Kordestani Family Foundation – The American Dream Scholarship

Applicants must:

• Be graduating from a California high school during the current academic year.
• Be a California resident.
• Be a U.S. citizen, Lawful Permanent Resident, or otherwise legally authorized to study in the United States.
• Have been accepted to and plan to enroll full-time at an accredited community college, college, or university in California.
• Maintain a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Demonstrate significant financial need.
• Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), if eligible. Proof of submission is required.
• Demonstrate that educational expenses are not fully covered through other scholarships, grants, or financial assistance programs. Preference will be given to students who still have substantial unmet financial need after all other available financial aid has been awarded.

Students beginning their higher education at a California Community College with plans to transfer to a four-year institution are strongly encouraged to apply.

Because the primary purpose of this scholarship is to increase access to higher education for students with limited financial resources, financial need is the most important selection criterion.

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate:

• Household income and financial circumstances.
• FAFSA Submission Summary (or California Dream Act Application confirmation, if applicable).
• Expected Family Contribution/Student Aid Index (if applicable).
• Cost of attendance at the selected institution.
• Other scholarships, grants, and financial aid awarded.
• Remaining unmet financial need after all available aid has been considered.

Preference will be given to applicants who have exhausted available financial aid opportunities and still face significant financial barriers to attending college.

• Completed online application.
• Official high school transcript.
• Letter of acceptance from an accredited California college, university, or community college.
• Federal income tax returns (or equivalent proof of income) for the applicant and parent(s)/guardian(s) for the previous two years.
• Proof of FAFSA or California Dream Act Application submission.
• Documentation of all scholarships, grants, and financial aid awarded or pending.
• A personal essay (up to 750 words) discussing:
  
  • Your background and educational goals.
  • The financial challenges you and your family face in paying for college.
  • How this scholarship would help you achieve your educational and career aspirations.
  • Your future plans and how you hope to make a positive impact in your community.
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, or academic mentor.
• (Optional) Resume highlighting extracurricular activities, employment, volunteer work, leadership, and community involvement.
• (Optional) A short video introduction (maximum two minutes).

Applications must be submitted through our secure online application portal using a Google account. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Financial Need: 50%
• Academic Achievement: 25%
• Personal Essay: 15%
• Leadership, Community Involvement, and Extracurricular Activities: 10%

Finalists may be invited to participate in a brief virtual or in-person interview.

Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the recipient's educational institution and applied toward eligible educational expenses.

PARS Equality Center welcomes applications from all eligible students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

For questions regarding the scholarship, please contact info@parsequalitycenter.org.