$500 Scholarship by the Biracial Family Network

The Biracial Family Network (BFN) will provide 2 five hundred dollar scholarships with a one-year BFN student membership for the 2011-2012 academic school year. The scholarship applies to all academic levels (including entering freshmen), and to trade schools, community colleges, and 4-year colleges and universities. These scholarships may be used towards tuition, room and board, and other school-related costs. In order to be eligible to apply, students must be:

- Chicago area residents attending a school anywhere in the country, or
- Attending any school in the Chicago area

In an effort to support healthy identity development and expression among multiracial and transracially adopted students, the BFN intends this scholarship to support the academic aspirations of students who identify with two or more racial/ethnic categories, and/or are adopted into multiracial/ethnic families. Students such as these often face social difficulties, and are often overlooked for scholarships, simply because they do not fit neatly into socially accepted racial/ethnic categories.

Interested applicants should submit

1. A one-page resume outlining educational, professional, and community service experiences;
2. A letter of recommendation from a non-family member;
3. College transcripts (current undergraduates) or high school transcripts (entering freshmen); and
4. A personal statement essay that explains: how you identify yourself in terms of race/ethnicity and why, and how you think multiracial families and individuals can contribute to greater racial equality in American society. Essays should not exceed two, double-spaced pages in 12-point font.
   

All application materials must be submitted electronically as either Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx formats) or PDF documents. Email all application materials to Brett Coleman at bcolem3@uic.edu with the subject heading “BFN Scholarship Application”.

Applications must be received by Monday, May 16th, 2011, no later than 5PM CST.

Notifications will be made by Sunday, July 31st, 2011.

For additional information, please contact Brett Coleman (BFN Assistant Organizer) at bcolem3@uic.edu, or Robin Tillmon (BFN President) at robintillmon@hotmail.com.