Scholarship for Undocumented Students - Golden Door Scholars

What to Expect

What to Expect as A Golden Door Scholar

 

New Scholarship Recipients

MATCHING

After receiving the Golden Door Scholarship, students can expect to hear from us shortly after to start onboarding. During onboarding, students will learn about our scholarship program in detail, including how the scholarship works, the matching process, programming, upcoming events, where and when to apply to ensure matching with a partner school, and the Golden Door Scholars Code of Conduct.

Throughout the application process, Golden Door Scholars staff and students will work together to ensure that students have applied to various partner schools to secure an appropriate match. Golden Door Scholar recipients must NOT take out loans to achieve their degrees, so we will agree to aid students at non-partner schools if it is economically feasible on a case-by-case basis. There are no guarantees to support students at non-partner schools, and students will be well informed on how this process will work during onboarding.

After the scholars have been matched with the regional partner schools, they will enroll and follow all the schools' instructions to register as students. Golden Door Scholars will individually work with students at non-partner colleges to determine the next steps. To proceed with their scholarships, all partner and non-partner school scholars must receive a match before enrolling for the fall semester.

THE ACADEMIC YEAR

All new scholars will participate in Thrive before the fall semester begins. Thrive is a required program designed for new scholars to get to know one another and review GDS expectations for their first school year.

Each scholar works with a Student Career Coach (SCC) to help them navigate their career path and provide support, networking opportunities, and resources throughout the school year. The primary goal of the SCC is to set students up for career success. Scholars will meet with their SCC regularly. 

Each year, scholars attend required and encouraged programming. Programming examples include professional development training, workshops, and networking events. Golden Door Scholars cultivated these programming options to build connections between scholars and prepare them for sustainable, high-earning careers upon graduation. 

What’s expected of Golden Door Scholars?

These are some examples of the expectations of Golden Door Scholars. We are more than just a scholarship; we provide evidence-based support and community. We hold our scholars to a high bar, and they always rise to the occasion. 

  • 3.0 GPA semester GPA and 3.0 cumulative college GPA

  • Monthly meetings with SCC

  • Monthly meetings with Mentors (as Juniors & Seniors)

  • Obtaining field-related career experience before senior year

  • Attending two GDS events each semester

  • Complete assignments on-time

  • Regular and proactive communication with GDS staff

  • Juniors are required to secure an internship or gain career experience during their junior year

But really, what’s it like?

Golden Door Scholars fosters a distinctive and resilient community of scholars. On campus, our scholars can expect peer-to-peer support and enduring friendships. During our annual events, scholars from every school and cohort come together to engage in enriching conversations, storytelling and professional development. Recognizing the challenges of living the undocumented experience in the United States, Golden Door Scholars ensures that scholars can rely on one another, the Golden Door Scholars team, and Mentors for unwavering support throughout their college journey.