Academic Scholarship - Info Page

Purpose

The Oscar Washington, Jr. Educational Fund (OWJEF) awards scholarships to college-bound high school seniors based on demonstrated academic achievement, financial need, and volunteer community service.

Qualifications

In order to be eligible to receive this scholarship, the student must be a high school senior residing in Arkansas and intending to continue their education at a four-year accredited college or university. Additionally, the student must have no lower than a 3.2 GPA at the time of application. Consideration will be given to academic achievement, financial need, and the student’s record of community service and involvement. Students should submit the online scholarship application through the OWJEF website.

Guidelines

All applications will go through a blind review process by a scholarship review committee. The review committee will recommend finalists to the executive team, who will then determine the final scholarship recipients. All applicants will be notified of the final decisions by mid-March.

Please make sure to add oscarwashingtonjr.ef@gmail.com to your email address book to ensure that our notifications are successfully delivered to your inbox and not your spam folder. Status changes and updates regarding your application will be sent primarily via email. Unread, deleted, or ignored emails could result in you missing important details or deadlines and disqualifying you from further consideration. 

Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis and disbursed in two equal payments in August and January. Cashier’s checks are made payable to the school and are sent directly to the student’s financial aid office. A copy of the cashier’s check and a cover letter will be sent to the student for proof.

Award Package

Each scholarship awarded will be a minimum of $1,500. At least ten students are selected to receive scholarships each application period. In addition to the scholarship award, each recipient will receive a college pack that includes a monogrammed OWJEF backpack, a Sam’s Club dorm room pack, a television, and a laptop, if a student demonstrates a need for one. 

All scholarship recipients will be required to attend a free college preparatory workshop addressing financial literacy and pitfalls, how to protect mental health as a college student, and workplace readiness. The workshops will be conducted by Andrea Lewis, business development and CRA officer at First Security Bank, Sharita Bilson, CEO of Grace Place Therapy, Joanne Alexander, Ima Dixon, and Bobbie Ficklin. Students will receive a free lunch, as well as a $50 gift card as a thank you from OWJEF for attending. Details for each year’s workshop will be distributed to scholarship recipients once they’re selected and notified. Scholarship recipients are required to attend the college preparatory workshop, except in cases of emergencies.

Deadline

The online application form will open from January 5, 2026 – February 13, 2026.

Renewal Process

This scholarship is non-renewable. Previous scholarship recipients are not eligible to reapply.

Applicant Requirements

• A completed scholarship application
• An official high school transcript (PDF)
• A resume (PDF)
• A report summary of student’s highest composite ACT score (PDF)
• One, type-written letter of recommendation (from any of the following: teacher, principal, school counselor, community worker, church volunteer, or employer) that includes the following information (PDF):
  • Applicant’s name
  • Relationship to the student
  • Signature
  • Printed name
  • Contact number
• 300-500 word written essay on one of the following prompts:
  • Prompt 1: Identify and explain what adjustments will be necessary for you to achieve success in college, and what steps you have taken to make those adjustments. 
  • Prompt 2: Identify one problem that exists, either locally or nationally, and explain how you could use your degree of choice to eradicate the problem. 
  • Prompt 3: Oscar Washington, Jr. valued education and was committed to helping students achieve academic excellence. Explain why you value education, and what it means to you.

We highly suggest all applicants review our Application Tips and Tricks page to ensure their application is the best it can be. You can visit the page by clicking here.

Annual Awards Ceremony

All selected scholarship recipients are required to attend the OWJEF Annual Awards Ceremony on April 11, 2026. Those who cannot attend are not eligible for the scholarship, except in cases of emergencies.

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