Scholarship for Undocumented Students - Golden Door Scholars

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About the Golden Door Scholarship

The Golden Door Scholarship provides significant college scholarships, career and fellowship support, mentorship, and community-building opportunities to high-achieving undocumented students.

Our scholarship application is now closed.

If you are considering applying for the Golden Door Scholarship, please review the following information:

  • Scholarship recipients will receive funding for a four-year degree at a Golden Door Scholars regional partner school beginning in the Fall 2025 semester. Tuition, room, and board are covered at Golden Door Scholars regional partner schools.

    Students who have applied to or are considering colleges in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia that are not currently designated as GDS partner schools should still proceed with their application for the Golden Door Scholarship. We will evaluate and provide support to students attending non-partner schools on an individual basis.

    Preference will be given to applicants interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree that is career-ready and has high earning potential, meaning applicants will not require an advanced degree to begin their careers. See the preferred majors to know which are accepted.

    Golden Door Scholars recipients are required to refrain from taking out loans to pursue their degrees. Therefore, we may consider assisting students at non-partner schools on a case-by-case basis if it is economically viable. Please note that there are no assurances of support for students at non-partner schools, and detailed information on this process will be communicated to students during the onboarding procedure.

    Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. 

  • Timeline

    • August 1, 2024 - Applications open

    • October 1, 2024 - Applications close

    • October 2024 - Applications are reviewed

    • November 2024 - Final candidates are interviewed

    • December 2024 - Award calls

  • Step 1: Review Eligibility and Apply

    Applicants must ensure they are eligible for the Golden Door Scholarship and review the application process and expectations before submitting their application. The deadline to apply for the Golden Door Scholarship is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

    Step 2: Application Received

    After successfully submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation from Golden Door Scholars. There, you will find a list of GDS partner schools to begin applying to while you wait to hear back from the GDS team. 
    Golden Door Scholars encourages you to apply for many scholarships. Other scholarships that serve DACAmented individuals can be found here.

    Step 3: Eligibility Screen

    After the Golden Door Scholar team has reviewed your application, select candidates will move on to the eligibility screening process. Should you be selected to move forward with the screening, you will receive a form that must be filled out by the due date. If Golden Door Scholars has questions regarding the eligibility form, select candidates will have a short phone call with a GDS Application Committee member. If Golden Door Scholars has no questions regarding the eligibility form, selected candidates will move to final interviews.

    Step 4: Interviews

    At this stage, select candidates will move forward for an interview via Zoom, where interviewers and GDS staff will have a chance to get to know you as an individual. 

    Step 5: Awards

    By the end of December 2024, finalists will be notified if they have received the Golden Door Scholarship!

    Step 6: Applying, Matching, and Onboarding

    Once recipients are selected and have accepted the Golden Door Scholarship, scholars will work with GDS staff to finish applying to their required schools.

    Please note that scholars are encouraged to apply to colleges and universities before hearing back from Golden Door Scholars. You can contact the college or university’s admissions office and ask for an application waiver to help you if there are any financial constraints. We require all scholars to finish applying to their required schools by January 2025 since matching begins promptly after that and ends in April 2025. 

    Once matched, scholars are onboarded to the Golden Door Scholars community through the summer onboarding program Thrive. Upon completing Thrive, all scholars begin meeting with their Student Career Coaches in August as they commence their college journeys!

  • You can use this EMAIL TEMPLATE to request your counselor to revise all your materials

    Materials Required for the Golden Door Scholarship

    •  A 500-word essay explaining the following:

      • How do you plan to use your unique background and experiences to make a positive difference in your community and at your future college?

      • Why are you interested in joining the Golden Door Scholar community?

    • A 2-minute video answering the following questions:

      • Where are you from?

      • What are your career aspirations? 

      • What are you passionate about? It could be related to your work, hobbies, or any other areas where you find immense fulfillment.

    • Unofficial transcripts from your high school

    Application Tips:

    • Review eligibility for the Golden Door Scholarship

    • Demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of the application process, including video recordings and interviews.

    • Be proactive in communication with Golden Door Scholars

    • Submit all required application materials

    • Review essays to minimize grammar and spelling errors

    • Applicants must be willing to consider, apply, or attend a GDS regional partner school

    Important Items to Note

    • Applicant transcripts are NOT required to be official versions.

    • SAT and ACT scores are NOT required. However, if you have standardized test scores, you can include them in your application at your discretion.

    • Scholarship Essays written with or by AI will NOT be considered.

    • Failure to provide all required information on the application will result in the candidate being disqualified from the interview process.

    Helpful Resources

If you are considering applying for the Golden Door Scholarship and still have outstanding questions about our application process after reviewing the Golden Door Scholars website, please reach out to info@goldendoorscholars.org.