Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship Fund Grant

The Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship Fund, managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, supports first responders and their dependents by providing financial assistance for higher education. Eligible applicants include active volunteer first responders and their families from specific counties and cities in Northern Virginia. The scholarship prioritizes high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and those demonstrating financial need, resilience, and commitment to community service.

About the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
Founded in 1978, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is a tax-exempt trusted public charity that advances equity through philanthropy and community leadership.
Its work is guided by a strategic plan that advances four key priorities for the region:

• Social and Economic MobilityOpportunities for AllInclusive Systems of Economic GrowthCommunity Resilience
• Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship Fund

The Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship benefits first responders and dependents of active first responders in the Northern Virginia Area by helping to finance their higher education.

Eligibility

All applicants must be either:A graduating high school student who is an “active volunteer” first responder (Police, Fire, EMT), defined to mean those who are in good standing with the department and who have been “active” a minimum of one year within the volunteer service, orA first responder (Police, Fire, EMT) who is either a professional first responder or an “active volunteer,” orA dependent of a first responder who is either a professional first responder or an “active volunteer”All applicants must be a resident of the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Orange, and Prince William; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park.Applicants who are graduating high school seniors must hold a GPA of 3.5 or higher as shown through a high school transcript.Applicants must be in good standing with the county school system (if a graduating high school senior), and must demonstrate high moral character through a letter of recommendation by a teacher and/or an active officer where they or their family member serves.Applicants must demonstrate financial need through the submission of a FAFSA Student Aid Report, FAFSA4Caster, or through a short, written statement.Applicants must describe the extracurricular activities they participate in, demonstrate how they have shown resilience amid challenges in their lives, and express how their experience as a first responder, or connection to a first responder, has positively impacted their life through an essay submission no longer than two pages (double-spaced, size 12 font).Applicants must demonstrate how their experience as a first responder, or connection to a first responder, will enrich their experience in higher education and beyond, and describe where they see themselves in 10 years through an essay submission no longer than two pages (double-spaced, size 12 font).All applicants, regardless of age, must be pursuing a post-secondary education in any field at a university (other than a for profit university), a college (other than a for profit college), a community college, or other certification or skills acquisition or upskilling program offered by a nonprofit or a public entity.Applicants must disclose their current employment status and how many hours worked.Applicants must disclose the school they are expected to attend, their proposed field of study, and the current total amount of scholarships and grants they expect to receive for their education.