2024 Lulac Scholarship Application – Council 754

SCHOLARSHIP FUND (LNESC)
Our Lulac NWA 754 Council is opening the application period for 2024.
APPLICATION IS ONLINE
PLEASE, MAKE SURE TO PROPERLY SIGNED, DATED AND COMPLETED IT NO LATER THAN MARCH 31, 2024.
Our Lulac National in Washington has an online application. This is the only way to apply for scholarships.
Our local level Educational Committee Council 754, NWA and Fort Smith, will review our local applications and select award candidates.
LULAC COUNCIL 754 is an education and advocacy group working to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans of Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley- Fort Smith.
Our Mission is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, and health for the Hispanic population. Our annual fundraising event and donations from the community and corporations are what allows us to continue helping many Latino students.
Our board consists of volunteers which 100% of the money raised go to our programs.
If you have any concerns, you can email the Education Committee at:
nwalulac754@gmail.com

ONLINE APPLICATION LNSC FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CRITERIA & REQUIREMENTS PROGRAN SCHOLARSHIP OVERVIEW APPLICATION SUBMISSION CHECK LIST

NWA Lulac

NWA LULAC Council 754 also known as the Northwest Arkansas LULAC Council was founded in 2001 and is currently based in Rogers, Arkansas. It was formed by a group of Latinos in Northwest Arkansas with ties to the community, corporations, and education who were concerned about the absence of an effective voice for Latinos in the areas of education and economic opportunity. LULAC Council 754, created Apoyo Latino a non-profit (501c3) and non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latinos in Northwest Arkansas by addressing access to higher education and other economic barriers.

The council has been one of the most effective and well respected Latino organizations providing scholarships in NWA. We are also proud of our scholarship program which has helped many Latino students continue their education right here in NWA. To date, LULAC 754 has awarded scholarships totaling more than $500,000. We have also undertaken a program to address the needs of Latino students entering secondary education which may be in need of guidance for them to successfully complete high school and continue to higher education or training in a trade. This program, Pillars for Education, is funded by a grant to LULAC from Ford Driving the Dream.

The Northwest Arkansas Council has also partnered with local universities, colleges, and technical schools to ensure that Latino students entering these institutions have programs, courses of study, and student organizations for support. Corporate partners in the area have also been very supportive of LULAC programs and scholarships, through their donations, sponsorships, and employee involvement with LULAC.

Pillars for Success

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Pillars for Success is an early intervention program that empowers low income and potential first generation post-secondary Latino students integrating school based curricula and existing wraparound programs. The overarching goal is to create the next generation of servant leaders for the advancement of the Latino Community. This program will help first generation Latinos improve their academic performance, complete high school, and prepare for higher education. It will also advance the students’ social capital and critical skills to succeed in life and make a significant contribution to society.

The main idea is to help risk students to improve grades by providing academic and self-esteem to success in High School and their lives. On the other hand, their mentors who are outstanding High School and College Students will develop a strong leadership and community services towards these risk students by supporting them with their academic and emotional skills.

Arkansas and other southern states have seen unprecedented grown of the Hispanic community in the last decade, with a population of more than 200,000 residents and over 40,000 students in public schools. In Northwest Arkansas, the two largest school districts, Springdale and Rogers, are over 40% Hispanic. With a total enrollment of 2,019 in 2013-2014, 41.6% of Rogers Heritage High School (RHHS) students were Hispanic, 28% limited English proficiency and 59% low-income, according to Arkansas Department of Education Data Center (ADE).

Scholarships Overview

Lulac Overview Scholarship History– Council 754

OUR HISTORY AND STRATEGY OBJECTIVES

The Northwest Arkansas League of United Latin American Citizen, Council 754, a 501 c4, was established in February 2001 to provide economic equality to Hispanics in the area. The greatest area which needed immediate attention was access to higher education allowing northwest Arkansas to grow its own Hispanic professionals. An annual event was established to raise funds for scholarships and continues today with great success. Additionally, Apoyo Latino was launched, creating a 501c3 whereby donors could claim their contributions as tax-deductible.

NWA LULAC Council 754 was founded by a group of concerned professionals in the area that wanted to improve the lives of the Hispanic population. Today, we cover NWA(North West Arkansas) and the River Valley – Fort Smith regions.

LNESC(LULAC National Education Service Centers) and LULAC established the LNSF(LULAC National Scholarship Fund) to help youth in underserved communities make the dream of college or postsecondary school’s enrollment a reality. LNSF is a unique partnership between grassroots advocates, nonprofit organizations, corporations and other entities to educational opportunities for deserving youth across the U.S. Every dollar raised by local LULAC Councils is matched by corporate partners secured by LNESC (LULAC National Education Service Centers) to increase the amount given in both the council and corporation’s name. This model results in a true grassroots/corporate partnership for the empowerment of the Latino community. Former recipients of LNSF scholarships are now leaders in fields of business, science, government, and education.

The program needs continued funding for sustainability and to keep the programs developing our future leaders. We will educate our Hispanic students at the onset of their high school years and continue to mentor them for higher education and/or life after their graduation. We hope that companies can provide internships at the university or technical school levels. At the same time, we want leaders to create companies and to provide a diverse economic growth in our community and to have a strong relationship with the mature companies in our area.

Apoyo Latino- LULAC Group is committed to an environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Everyone has the right to volunteer in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal opportunities. Therefore, Apoyo Latino- LULAC Group expects that all relationships among persons in the office/group will be business-like and free of bias. The local council could work as a true academic non-profit organization while maintaining educational values of LULAC and match national funds if Apoyo Latino is able to collect community money for our students.

LULAC AWARD EVALUATION CRITERIA

Grade each category on a scale of 1 to 10; ten being the highest)
We have 5 areas to evaluate our applications:
I. Academic Record: Assess the applicant’s academic performance based on applicant’s grade point average (GPA), SAT/ACT test scores, school transcript, honors, and awards. Pillar’s Academic Program will be included here.

II. Writing Ability: Rate the applicant’s essay based on content, style, personal goals, and professional goals.

III. Financial Need: Assess the applicant’s need for financial assistance based on financial data reported.

IV. Extracurricular Activities/ Programs: Assess the student’s involvements outside of school based on the applicant’s list of activities and personal essay.

Pillar’s elements will be integrated to these criteria. At the same time, any school can participate without having our pillar’s program. We want to show any High School or College that these elements can be universal or common denominator for any programs (example: develop emotional mature students, tutoring, studying habits, club member involvements, develop social skills, High School Advocate Student Risk Program, Physical(disability) and Social Development, Multi- Cultural Development, Financial Literacy, etc.)

Community Involvement: Assess the applicant’s degree of involvement within their community based on applicant’s list of activities and personal essay.