The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis is a non-profit organization for students who want to receive higher education but may need funding to attend.
The foundation has scholarships and interest-free loans for St. Louis metro students who may have low-income backgrounds but want to pursue their dreams of better lives for themselves and their families through higher education. The foundation provides zero-interest loans for people who qualify for admission to colleges and also awards grants. Students even get a chance to pay off the loans early by working at the ScholarShop.
Big Picture Academy graduate, Olajuwon Davis, was a student who worked at the ScholarShop with the help of the school principal, Kacy Seals. Davis did not know about the scholarship or even the ScholarShop. Davis started to work at the ScholarShop in the summer and then decided to apply for a scholarship.
“I never knew about the scholarship,” Davis said
Davis applied for the loan but still needed more funds to pay for college. Davis went to orientation at the Scholarship Foundation and was provided with a grant to help pay for the rest of his tuition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Davis was surprised with the outcome and never expected to have college paid for.
“A blessing in disguise,” Davis said.
Davis gave advice to students who want to attend college but are unsure how to pay for it.
“Be willing to release stress, stay encouraged, try not to give up and stay positive. Everything happens for a reason. It all starts with attitude,” Davis said.
Davis is glad to know that he will not have to worry as much about financial issues in school and focus on graduating and majoring in economics.
“Knowing that I won’t have to worry about money is a release of stress. This allows me to focus on my education and goals,” Davis said.
Executive Director at the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis Faith Sandler believes everyone deserves a chance to further their education for the better.
“We want to help more students, they have to just apply,” Sandler said.
Today African-American students in the St. Louis region represent an average of 25 to 30 percent of each year’s recipients. The program conducts specialized free workshops that alert potential college students and their family members to the benefits and possibilities of higher education and that help them handle the complex tasks of applying for admission and financial aid.
The student advocate and advising program also operates at 40 sites throughout the region including all the high schools of the St. Louis Public School and a few suburban schools. In the 2009-2010 academic years, the foundation assisted some 600 area students with loans and grants for higher education totaling of three million. Recipients are selected on the basis of financial need, academic promise and progress and personal character.
The ScholarShop is not the average thrift store. The store has more of high scaled items of clothes, shoes and accessories but for a cheaper price. The two stores are located in Webster Groves and in St. Louis.
For more information on Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, go to sfstl.org or call (314) 725-7990.
