The city of Surprise Youth Scholarship program is back to award local students who are active in the community in an effort to help them afford further educational opportunities at an accredited college, university or trade school.

These scholarships are open to high school seniors and homeschool students who currently reside in Surprise and are graduating in this spring.

Surprise Scholarship Selection Committee will award scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The selected recipients will have the funding paid directly to their chosen educational institution for the upcoming school year as long as they are enrolled as full-time students.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Proof of residency (current Arizona Driver’s License, copy of most recent utility bill, vehicle registration, etc.).
• One letter of reference from a business leader, nonprofit leader, community leader, government employee or elected official.
• One letter of reference from a school leader (teacher, administrator, counselor, coach). Homeschool students may submit a letter of reference from teachers, coaches or leaders of extracurricular activities.
• Unofficial transcripts showing an unweighted GPA at or above 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants must also do the following:

• Complete a 500-word essay answering the question: “How impactful would a scholarship award be for your college pursuit?”
• An in-person interview with the Scholarship Selection Committee.

All applications and supporting documents must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, March 24. Scholarship award winners will be notified by April 28.

To find the details on the program, including application information, visit surpriseaz.gov/YouthScholar.

Those with questions about the scholarship, including requirements for homeschool students, should contact danielle.osborne@surpriseaz.gov, or call 623-222-1034.