Olene S. Walker Scholarship
Basic Information
Responsible Agency: My529
State scholarship: Olene Walker TAL scholarship
Amount: Yearly amounts are: $6,500 for full-time (12 or more credit hours) at a four-year school; $5,500 for full-time (12 or more credit hours) at a two-year school; $4,120 for three-quarters time (9-11 hours); $2,750 for part-time (6-8 credit hours)
Deadline to Apply: April 15 & October 15
Can Spend On: Tuition, housing, books and basic living expenses
How $ is Awarded: The Olene Walker TAL scholarship is awarded in monthly increments onto a debit card. Money is reloaded onto the card every month that the student successfully meets with their Olene Walker mentor and maintains the other requirements.
For Whom:
College students 17-26 who:
Have open cases in DCFS, CCS or tribal social services
Aged out of foster care
Were in foster care after their 16th birthday and were adopted or placed in guardianship
Not eligible: reunified youth, youth formerly in foster care whose cases closed before 16th birthday, youth whose cases originated in another state
To Access
Apply online by October 15 (to receive funds for spring semester) and April 15 (to receive funds for fall semester). Students must reapply each semester by submitting the renewal application.
Want Help? We can meet with you
The 1999 Collective exists to make this process easier. Contact us for help navigating any barrier, including:
You're not sure you qualify for the Olene Walker scholarship
You'd like support on your application, such as help writing your personal statement or understanding how to ask someone for a letter of recommendation
You don't know how to access documentation the scholarship requires, such as your ACT scores, your transcript, or documentation that you've been in foster care