View All Scholarships

Washington State Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship

The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund was started in 1985 by a small group of neighbors in Seattle’s Mount Baker community and is a sponsored activity of the Mount Baker Community Club. The fund was intended to capture the spirit and vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. and to ensure that his dream lives on in all of us.

The scholarship is renewable for all four years of college. Students attending four-year colleges will receive $4,000 per year for four years. Students attending two-year colleges will receive $2,000 per year for two years. If they transfer or transition to a four-year college, they will receive $4,000 per year for their final two years.

The goal of this scholarship is to help deserving students achieve the dream of a higher education. The scholarship seeks out students who show financial need and academic promise, have overcome obstacles, and who contribute to their community. The scholarship is limited to students from ethnic or racial groups that are underrepresented in higher education.

This application is now closed.

Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Application Eligibility

To be considered for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, students must:

  • Be a high school senior who is a resident of or attending school in one of the following zip codes and be on track to graduate by June 2023: 98104, 98108, 98118, 98122, 98134, 98144; (Franklin, Garfield, NOVA, interagency sites, Rainier Beach, South Lake, Cleveland and independent schools in these zip codes are all eligible).
  • Be a member of a racial or ethnic group that is underrepresented in higher education:
    • American Indian or Alaskan Native
    • Cambodian, Filipino, Laotian, Vietnamese
    • African or Black
    • Hispanic
    • Pacific Islander
    • Multi-racial
  • Have a family income for 2022 that does not exceed the amount listed by family size in this chart.
  • Have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.50 through fall 2023 term. An ideal candidate will have a GPA between 2.5 and 3.6.
  • Plan to enroll at a not-for-profit, accredited college or university in the United States starting in fall 2024.
  • File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
  • Complete and submit the application along with the required supporting documents. 

Please note: International students, students on foreign exchange or visas and out-of-state residents are not eligible.

Deadline

The 2024-25 application opens on October 1, 2023 and is due on January 31, 2024. Supporting documents are due February 7, 2024.

 

Application opens

10/01/2023

Application closes

1/31/2024

Documents due

2/7/2024

Award notification

4/15/2024

Award acceptance

4/30/2024

Mandatory online orientation

May 2024

Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Application

This application is now closed.

To be considered for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year, you must meet the eligibility criteria and complete each step below:

Required Documents 

  • Submit an online application by January 31, 2024.
  • Upload the following documents by February 7, 2024:
    • Unofficial transcript from your high school showing grades through fall 2022 and cumulative GPA.
      • If you are a Running Start student, make sure your college credits are reflected on your transcript.
  • Request the following document through the application portal:
    • Letter of recommendationEnsure your recommenders submit their letter of recommendation by February 7, 2024.

Eligibility

I am now a Washington state resident, but I graduated from an out-of-state high school. Why does graduating from a Washington state high school matter?

The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship is awarded to Washington state high school students only because the founding organization and its funding comes from a specific region in Seattle with the intent to support students who are in need in that particular community.

If I already have an associate degree, can I apply for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship?

If you are enrolled in Running Start and completed 90 credits or less, you can apply for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. Do keep in mind you have to be a high school senior at one of the eligible high schools the time of application.

I do not have a social security number. Can I apply for this scholarship?

Yes. Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents to apply for the Martin Luther King Jr.  Scholarship. If you do not have an SSN, please use “000-00-0000” when answering that question.

Can I apply for this scholarship if I’m not planning to enroll full-time?

To be eligible, students must be planning to attend college full-time. If you are planning to attend less than 12 credits fall term, please contact us. The intent of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship is to fund students who will be enrolling full-time (12+ credits) each term to complete their degrees. If you are selected, you must enroll full-time each term or your scholarship may be forfeited (see continued eligibility criteria). Students who are enrolled less than full-time at the time of application are eligible to apply as long as they are planning to enroll full-time in the fall.

Will I still be able to receive the scholarship if I transfer to another college or attend a different college than I originally reported on my application?

Yes, the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship does not specify a particular college/university. You may transfer to another institution without penalty provided you meet all the other eligibility criteria.

The only criteria is that the institution has to be a not-for-profit, accredited institution. May I major in more than one degree and still be eligible for the scholarship?

If you are enrolled in two degrees concurrently, you will only receive payment for study in one of your majors.

Application

I am a Running Start student. How should I complete the application?

If you are a Running Start student, please ask your high school to make sure to include your Running Start courses.

I am not sure what college I will be attending in the fall. What college should I put on the application?

If you have applied to more than one college, you may not know by the application deadline which college you will be attending in the fall. If you are still deciding which college you’ll be attending, please complete the application with your current first choice. Students who are selected to receive the scholarship will be asked to complete an online scholarship acceptance form in April; at that time, you will be able to confirm the college you will be attending.

I have AP and/or IB courses. Are those courses counted towards my class level?

Once you are in college and your college accepts your AP and/or IB courses as part of your degree program, then you will count those AP and/or IB credits to determine your class level.  Generally the college lists the credits they have accepted on your transcript.

How can I update information on my application once it has been submitted?

Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make corrections or provide updates through the online application portal. If you need to update the information you provided, please email us the corrections or changes. Be sure to include in your email your full name, date of birth, preferred phone number, and school or college you have last attended.

Selection

I don’t meet all of the criteria to apply this year but think I may next year. Can I re-apply then?

No, you must be a high school senior at the time of application.

If I am not selected this year, will I be able to re-apply again next year?

No, you must be a high school senior at the time of application.

May I apply for more than one scholarship administered by College Success Foundation (CSF)?

