Gainesville Veterans for Peace Scholarship Program for Alachua County Students
Deadline for Application, April 27, 2022
Gainesville Veterans for Peace Chapter 14 is excited to announce our 8th annual Peace Scholarship Program for the spring of 2022. We are awarding three college and/or vocational scholarships of $1,000 each for high school seniors, college students or adults with a commitment to activities including: immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change.
Veterans for Peace created these scholarships to give financial support to students in Alachua County, Florida who are planning careers in pursuit of a world of peace with justice.
Most Veterans for Peace scholarships awarded thus far have went to first-generation students as well as those planning to enroll in community college programs. Students enrolled in vocational, apprenticeship and career training programs are eligible to apply.
Santa Fe College student Doug Bernal, a recipient of a 2016 Peace Scholarship, is an Iraq War veteran who explains the economic challenges facing student veterans: “Like many newly separated veterans, I struggled financially for quite some time after leaving the service. Unsure of where I wanted to go in life and lacking the confidence to pursue higher education, I found myself taking on more debt as time went on. I didn’t initially have the grades for financial aid, so the VFP scholarship was instrumental in getting me the books I so desperately needed and putting me on a path to a successful college experience.”
Another scholarship recipient, University of Florida student Mariana Castro, an immigrant rights activist notes, “To me receiving the Veterans for Peace Scholarship meant that there are people in our community who truly believe in helping change and shape our society for the betterment of all. There are not many scholarships such as VFP Peace Scholarship because work for social justice is often overlooked in our world.”
Please help Gainesville Veterans for Peace spread the word about this scholarship program!
To be eligible to apply for the Peace Scholarship, the applicant must be: 1) a resident of Alachua County; 2) a high school senior planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school or apprenticeship program in the United States for the 2022-2023 academic year. Or: 2) a student currently enrolled in one of these programs and in good standing; or: 3) an adult student enrolling in higher education who needs financial assistance.
Peace Scholarship applicants will also be asked to provide a brief personal statement and evidence of leadership and/or personal initiative in activities in an organization (including volunteer or paid work) relating to peace and social justice, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change. Applicants will also need to provide two letters of recommendation.
PEACE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application (PDF file) must be downloaded from the Gainesville Veterans for Peace website, printed out, completed and postal mailed to:
Paul Ortiz
C/O Veterans for Peace Scholarship Program
2115 NW 7th Lane
Gainesville, Florida 32603
The postmarked deadline for the scholarship application is April 27, 2022.
Peace Scholarship recipients will be announced during the first week of May. For questions about the Peace Scholarship, contact Paul Ortiz at: ortizprof@gmail.com or 831-334-0131.
The full announcement and instructions for applying may be found on our web site, at http://www.vfpgainesville.org/