Empower My Hood 2026 Scholarship

EMH INC. SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Candidate must be an 8th grade middle school graduating senior that has received acceptance as an entering High School freshman for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Candidate must be a 12th grade high school graduating senior that has received acceptance as a College/University Freshman for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Candidate must be a 12th grade high school graduating senior that has received acceptance into a Vocational Program for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Candidates must maintain a residence in the borough of Queens but may attend school elsewhere.

Candidate must have demonstrated academic achievement with a:
- Middle school minimum cumulative average of 80 (B)
- High school minimum cumulative average of 80 (B) or a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Candidates must be available to participate in a virtual interview with the Scholarship Committee.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Children of members of Empower My Hood Inc. are not eligible to receive scholarship awards.

**All Applicants** A two - three hundred (200-300) word personal statement essay, which should include candidate’s goals, accomplishments, community involvement, and reasons why they should be considered for our scholarship.

**High-School Applicants Only** A two-three hundred (200-300) word essay, selecting one topic of choice listed below:
- Explain your achievements and successes and how this will help contribute to your future?
- What are your strengths or talents? How are they used to help or inspire others?
- Please describe a life changing event that you experienced. What happened and how it affected you (good or bad).

Two (2) Letters of Recommendation one from each category A & B (All letters should be reflective of activities that occurred during the academic year 2025– 2026. (All letters must be signed and dated.)

Category A - Choose Either One (1) letter providing a detailed description of candidate’s community involvement on official letterhead OR (1) Character reference from someone other than a relative demonstrating the candidates’ leadership qualities.

Category B One (1) letter from a middle school or high school teacher of a core subject ex. Math, Science, English, etc. The letter must describe the candidate's school performance and/or extra-curricular activities on official school letterhead.

One (1) letter providing a detailed description of candidate’s community involvement on official letterhead or (1) character reference from someone other than a relative demonstrating the candidates’ leadership qualities.

A letter from a middle school or high school teacher of a core subject ex. Math, Science, English, etc. The letter must describe the candidate's school performance and/or extra-curricular activities on official school letterhead.

An OFFICIAL SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT:
- Transcript must include the latest marking period from the Spring 2026 Term and is due by Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- Official transcripts must be emailed directly to the Scholarship Committee from the candidate's Middle or High School Guidance Counselor..
- Send all additional materials to scholarships@emhinc.org. Subject line must include Scholarship-Transcript, and Applicant Name. ex. Scholarship-Transcript, Jane Doe

IMPORTANT NOTE: All items listed are required and must be submitted to be considered for a scholarship award. Incomplete application packages will be deemed ineligible and removed from consideration

If you are interested in applying to the Middle School scholarships, please note you must meet all criteria for the scholarship selected.