The purpose of the Nora Stone Smith Scholarship is to honor and to give financial support to deserving high school seniors and students who have graduated in the past year and have participated in an ESL/ELL program at some point in their lives. This scholarship is renewable for 2 to 4 years, provided the student continues to meet the scholarship criteria.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. This scholarship is available for all ESL/ELL students, regardless of their citizenship status.
2. Open to students who are graduating seniors, college freshmen, or those graduated with a high school diploma.
3. Must be a resident in the state of Washington.
4. Supports Private 4-year University or College, Public 4-year University or College, Public 2-year Community / Technical College.
5. Applicants must demonstrate financial need. 

Award Details:

This scholarship is renewable for 2 to 4 years, provided the student continues to meet the scholarship criteria. The award amount is $2,000 per year.

How to Apply:

To apply for the Nora Stone Smith Scholarship, please register and create a SurveyMonkey Apply individual applicant account. To do so, please click on the green "Register" button on the top right of the screen, not the "Apply" button. You will be directed to a new page where you will select "Register as an individual" and ed to enter your personal information. Upon creation of your applicant account you will click on "View programs" and search for the Nora Stone Smith Scholarship, using the search bar. Complete the SurveyMonkey Apply online application with all required attachments. 

Key application components include:

• Essay. In no more than three pages, please describe the following:
  • Write a brief personal statement (between 300 and 550 words) telling us about yourself, where you’re from and how you came to be here, your educational achievements and your future goals. Discuss the challenges you foresee and how you plan to accomplish your goals.
  • What was your favorite book read in the last year and briefly (2-3 sentences) explain why?
  • Please briefly (2-3 sentences) share your special interests (i.e., hobbies, activities, etc.).
  • Please explain your High School accomplishments and your community involvement. Please be sure to highlight your leadership roles.
• Two (2) letters of reference. These letters should be from people who know you through your academic or employment experience or your community leadership and participation. (Do not include relatives as references.) 
• Statement of Financial need. A brief statement outlining your financial needs.
• Transcript(s). Please include a copy of your transcript(s) for every applicable level of education and/or all schools you attended from high school through present. Scholarship recipients will be required to submit an official transcript to Seattle Foundation by July 15; funds will not be released to your school until we receive it.

All applications must be submitted by March 15, 2024.

Please email scholarships@seattlefoundation.org or call (206) 515-2119 if you have any questions.

Note: if you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA due to immigration status, defaulted federal loans, or other issues with federal aid, we recommend that you complete the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid).