Scholarships

Scholarship Eligibility & Criteria

Scholarship applications may be submitted solely through high schools approved by the Tijerina Foundation to participate in the scholarship program. The list of approved schools is modified from year to year in order to permit students from different school districts to participate in the scholarship program.

The Tijerina Foundation DOES NOT accept scholarship applications directly from students. Students interested in Tijerina Foundation scholarships should contact their school’s financial aid guidance counselors to determine if their school is currently eligible to participate in the program. Schools interested in participating in the scholarship program should contact the Tijerina Foundation to determine if they are eligible.

Participating schools are required to set up a screening committee to evaluate and recommend scholarship candidates. Each school and its screening committee will be responsible for the selection and nomination of scholarship candidates based on minimum criteria established by the Tijerina Foundation. The minimum criteria includes the following:

• graduate in the top 25% of the graduating class at an eligible school as evidenced by an official transcript;
• attain a minimum ACT Composite score of 22 (with at least 19 English and 19 Math) or a minimum SAT score of 1,000 (with at least 500 Verbal and 500 Math);
• be accepted and enrolled as a full-time (minimum 12 hours) student at an accredited vocational school, college or university in the state of Texas;
• provide a curriculum vitae listing all extracurricular activities and demonstrating community service and leadership;
• provide a completed and signed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form;
• demonstrate financial need by providing a Student Aid Report (SAR) showing an Expected Family Contribution of $7,000 or below;
• evidence of United States citizenship (birth certificate or naturalization documents);
• written essay describing life experience, motivation and career goals

Nominated scholarship candidates are then subject to review and approval by the Tijerina Foundation to ensure that they meet the minimum criteria.

* Recipients of the Far Horizons Scholarship receive a one year, $3,000 grant for use at any accredited Texas vocational school, college or university for books and tuition and any other mandatory enrollment fee toward a recognized degree plan. The scholarship funds must be used for full-time enrollment during the first consecutive year following each scholarship recipient’s high school graduation. Scholarship funds shall not be used for summer semesters or programs or for studies outside the state of Texas or outside the United States. The scholarship funds are paid by the Tijerina Foundation directly to the school where the scholarship recipient has been accepted for enrollment. If the scholarship recipient withdraws from his/her school before completing the full first consecutive year of enrollment, fails to maintain full-time enrollment or fails to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, all unused/unearned scholarship funds must be returned to the Foundation and the scholarship recipient shall no longer be eligible for the remaining scholarship funds. Scholarship funds not used within the first year of each scholarship recipient’s high school graduation must be returned to the Foundation.