Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund Scholarship

About this scholarship

The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund Scholarship supports students whose education has been affected by losing a close family member to drug, alcohol, or prescription-drug abuse. The Spring 2027 competition offers three awards: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Applications opened August 1, 2026 and must arrive by November 30, with recipients expected to be notified by January 31, 2027. Applicants must be legal citizens of the United States or Canada and be enrolled, or able to document acceptance, at a college, university, or trade school. Attendance may be part time or full time, and all majors are eligible. International institutions can qualify if they can receive a wire transfer and are not in a U.S.-sanctioned country. Applicants need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, proof of enrollment, a recent transcript, and written verification that a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, or spouse died because of substance abuse. Sensitive records should have Social Security numbers redacted. A personal 800- to 1,500-word PDF essay must address the loss, the challenges of addiction, the meaning of education, and the award’s likely impact. The applicant—not a third party—must email the completed form and every supporting document to the address listed in the official application. Previous applicants may reapply, but previous recipients are ineligible.

Eligibility

• Be a legal citizen of the United States or Canada
• Be enrolled part time or full time in a college, university, or trade school, or provide qualifying acceptance documentation
• Hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and submit a recent transcript
• Have lost a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, or spouse because of drug, alcohol, or prescription-drug abuse
• Provide written verification of the qualifying cause of death and redact any Social Security number before emailing it
• Write an approximately 800- to 1,500-word PDF essay addressing the topics in the official application
• Apply personally; a third party cannot submit the application for you
• Email the completed application, enrollment proof, GPA proof, death verification, and essay by November 30, 2026
• Not have previously received a Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund Scholarship