This four-year college scholarship is open to all DC Public and Public Charter School seniors. It is made possible by three Quaker Meetings: Friends Meeting of Washington (FMW), Langley Hill Friends Meeting, and Bethesda Friends Meeting. The scholarship was established in 1981, and in 1993 it was named for Mary Jane Simpson, an FMW member who had been a social worker in the DC public schools. It is supported entirely through donations by individuals and contributions by the three Meetings..
Selection Criteria: Students with demonstrated drive and determination to succeed in college, solid academic achievement, strong financial need,* success in overcoming past obstacles, strong values, and contributions to community. Recipients are chosen by a committee of the three sponsoring Meetings.
*The committee focuses its awards on students whose families cannot contribute to their college education, which typically means families with household incomes well lesss than $50,000. The committee uses the Federal FAFSA form or the parent's federal tax form to determine eligibility. Most awardees have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of no more than a few hundred dollars.
Important Dates:
- Monday, February 20, 2023 Opening Date for On-line Application Submission
- Friday, April 21, 2023 Final Deadline for Submission of Complete Application. Submitted applications must be entirely complete, including documents being submitted by third parties, by this date in order to be considered
- Saturday, June 24, 2023, Selected candidates are interviewed.
- By July 1 2023, Notification of Awardees
Number of Scholarships to be Awarded this Year: 5 - 10.
Amount Awarded per Student: At least $6,000, disbursed $1,500 per year for years one through four of college.
Application Criteria and Instructions: Applications are onliine only To access the on-line application form, go to
maryjanesimpsonscholarship.submittable.com/submit [1].
Questions: Questions about the scholarship, criteria, requirements or for those experiencing technical issues with the online platform, or students unable to access the internet, please email mjsimpsonscholarship@gmail.com [2].