This July, the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) proudly continued its annual scholarship program to assist eligible program participants in achieving their higher education goals. The program, which is administered in partnership with Housing Partners I, Inc. (HPI) has run for over 30 years and provides a modest financial scholarship to current program participants who have demonstrated financial need and who have enrolled in a four-year college or university, community college, or technical/vocational school.
HACSB accepted more than 75 scholarship applications this year, nearly 50% more than in the previous two years combined. The applications underwent a thorough review process to confirm eligibility, and recipients were selected based on a review of their application, letters of recommendation, essay, and demonstrated financial need. A total of $27,750 in scholarship awards were made to 21 applicants.
Recipients shared how the scholarship is meaningful to them:
“This scholarship will support my academic and entrepreneurial goals. I work on robots and have built my own industrial 7-degree-of-freedom arm, which I am constantly upgrading, fixing, and working on to make suitable for the restaurant industry. The costs add up. In addition to helping with the costs of school, such as books, gas, and tuition, the HACSB Scholarship will also contribute directly to my passion for improving working conditions in the fast-food industry. All this would have been impossible without people like you and your team, who help me, and my mom.” – Elijah Peralta, scholarship recipient
“What this scholarship means to me is confirmation that I am on the right path and living my purpose. As I entered my Master’s Degree program, I kept going and didn’t stop after my Bachelor’s. I hope to inspire others to believe they can achieve their accomplishments and dreams. You’re never too old, and it’s never too late; you are right on time. With this scholarship, I aim to motivate others in similar situations to reach for the mountains, not take no for an answer, and continue finding their purpose.” – Xandra Vaughn, scholarship recipient
Scholarship awards are made using non-federal funds, including a $10,000 donation to the scholarship program by the Doshi family. The Doshi family has been a landlord partner to HACSB for over 20 years, housing many of our customers through the Housing Choice Voucher program. The Doshi family’s generous supp ort helps us continue the HACSB Scholarship Program and support the educational goals of our mutual customers. Thank you, Doshi family!