Gabriela Blanco College Scholarship
Offered by Sofia's Hope, Inc.
About this scholarship
The Gabriela Blanco College Scholarship recognizes siblings whose families have been affected by childhood cancer. Sofia's Hope will select three recipients for fall 2027, each receiving $2,000 for tuition or room and board plus a laptop or tablet if receiving the award for the first time. Applicants must be siblings of a childhood cancer patient or survivor and must have lived in the same household during the patient's treatment. Siblings of children who died from the diagnosis or treatment remain eligible. The student must be enrolled in or accepted by an accredited U.S. undergraduate or graduate program. The online application opens January 15 and closes March 31, 2027. It requires an academic teacher recommendation on school letterhead, a physician letter verifying the patient's medical history, a main essay of no more than 500 words about one lasting moment from the childhood-cancer experience, and shorter personality responses. Selected applicants provide an acceptance letter or registrar letter of good standing and sign the required publicity release; a parent or guardian also signs when the applicant is a minor. Awards are paid directly to the institution by August 1, and previous recipients cannot apply again.
Eligibility
- Be the sibling of a childhood cancer patient or survivor, including a sibling whose brother or sister did not survive
- Have lived in the same household as the childhood cancer patient during treatment
- Be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment at an accredited U.S. undergraduate or graduate program
- Submit at least one academic teacher recommendation on official school letterhead
- Provide a letter from the patient's attending physician verifying the medical history
- Complete the main essay and required shorter personality essays
- Agree to the scholarship publicity release, with a parent or guardian signature if under 18
- Submit the complete online application by March 31, 2027