Dare to Dream Scholarship Program

70% of foster youth want to attend college, sadly only 3% actually make it. Sadly, of those who make it to college, less than 1% actually graduate with a degree. Our Foster Youth Services are very committed to supporting foster youth who are pursuing their higher education dreams. We launched our “Dare to Dream" Scholarship Program in 2006 and thanks to our sponsors, we have awarded over $300,500 in academic scholarships to over 200 youth. Past scholars have been able to attend Stanford, UC Berkeley, Diablo Valley College, Clark Atlanta University, UCLA, Solano Community College, City College of San Francisco, Yale University, Whittier College, Oregon State University, and more.

Sponsor a scholarship, and enhance the academic journey for foster youth:

• Interested supporters can make a charitable donation starting at $500.
• 100% of the donation goes toward the selected scholarship recipient.
• The Dare to Dream Review Committee reads all the applications and scores based on the areas of focus. Top scored applicants are awarded a scholarship.
• If you are interested in becoming a “Dare to Dream" Scholarship Sponsor, please click here to review the “Dare to Dream" Sponsorship documents or contact us, we'd love to discuss this rewarding opportunity with you.

Application Process:

The 2019 "Dare to Dream" Application is now available:

2019 dare to dream application

• Completed applications are being accepted from February 1st - April 5th, 2019
• Contact Cynthia Shane Smith at csmith@voa-ncnn.org to learn more about the scholarship program or to receive assistance with your application.
• See page one of the application for all eligibility criteria and required documentation.
• Scholarships are awarded at our annual agency event in May. More details to come.