Applicants must be one (not all) of the following:
- A current high school senior in Oregon or Illinois OR
- A current freshman or sophomore college student at a 4-year school in Oregon or Illinois OR
- A current community college student in Oregon or Illinois, planning to transfer to any 4-year school OR
- A current freshman or sophomore college student at one of our three partner HBCUs, or planning to transfer to one
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Plan to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. 4-year college.
- Must be a first-generation college student. Students who have a parent with a bachelor’s degree are not eligible. (see FAQ section for more).*
*RSP has recently changed its eligibility requirement from "first-in-family" (this included siblings) to "first-generation" (this only includes parents). If you have any questions, please reach out to Program Manager Callie, at callie@rscholars.org
- Have significant demonstrated financial need. Renaissance defines this as Pell eligibility or equivalent for those who do not file the FAFSA. If Renaissance scholarship winners go on to win a “full ride” scholarship through a college or organization, the Renaissance award will be rescinded (see FAQ section for more).
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and show academic achievement
- U.S. citizenship is not a requirement (see FAQ section for more).
(NOTE: Scholarships cannot be applied at community college. If students decide to enroll or continue at community college, they will need to reapply when they are ready to transfer.)