Live Your Dream Awards

What you will need

• ✓ Online application submitted between August 1 and November 15
• ✓ Personal statement of 750 words or less describing your challenges and goals
• ✓ One required reference (submitted via the online reference form)
• ✓ Optional second reference
• ✓ A financial section in the online application comparing your total annual income with your total annual expenses

About this award

You can receive a grant in three stages: up to $1,000 at the First Level, an additional $3,000 or $5,000 at the Region Level, and an additional $10,000 at the International Level for 3 region-level recipients. This is a grant, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. Each year, Soroptimist International of the Americas (the global organization supporting women and girls) awards more than $3 million in education grants to over 2,300 women. This is for you if you are a woman who provides the main financial support for yourself and your dependents, such as children, partners, siblings, or parents, and you have a demonstrated financial need. You must apply between August 1 and November 15 through the online system. No specific notification date is posted publicly — check the Soroptimist website or your application portal to see when and how you will hear back. Winners are selected through a tiered process starting at the local club level and moving up to regional and international levels. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Soroptimist how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Soroptimist during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. This is a one-time award: anyone who has already received a Live Your Dream Award or a Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Award cannot apply again.

Who qualifies

You are eligible if you are a woman who resides in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guam, Japan, Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, United States of America, or Venezuela. You must provide the primary financial support for yourself and your dependents and show financial need. You must be enrolled in or accepted to an undergraduate degree program or a vocational/skills training program. You cannot have a graduate degree. You are ineligible if you are a Soroptimist member, an employee of Soroptimist International of the Americas, or an immediate family member of either. You also cannot apply if you have already received a Soroptimist Women's Opportunity or Live Your Dream Award.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Open to trades, certificate or undergraduate students

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

3. 3

   Write your essay

   Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.

4. 4

   Submit your application

   Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

• Personal StatementAvoid using Artificial Intelligence to write your essay. Instead, write in your own voice to tell the story of the challenges you have faced and how this award helps you live your dream. Keep your statement to 750 words or less.
• ReferencesAvoid just picking anyone. Instead, choose a "cheerleader" like a mentor, teacher, counselor, supervisor, colleague, or case manager who knows your strengths. Provide the contact info for one required reference and consider adding a second to strengthen your case.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the last minute to gather your documents. Instead, draft your personal statement and identify your references early so you can focus on the online application system between August 1 and November 15.
• RealismAvoid counting on this as full funding. Instead, remember that while the top prize is large, most recipients start at the First Level of up to $1,000. Plan your budget based on the initial level while hoping for regional or international advancement.

Questions students ask

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