Yes, you may apply for more than one scholarship administered by CSF. Please visit the CSF website for all scholarship opportunities.

How many years can I receive the scholarship?

The length of time you are eligible to receive scholarship funding will depend on the length and amount stipulated in the Award Notification that is emailed to you.

Disbursement

When is my check going to be mailed?

Your check is cut the day listed in the “Payment Information” section of this site. You can also check a customized email sent to you in July confirming your school of attendance, disbursement amounts and disbursement dates of your scholarship.

I don’t see my scholarship check applied to my account. What can I do?

We recommend you give it 10 business days for the check to arrive in the mail at your school and for your school to apply your funds to your account. If after 10 business days from the date published in the “Payment Information” section you contact your financial aid office and they tell you they haven’t received your scholarship, please contact us so that we can cancel that check and issue a new one.

How will my dollar amount award be disbursed?

Awards are divided in equal amounts per academic term based on the number of credits you are enrolled. We assume fulltime enrollment unless you or your school let us know otherwise. We cannot disburse full year awards in just one term.

Next Steps

If you received a scholarship offer you should complete this form whether or not you are accepting the scholarship.

  • Students who are accepting the scholarship will have the opportunity to review and accept the terms of the scholarship. Failure to complete the acceptance form by the deadline may result in losing your scholarship
    • Upload your donor thank you note (instructions below).
    • Upload a copy of your 2024-25 Financial Aid Award Offer from the school you are planning to attend.
  • Students who are declining the scholarship must also complete this form to formally decline the scholarship. 

Accept/decline your scholarship

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Thanking Your Donor

Continuing scholarship recipients receiving the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship must complete a scholar update for their donor.

Scholar Update/Thank You Template & Instructions

End of Year/Renewal Form for Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars

Instructions

ALL Martin Luther King Jr.  scholars must complete the end of year form and donor update each spring to let us know whether or not they will be renewing the scholarship for the following academic year.  In the form, you will be able to indicate to us whether:

  • You are renewing your Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for the next academic year;
  • You have graduated with a degree; OR,
  • You are not renewing the scholarship because you no longer meet the renewal criteria.

If you are graduating or not planning to renew, please complete the end-of-year form and donor update to formally decline the scholarship. 

The form will open on May 1 and must be completed by the June 30 deadline every year. Failure to complete this process by the deadline may result in losing your scholarship.

Complete your form

Continued Eligibility Requirements

To continue receiving the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, scholars must meet the eligibility criteria below. Your scholarship will be cancelled if you do not meet all the requirements:

  1. You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) each term in the academic year at a not-for-profit, accredited college or university in the United States starting Fall 2024.
    • If you have extenuating circumstances that require you to take a term off, please contact us.
  2. You must continue to pursue a degree (either two-year or four-year degree). 
  3. Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies. 
  4. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the free Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) by November 1 every year. 
  5. Demonstrate financial need as defined and determined by your financial aid office. CSF reserves the right to review your financial aid need and your scholarship may be forfeited if that need is fully met through other resources.
  6. Complete the annual renewal process by June 30 every year:
    • fill out the renewal form online;
    • upload the donor update;
    • upload an unofficial college transcript. 

Students who do not complete this process may lose their scholarship.  The following are not requirements for renewal; however, we recommend that you:

  • Keep contact information current: Please tell us when you have changes to your contact information so we can stay in touch with you regarding your scholarship. If there are any changes to your email, phone, or address please send updated information in an email. 
  • Watch for emails from us: You may receive requests to attend events or participate in media activities. If so, we hope you will participate! You can also serve as a role model or mentor to other students. If you miss an email from us, please check your spam settingsbe sure to add scholarshipservices@collegesuccessfoundation.org as an approved sender if needed. 

Deadline: The form will open on May 1 and must be completed by the June 30 deadline every year.

Scholar Update Instructions

Continuing scholarship recipients receiving the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship must complete a scholar update for their donor.

Scholar Update Template & Instructions

How You Will Receive the Scholarship

We will email you in August to confirm where you will be attending college and the amount you’ve been awarded per term.

Funds can be used for tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation and personal expenses as detailed in the cost of attendance.

Your scholarship check will be sent directly to the financial aid office at your college following this schedule:

Fall Semester 8/2/2023
Fall Quarter 8/2/2023
Winter Quarter 11/15/2023
Spring Semester 11/15/2023
Spring Quarter 3/6/2024

Please allow processing time for the college/university to apply the scholarship funds to your student account and revise your financial aid. In some cases, the funds may not be applied to your account until after the start of the term. Please follow up with your college/university’s financial aid office to determine the timing of the scholarship payment.

Your scholarship will be divided equally over the number of terms of enrollment at your college/university. You must be enrolled full-time and meet your college’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy in order to receive the funding.

If you are not enrolled full-time at the start of the term, your scholarship funding will be delayed until the matter has been resolved. Generally, Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship recipients must be enrolled full-time each term. As a general rule, when students do not enroll full-time, their award is prorated to reflect their enrollment status. However, if you are planning to enroll in less than 12 credits for a term, please contact us.

Applicant Questions and Documents

Email Applicants: If you have questions about your application, please email us. Please include in your email:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Preferred phone number 
  • Preferred email address

This will allow us to identify your application and answer any questions.  Phone: Call toll-free (877) 655-4097 (option #4) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST time Monday through Friday.  If you have trouble logging into the application, please contact the Helpdesk.

Current Scholars

Questions about scholarship disbursements, additional funds, extension of your scholarship, etc.:

Questions About Your Scholarship:

Questions About College Support Services: