What is the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program?
Through our Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program, we provide financial assistance, intensive case management, peer support, and leadership opportunities for students who have experienced homelessness to help you get to and through college, build your career, and create a strong foundation for your future.
How We Define Homelessness
Homelessness is defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
These dates apply to students who will begin college (four-year, community college, or trade school) for the first time in the 2027–2028 academic year.
Who Can Apply? (Eligibility Requirements)
You are eligible to apply for the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program if you meet all of the following:
You currently reside in the United States. (Undocumented applicants are eligible.)
You were born on or after June 2, 2007.
You will be starting college for the first time in the 2027–2028 academic year at a: four-year college or university, community college, or trade school. This includes:
High school juniors
High school seniors planning to take a gap year
Students earning a GED who plan to start college in 2027–2028
Note: this does not include dual-enrollment courses.
You have experienced homelessness within the last six years.
Our program begins working with students one year before they start college to provide intensive college readiness support.
As a SchoolHouse Connection Scholar, you receive far more than a one-time scholarship. You gain ongoing financial support, dedicated case management, peer support, and leadership opportunities, all within a community built around your success. You will receive:
$2,500 Scholarship Award and Monthly Stipends of Up to $100 Throughout College
One-on-One Support from SchoolHouse Connection Staff
3 All Expenses Paid Trips
Support from SchoolHouse Connection Scholars
Opportunities to Engage in State and Federal Policy Advocacy
About the Three All-Expenses-Paid Trips
Awards Ceremony Celebration
A trip during the spring semester of your first year in the program. You will:
Meet SchoolHouse Connection staff
Connect with your fellow Scholars
Receive your award!
Washington, DC Summit
One year after receiving your award, you’ll join staff and your cohort in Washington, DC for a trip filled with:
Advocacy opportunities at the state and federal levels
Activities around the nation’s capital
Time to reconnect with scholarship program cohort
Wellness & Workforce Success Retreat
Between your third and fourth year in the program, you’ll attend a trip focused on:
Post-graduation wellness
Goal setting and vision-building activities around fulfillment, both personally and professionally
Time to reconnect with scholarship program cohort
How to Apply
Your application for the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program includes several components that help us understand your experiences, goals, and the support you need.
Application Components
Eligibility, Demographic, and Education Questions
Full High School Transcript
Unofficial or official transcripts are accepted
Essay (up to 1,000 words) answering all three prompts:
Describe your experience of homelessness and how it impacted your education
Why is going to college important to you, and what do you want to study?
What types of support do you need to be successful in college?
Letter(s) of Recommendation
At least one, and up to three
Letters can be uploaded with your application or submitted directly by your recommender here.
Application Tips
Contact Information
We will call the phone number you provide if you’re selected as an awardee.
If we can’t reach you by phone, we’ll email you.
If we still can’t reach you, we’ll contact the point of contact listed in your application.
Please make sure the phone number and email provided are reliable. If anything changes, email Jordyn@SchoolHouseConnection.org to update us.
The Essay
Answer all three essay questions.
Use your own voice—grammar and academic writing are not priorities in our scoring.
Share only what you feel comfortable sharing. Your comfort and safety come first.
Your Transcript Should Include
Your full name
Your date of birth
All available high school grades
An unofficial transcript is acceptable. We recommend asking your school counselor for an unofficial transcript. If you have trouble accessing it, email Jordyn@SchoolHouseConnection.orgbefore the deadline, and we’ll do our best to help.
Your Letter of Recommendation
You can:
Upload letters directly with your application, or
Ask your recommender(s) to submit their letters using this link.
If you choose to send the link:
Give your recommender plenty of time before the deadline.
Follow up to ensure the letter is submitted before June 2, 2026.
What our SchoolHouse Connection Scholars want to share about their experiences with the program
“I have endless gratitude for SHC’s support and empowerment because they made it possible for me to graduate college. Whether it was advocating for me to financial aid offices, uplifting my voice in advocacy spaces, or simply providing a warm space to converse, they stood by me through everything. Connecting with peers with lived experience validated the challenges I faced growing up and erased any feelings of lack of belonging in higher education. Entering advocacy spaces with SHC taught me the power of my voice and how to extend my impact to my community. I am excited to begin medical school next year and will take the lessons and skills SHC has taught me to be a voice for the underserved and underrepresented in healthcare.”
— Cecelia, 2020 Scholar
The YLS program is far more than just a scholarship. This program gave me access to leaders and mentors who have guided me with endless amounts of resources to navigate my college career. Through this program I have also been able to travel to new places and make friendships with people who share similar backgrounds and interests as me. The leaders at Schoolhouse Connection go above and beyond to truly get to know each and every scholar, and become lifelong companions and
advisors.
— Conrad, 2022 Scholar
Hear from Jordyn and Roshanda, leaders of the Scholarship Program.
Please contact Jordyn if you have further questions.
Since we provide one year of college readiness support, our applicants must be beginning college (four-year, community college, or trade school) for the first time in the 2027–2028 academic year. Dual-enrollment courses in high school do not count as starting college.
Yes. Undocumented individuals are eligible to apply for the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria.
You currently reside in the United States. (Undocumented applicants are eligible.)
You were born on or after June 2, 2007.
You will be starting college for the first time in the 2027–2028 academic year at a: four-year college or university, community college, or trade school. This includes:
High school juniors
High school seniors planning to take a gap year
Students earning a GED who plan to start college in 2027–2028
Note: this does not include dual-enrollment courses.
You have experienced homelessness within the last six years.
Our program begins working with students one year before they start college to provide intensive college readiness support.
Homelessness includes any situation where you lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (for example, staying with others due to loss of housing, shelters, motels, cars, campgrounds, or similar situations). Learn more about what experiencing homelessness can look like with our resource page Does My Living Situation Meet the Definition of Homelessness?
Awards Ceremony Celebration – A trip during the spring semester of the first year in the program where scholars meet SchoolHouse Connection staff, connect with fellow Scholars, and receive their awards.
Washington, D.C. Summit – One year after receiving their award, Scholars join staff and their cohort for advocacy opportunities at the state and federal levels, activities around the nation’s capital, and time to reconnect with scholarship program cohort.
Wellness & Workforce Success Retreat – Between the Scholars’ third and fourth year in the program, they attend a trip focused on post-graduation wellness, goal setting and vision-building activities around fulfillment, both personally and professionally, and time to reconnect with scholarship program cohort
If you are providing a letter of recommendation on behalf of an applicant, please submit your letter using this link.
If you are an applicant, you can either:
Upload letters directly with your application, or
Ask your recommender(s) to submit their letters using this link.
No. An unofficial transcript is accepted as long as it clearly shows your full name, date of birth, and all available grades.
We will call the phone number you provide if you’re selected as an awardee. If we can’t reach you by phone, we’ll email you. If we still can’t reach you, we’ll contact the point of contact listed in your application. Please keep your contact information updated by emailing Jordyn@SchoolHouseConnection.org if anything changes.
Yes. Students earning a GED can apply if they will start college for the first time in 2027–2028 and meet all other eligibility criteria.
The SchoolHouse Connection scholarship is a national scholarship for homeless students. Scholarship recipients become Scholars in our Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program. Scholars receive a $2,500 award, up to $100 in monthly stipends, three all-expenses-paid trips, one-on-one intensive support, and a strong peer community to help them get to and through college and into the workforce. Learn more on ourScholarship Program page.
The SchoolHouse Connection scholarship is one of the nation’s only scholarship programs specifically for youth who have experienced homelessness and offers:
Multi-year financial support
Dedicated staff mentoring
Peer community and leadership opportunities
Trips focused on advocacy, wellness, and workforce readiness
Know someone who will benefit from this scholarship? Let them know!
We rely heavily on education and nonprofit professionals to ensure that students who are eligible for our scholarship program know that the application is available. We appreciate your effort in sharing our program with the youth you serve, and we are available to answer any questions you have.
If you’ve experienced homelessness and will be starting college for the first time in 2027–2028, we encourage you to apply for the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program.
