Scholarships target access, persistence and workforce needs

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

As Arizona works to strengthen its future workforce, education organizations across the state are expanding scholarship opportunities that go beyond tuition assistance to support students through degree and credential completion.

This month, Stand for Children Arizona began accepting applications for its 2026 Renaissance Scholarship, while Education Forward Arizona announced the opening of applications for its 2026–27 scholarship programs beginning mid-January.

Together, the efforts reflect a growing emphasis on pairing financial support with advising, mentorship and wraparound services designed to help students not only enroll in college or training programs, but persist and graduate.

Stand for Children Arizona expands Renaissance Scholarship

The Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholarship is now in its third year and provides $20,000 over four years to high school students who are first-generation college applicants, demonstrate financial need and show a record of community leadership.

The $20,000 scholarship, distributed over four years, is offered in partnership with longtime supporter The Renaissance Foundation, a Portland, Oregon-based organization founded in 2000 that specializes in providing educational access for those who need financial assistance.

Eligible students must be first-generation college applicants, demonstrate financial need and show a sustained commitment to community involvement and leadership. 

Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau said the program is designed to remove financial barriers at a critical transition point for students.

“We’re honored to continue supporting the education of Arizona’s future leaders as they begin a new chapter of their lives,” Gau said.

Last year, five Arizona students received the scholarship and planned careers in fields such as nursing, engineering and music.

"This scholarship from Stand for Children Arizona and The Renaissance Foundation helped open doors that otherwise wouldn't have been open and propelled me forward towards my dream of being a pediatric nurse," said Gustavo Osorio Beltran, winner of the 2025 scholarship. "I am so grateful that they selected me for this honor."

“Being selected as a Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholar was a huge honor,” said 2025 scholar Keisha Orozco Lopez. “Winning the scholarship took a big weight off the shoulders of my family and me as I began college this fall. I’m excited the class of 2026 will have the same opportunity to benefit as I did.”

Another 2025 scholar, Nerissa Felix, said the support made her college plans possible.

“This scholarship helped me afford to attend college and allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher,” she said.

Applications for the Renaissance Scholarship are due Feb. 1.

Education Forward Arizona focuses on completion and workforce alignment

Education Forward Arizona is opening applications for its 2026–27 scholarship programs beginning mid-January, with varying deadlines by program.

“Access to postsecondary education remains one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity and economic mobility,” said Rich Nickel, president and CEO of Education Forward Arizona. “These scholarships are designed not only to help students enroll, but to ensure they have the support they need to persist, complete their education and contribute to Arizona’s future.”

The scholarships are designed to help students complete education and training beyond high school while strengthening Arizona’s workforce.

“We must embrace a vision of economic opportunity to realize the Arizona Promise,” said Gov. Katie Hobbs in the FY 2026 Executive Budget message outlining her education and workforce priorities.

Available scholarships for the 2026–27 school year include:

• Education Forward Arizona Scholarship, which provides up to four years of funding for Pell Grant-eligible students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Arizona, paired with one-on-one advising from a Success Adviser. Applications are open Jan. 15 through March 6, 2026.
• Adelante Scholarship, offered in partnership with Helios Education Foundation and Aliento, supporting DACA and Proposition 308-eligible students enrolled in community college or university. Applications are open Jan. 15 through March 22, 2026.
• Native American Scholarship Program, funded by the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, which provides financial support for Native American students pursuing associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees, as well as trade or professional certificates. Applications are open Feb. 1 through April 1, 2026.

In addition to scholarships, Education Forward Arizona offers free bilingual resources through its Guide to Your Future website to help families explore careers, understand education pathways and plan how to pay for postsecondary training.

Postsecondary attainment tied to Arizona’s economy

Arizona’s AZ 60 Action Plan is a statewide strategy to ensure that by 2030, 60% of working-age adults hold a postsecondary certificate, license or degree by strengthening early learning, K–12 outcomes and equitable access to education that is aligned with workforce needs. Education leaders say expanding access to postsecondary education is critical to meeting Arizona’s long-term workforce needs.

Research from Education Forward Arizona shows that reaching the state’s Achieve60AZ goal would generate billions in economic gains through higher earnings, increased tax revenues and reduced public assistance costs.

By pairing scholarships with sustained advising and mentorship, programs like those offered by Stand for Children Arizona and Education Forward Arizona aim to close attainment gaps while helping students move into careers Arizona employers need, officials said.

Eligibility requirements and deadlines vary by scholarship. Students are encouraged to review individual program pages for full details.

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.