Adoption STAR Academic Scholarship Program
Offered by Adoption STAR
About this scholarship
The Adoption STAR Academic Scholarship Program recognizes college-bound students who were adopted or have experienced foster care and who achieved strong academic progress despite adversity, obstacles, or special challenges. The sponsor lists the application deadline as ongoing and provides a live form embedded on its official site. Applicants must plan to attend a four-year college and should show good character, improved or high achievement throughout high school, and the ability to overcome difficult circumstances. The form asks for contact information, up to five colleges to which the student applied and each admission status, extracurricular activities, financial circumstances, other scholarship support, and plans for financing college. A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words must explain the student’s greatest challenge, how they worked to overcome it, why they have succeeded, their future plans, and the role adoption played in their experience. Applicants also upload a high-school transcript and any useful test scores plus two recommendations. At least one reference must come from a high-school teacher, coach, or guidance counselor; the second may come from another faculty member or an adult mentor, adviser, or clergy member, but not a relative. Recipients must agree to let Adoption STAR share their name, photo, personal statement, and a college update.
Eligibility
- Have been adopted or experienced foster care
- Be college-bound with plans to attend a four-year college
- Demonstrate academic progress, high achievement, and good character despite adversity or special challenges
- Submit a personal statement of no more than 1,000 words addressing challenge, resilience, adoption, success, and future plans
- Upload a high-school transcript and any applicable test scores
- Upload 2 non-family recommendations, including at least 1 from a high-school teacher, coach, or guidance counselor
- Agree that Adoption STAR may share the recipient’s name, photo, personal statement, and college update
- Complete the live official application; submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis