Purpose

 

TOSCA scholarships provide opportunities for continued education through academic excellence. Individual scholarships range from $250 to $4,000 per academic year. Scholarships are based on a combination of academic achievement and involvement within the community and school. Volunteer work and employment are also considered.

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Scholarships Available

 

Scholarships are funded by private donations made to TOSCA. The awarding of individual scholarships and the amount awarded is at the sole discretion of the TOSCA Awards Committee with the approval of the TOSCA Board of Directors. The number of scholarships and their dollar amounts will depend on the monies available, the number of applicants, and their demonstrated achievement. Graduate School and Credential Program awards are based on the above criteria in addition to the number of units/credits in which the applicant is enrolled. Receipt of a TOSCA scholarship award may or may not affect other scholarship funding or state and/or federal grant funding.

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Who May Apply

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Any graduate from a high school in the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District in the year of 2014 or later who plans to enroll as a full-time student in the fall of 2024 may apply. Full-time enrollment is considered to be 12 units or more for an undergraduate student. Graduate school students must be considered a full-time student as per the requirements of their school if enrolled with less than 12 units. Students must also be accepted and/or admitted to an accredited school in the United States.

 

Eligibility

 

Graduating high school seniors applying for an academic scholarship to a four-year college (BA/BS degree) must have a GPA not less than 3.0. GPA used for awarding shall be the Un-weighted Academic GPA as verified and calculated by the student's Official Transcript.

 

Graduating high school seniors applying for an academic scholarship to a two-year community college, or a vocational scholarship at a vocational/technical institution or community college, must have a cumulative Un-weighted Academic GPA of 2.5 as verified and calculated by the student's Official Transcript.

 

College students who are freshmen at the time of application must have a cumulative GPA not less than 2.5 as stated on your college transcript.

 

College students in their sophomore year and higher must have a cumulative GPA not less than 2.8 as stated on your college transcript.

 

• All college students submitting applications must have graduated from a Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District high school not more than ten years prior to the current scholarship award period.
   

• Students pursuing a BA/BS degree will be eligible for a TOSCA award in no more than five school years within the overall ten year eligibility period.
   

• An additional two years of TOSCA eligibility will be available to students enrolled in graduate degree and/or credential programs, three years for law school and four years for medical school.
   

• The maximum of three years will apply to community college and vocational/technical school students.

 

Application Process

 

Students applying for TOSCA scholarships for the academic year 2024-2025 must complete the following Scholarship Application, which consists of three pre-printed main documents:   The Verification of Completion Form, The Personal Information Form and The Student Academic Information Sheet. These three forms must be completed in their entirety. The entire application, which consists of the above three main documents as well as the supplemental documents listed below, must be computer generated – see TOSCA website (www.toscascholarships.org) for fillable pdf file available for download.  No handwritten documents will be allowed, except for signatures.

 

The awards committee will review the applications on an anonymous basis. For this reason, use ONLY your Social Security number and headings as stated on the supplemental documents. Do not use your name, address, phone, email address or make personal reference to yourself or any family members on any of these supplemental documents.

 

Educational and Career Goals - Write a statement describing your career and educational goals, and how you intend to reach those goals. Describe the qualities you have developed that will help you succeed in obtaining your goals and what type of job you wish to have after college or trade school graduation. Must include your social security number and title as shown in packet if you do not use the provided form.        (For OHS Seniors Only)

 

Activities - This is in resume format - not essay. OHS Seniors - describe your activities during your high school years. This should include any student government positions, organizations, clubs, sports, hobbies, employment or volunteer time. You should indicate how many years you participated, any offices held and the nature of your involvement in the activities. College applicants - please include activities and employment while in college only.  Please label each activity clearly. Must include your social security number and title as shown in packet if you do not use the provided form. 

 

TOSCA Essay -  Think about the person you are right now. The person you are...and will become...has been shaped by a variety of factors. Choose a person, a group or an event that has greatly influenced you, your development and your goals. Explain how this person, group or event has influenced you. Must include your social security number and title as shown in packet if you do not use the provided form. (For OHS Seniors Only)

 

Essay Challenge -  An essay, not to exceed one page, single spaced, and typed on the following topic: Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?   Must include your social security number and title as shown in packet if you do not use the provided form.      (For College Students Only)

 

Applicant Questions - Three questions that will help the judges better understand your personality and character as a student. Must include your social security number and title as shown in packet if you do not use the provided form. (For College Students Only)

Please be as specific and thorough as possible when completing the previously detailed and all application forms.

 

Academic Transcripts - An official copy (embossed, sealed or certified) of the student’s academic transcript from all applicable institutions must be submitted. If applying for graduate or credential program studies, please include your undergraduate transcript(s). 

This document may contain the student’s name and school identification number. Do not alter the official transcript in any way. Request your transcript in a timely manner as this process could take several days/weeks.

 

Application Deadline

Complete scholarship application packets (including all supporting documents and  transcripts) must be postmarked by an official postal service office (not school store or mail house) no later than March 15, 2024 to be considered for a scholarship award. Scholarship packets must be mailed to: TOSCA, P. O. Box 18, Newman, CA 95360.  Additional postage will apply and postal tracking is recommended. You will be notified by mail if your application is NOT accepted for judging. 

 

If all items required for your scholarship packet are not included with your application packet, you will not be considered for any scholarships.  There will be no exceptions.

 

What Happens After You Apply

The TOSCA administration forwards all scholarship applications to the Awards Selection Committee for its consideration.

Recipients of scholarship awards will be notified as soon as possible after April 15, 2024.

Recipients will be invited to attend the TOSCA Awards Presentation Ceremony to be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. All scholarship winners will be the guests of TOSCA at an awards presentation. If you are unable to attend the presentation, you MUST have a representative present to accept your award.

To receive scholarship payments as awarded, a student must be enrolled in a post-secondary program, be in attendance for the fall semester and be considered a full-time student as previously outlined. Failure to do so will result in a loss of the awarded scholarship. All scholarship award monies will be paid directly to the school of attendance, not to individuals. For scholarships of $500 or more, the payments will be made in two equal increments at the beginning of the first and second semesters. Certain restrictions could apply should a student change course of study and/or category of school. All students will be required to abide by the TOSCA Scholarship Payment Guidelines. 

For further information concerning the application process, please call Susan Mattos at (209) 243-8118, email info@toscascholarships.org, or visit our website at www.toscascholarships.org