2,000 for independent (private) four‑year colleges or universities. Scholarship funds are disbursed in two equal payments, one per semester.

Key takeaways:
- Community/junior/technical colleges: $700 per year.
- Public four-year institutions: $1,000 per year.
- Independent (private) four-year institutions: $2,000 per year.
- Payments are split evenly and disbursed half each semester.

Application timeline and process
**How to apply and what to expect:** The fund issues awards on an annual cycle; exact application windows and deadlines are not provided here and vary by year. Typical application steps include submitting the scholarship application, the required essay, proof of eligibility (citizenship or permanent-resident documentation, Texas residency/graduation verification), and financial-need documentation showing an EFC not exceeding 1500. Applicants should confirm the current application timeline, document requirements, and submission methods with the scholarship administrator well before the expected deadline.

Key takeaways:
- Awards follow an annual cycle; confirm current deadlines with the fund.
- Prepare essay, eligibility documents, and financial-need evidence in advance.
- Contact the scholarship administrator or official website for precise submission steps.

History of the award
**Program background:** No historical or founding details for the Urban Scholarship Fund are provided in the source material for this summary. If you need the fund’s origin, past award volumes, or organizational history, contact the scholarship administrator or consult official program materials for verified background information.

Key takeaways:
- No historical details available in the provided source.
- For provenance or historical award data, request information directly from the fund.