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Spanish American Institute (SAI)
Scholarship Process for UMC Latino Youth

Guidance in following the Scholarship Application Process

• Read Scholarship process instructions before filling in Scholarship Application form.
• To apply online and have your application packet submitted automatically, you must have all required documents: two Letters of Recommendation and the 500 Word Essay, available. If you do have the required documents, complete the Scholarship Application form below and click APPLY NOW.
• If your required documents are not ready, you may complete Scholarship Application form below now, and click SAVE FILLED-IN APPLICATION. Once you have all the required documents, email saved application and required documents to info@saischolars.org.

Purpose: To provide financial assistance to deserving Latino students pursuing a 2-year or 4-year degree or attending a vocational program who are active members of a local CalPac United Methodist Church (UMC) in Southern California.

The 2025 scholarship dates include the following:

• Applications available - Feb 17, 2025
• Deadline for submitting applications - April 25, 2025
• Scholarship award recipients selected - May 9, 2025
• Scholarship award recipients notified - May 23, 2025
• Award presentation at CalPac Conference - June 2025

Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for the UMC Latino Youth SAI Scholarship, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Be a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
• Be an active member of a CalPac local UMC for a minimum of one year.
• Submit at least one letter of recommendation from the Pastor or church leader.
• Attending or will attend an accredited 2-year community college, 4 year college or university or vocational program in the next academic school year.
• Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 units per semester) in a regular degree program is required.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 in high school and/or college is preferred.
• Complete the SAI application process.
• Scholarship applicants do not need to be US citizens. Permanent residents or undocumented students will be considered.
• Graduate and PhD candidates are not eligible for SAI scholarships.
• An individual may receive only one SAI scholarship.
• Scholarship recipients give SAI permission to publish their name and photo for the purpose of promoting the SAI scholarship program.

Required Documents

Complete and submit the SAI application, write a 500-word essay, and submit two letters of recommendation (one must be from applicant’s pastor or church leader). All these required documents must be emailed by deadline date.

The following documents must be available upon request:

• Copies of official high school and/or college transcripts
• A FAFSA report or Income Tax documents

Guidance on Documents Requested

Essay

Applicant must complete a 500-word essay on such topics as background, life obstacles, role models, interests, short and long term goals, need for award, and indicate how he/she identifies with the Latino culture.

Letters of Recommendation

At least one letter of recommendation must come from the Pastor or Church Leader. Other letters of recommendations can be from teachers, coaches, community members, employers, and even family members who will attest to the applicant’s character, passion, drive, potential and accomplishments to date.

Transcripts

If the applicant is a high school student, applicant should have all available school transcripts starting with the ninth grade. If the high school student has taken college courses, then it is recommended that s/he obtain transcripts for the college work, also.

Financial information

If unable to file FAFSA application, please have income tax documents available to submit upon request.

Submitted Applications

A completed application and required documents must be received by the deadline date

Notifying Applicants

An email will be sent to those who will receive a scholarship giving them the amount and informing them of the next steps to receive the scholarship. Recipients will have 12 months to provide proof of enrollment or the scholarship award will be withdrawn. The scholarship withdrawal date can be extended an additional 6 months for extenuating circumstances if a written request is received one month before the withdrawal date.

Sending the Checks

Once proof of college enrollment for the fall semester is received by SAI and the drop date for classes at your school has passed, your check will be sent to your designated address.

Database

A database of all recipients will be kept to include name, contact information (address, cell, home phone, email address), date scholarship received, school attended, and amount of scholarship, in order for SAI to follow up in the future.

Spanish American Institute

United Methodist Church Latino Youth Scholarship Application

Date *

PLEASE READ SCHOLARSHIP PROCESS INFORMATION BEFORE FILLING IN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name *

GENDER *

Male Female Others

DATE OF BIRTH *

PLACE OF BIRTH (INCLUDE COUNTRY) *

CITIZENSHIP

U.S.CITIZEN

PERMANENT RESIDENT

UNDCOUMENTED

HISPANIC ETHNICITY TO WHICH YOU IDENTIFY

MEXICAN

CUBAN

PUERTO RICAN

CENTRAL AMERICAN

SOUTH AMERICAN

OTHER SPANISH CULTURE OR ORIGIN, REGARDLESS OF RACE

CURRENT ADDRESS

MAILING ADDRESS (IF DIFFERENT)

HOME PHONE NUMBER

CELL PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS *

EDUCATION

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDING OR ATTENDED

NAME OF HIGH SCHOOL

City

State

DATE STARTED

DATE GRADUATED

ACCUMULATIVE GPA

SAT SCORE

SAT DATE

ACT SCORE

ACT DATE

Colleges you are attending or have attended (if more than one, include others at end of application)

NAME OF INSTITUTION (COLLEGE OR VOCATIONAL)

CITY

STATE

DATE STARTED

CLASS YEAR

FRESHMAN

SOPHMORE

JUNIOR

SENIOR

GRADUATION DATE

MAJOR

DEGREE/CERTIFICATE

List colleges you have applied to, in order of preference

FAMILY INFORMATION

MOTHER’S NAME

FATHER’S NAME

MOTHER’S AGE (ENTER ZERO IF DECEASED)

FATHER’S AGE (ENTER ZERO IF DECEASED)

PARENTS MARTIAL STATUS

MARRIED

DIVORCED

WIDOWED

SEPARATED

IS APPLICANT A DEPENDENT ON PARENT’S INCOME TAX FORM

YES

NO

MOTHER’S OCCUPATION

FATHER’S OCCUPATION

PARENT’S COMBINED ADJUSTED YEARLY GROSS INCOME

APPLICANT’S ADJUSTED YEARLY GROSS INCOME

DEPENDENT SIBLING’S NAME AND AGE

NUMBER OF PERSONS LIVING IN APPLICANTS HOUSEHOLD (INCLUDE APPLICANT, PARENTS, DEPENDENT SIBLINGS, AND OTHER ADULTS AND CHILDREN):

HOW MANY DEPENDENT SIBLINGS ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN COLLEGE?

EXPECTED FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (EFC)

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FAMILY FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS TO DETERMINE THE FAMILY’S EXPECTED FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (EFC) TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

WHAT IS THE APPLICANT’S FAMILY FAFSA EFC?

WHAT IS THE APPLICANT’S FAMILY EFC FROM BIGFUTURE WEBSITE?

IF YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A FAFSA REPORT, THEN GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE TO DETERMINE YOUR FAMILY’S EFC:

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/paying-your-share/expected-family-contribution-calculator

COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES/EMPLOYMENT

LIST SERVICE ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED WITHIN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS/ROLE/POSITION(S) HELD, DATES TO AND FROM HELD (MM/YY), AND HOURS PER WEEK. INCLUDE OTHER ACTIVITIES AT END OF APPLICATION, IF NECESSARY:

DO YOU PLAN TO WORK DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR?

YES

NO

IF YES, WHERE AND HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO YOU PLAN TO WORK?

500 WORD ESSAY

APPLICANT MUST ATTACH A 500 WORD, SELF-PROFILE ESSAY ON SUCH TOPICS AS BACKGROUND, LIFE OBSTACLES, ROLE MODELS, INTERESTS, SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS, NEED FOR AWARD, AND INDICATE HOW YOU INDENTIFY WITH THE LATINO CULTURE.

ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

REQUIRED CERIFICATION AND RELEASE

BY SUBMITTING THIS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TO SPANISH AMERICAN INSTITUTE, THE APPLICANT CERTIFIES AND AGREES TO THE FOLLOWING:

• I CERTIFY THAT ALL INFORMATION ON THIS APPLICATION IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
• I CERTIFY THAT I MEET ALL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN THIS APPLICATION AND THE ACCOMPANYING INSTRUCTIONS.
• I UNDERSTAND THAT APPLICATION MATERIALS BECOME THE PROPERY OF SAI AND WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
• I UNDERSTAND THAT I MUST NOTIFY SAI OF ANY CHANGE IN MY ENROLLMENT STATUS OR CONTACT INFORMATION. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT A CHANGE IN MY ENROLLMENT STATUS MAY RESULT IN THE CANCELLATION OF ANY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD.
• I GIVE SAI PERMISSION TO PUBLISH MY NAME AND PHOTOS OF MYSELF FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROMOTING THE UMC LATINO YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

Apply Online

Complete Scholarship Application, upload required documents and click APPLY NOW. All documents will be sent to SAI. If required documents are not available at this time, click SAVE FILLED-IN APPLICATION and send application and required documents via Apply Offline instructions.

Step - 1 RECOMMENDATION LETTER 1 *

×

Drag and drop files here or Browse

Step - 2 RECOMMENDATION LETTER 2 *

×

Drag and drop files here or Browse

Step - 3 500 WORD ESSAY *

×

Drag and drop files here or Browse

OR

Apply Offline

Option - 1
Download blank Scholarship Application in PDF form and follow directions in application packet to send to SAI Download Blank Application

Option - 2
Send saved completed application along with 2 letters of recommendation and 500 word essay to info@saischolars.org SAVE FILLED-IN APPLICATION

Apply Now

Name