The Willow Glen Education Foundation manages a variety of need and merit-based scholarships available to graduating Willow Glen High School seniors.
2026 Scholarships
Scholarship Applications Due By Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 11:59pm
Students: All scholarship applications are applied for within one single application form. You will enter your common information such as essays and transcripts, and then for each scholarship you are applying for, you will include some additional required information as described below.
Questions? Contact us at . Please allow 72 hours for a response.
Scholarship Celebrating Black and Latina/e/o/x Excellence
AMOUNT: Multiple awards of at least $1,000 each*
DESCRIPTION: This scholarship was established in 2021 by alumni of the WGHS classes of 1994 – 2001 and will be awarded to well-rounded students with Black, African American, Afro-Latino, and/or Latina/e/o/x heritage who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, athletics and/or community service to others.
REQUIREMENTS: Applicants with any of these characteristics may note them in their Common Application and Essay to be given special consideration during the review process.
Students who are or have been:
- First in their immediate family to attend an apprenticeship program, trade school, community college, or university
- Pursuing a degree or technical training in automotive technology and mechanics; the beauty industry (including skincare); computer science, coding/programming; education; elder home healthcare, physical therapy, law, and/or math
- Current or former English Language Learner (ELL) students
- LGBTQIA+ and non-binary individuals
- Undocumented, unaccompanied children, eligible for AB-540 or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), and/or DREAMers
- In foster care, unsheltered, or teenage parents
- In the free or reduced lunch program, WG Plus, and/or Silicon Valley Career Technical Education
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
Class of ‘53 Scholarships
AMOUNT: Multiple scholarships of varying amounts, ranging from $400-$2000*
DESCRIPTION: This scholarship has been established by the WGHS Class of 1953, for students who have financial need.
To qualify for these scholarships, applicants must be continuing their education after high school by:
- Entering a 4-year domestic college or university with a GPA of 3.2 or higher OR show significant improvement in GPA grade 9-12
- Entering a domestic community college with a GPA of 2.8 or higher OR showing significant improvement in GPA grades 9-12
- Entering a career technical training program. No minimum GPA requirement.
- Special consideration given to those students who are planning to study nursing or another medical/health care-related field.
REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the Common Application Essay, applicants must also include a statement describing themselves, and be prepared to provide a copy of their 12th-grade spring semester schedule.
To Demonstrate Financial Need:
To demonstrate financial need, applicants must be prepared to submit their parents’ or guardians’ tax returns showing household size and income. Please black out the Social Security number.
- Submit their parent or guardian’s most recent tax return that shows the number of members of your household AND household income with SS# blacked out. This can be uploaded to the application or a paper copy can be turned in to Ms. Pomele.
- Students may also show proof of participation in Willow Glen Cares via verification from Ms. Amador.
Students who cannot or prefer not to demonstrate financial need through tax forms or participation in WG Cares may meet with one of the counselors to verify eligibility. Please include the name of the counselor you met with on your application.
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
Steven English Memorial Scholarship
AMOUNT: $2000*
DESCRIPTION: This scholarship has been established by the family and friends of former WGHS student Steven English, to recognize seniors who have shown a commitment to community service.
- Students who play or have played organized field or ice hockey during their high school years will be given special consideration during the review process.
- This is not a need-based scholarship.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Requires a minimum 3.0 GPA excluding freshman year.
- To apply for this scholarship, applicants should include a statement describing themself, their education and career plans, and what they have learned from their community service experiences if that information is not addressed in their essay.
- To be considered as a field or ice hockey player, applicants must provide proof that they have been involved in an organized hockey program during their high school. Proof can include a letter from a coach, a certified team roster, etc.
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
Guptill Family Community Service Scholarship
AMOUNT: $1500*
DESCRIPTION: This scholarship was established by the Willow Glen Education Foundation and the Willow Glen High School Parent Club to recognize a senior who has contributed to the community, both at Willow Glen High School and in the wider community. This scholarship is now maintained by the Guptill Family.
- Special consideration will be given to students who have shown a commitment to social or racial justice.
- All students are welcome to apply.
REQUIREMENTS: To apply for this scholarship, include a statement describing your community service and social or racial justice efforts, if that is not addressed in your essay.
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
Willow Glen Education Foundation Scholarship
AMOUNT: Multiple scholarships of $1000*
DESCRIPTION: Multiple scholarships of at least $1,000 are offered by the Willow Glen Education Foundation to honor outstanding WGHS seniors who made significant contributions to both the school and their community. While these scholarships are not need-based, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 and should be well-rounded individuals.
- Applicants are well-rounded students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, athletics, employment and/or service to others.
- This is not a need-based scholarship.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Requires a 3.2 GPA.
- To apply for this scholarship, you must include a written paragraph (200-300 words) describing how being a student at WGHS has contributed to your personal development. This may be a lesson, experience, set of circumstances, or something similar, unique to WGHS, which you feel has impacted you in a significant way. *This is in addition to the main essay.*
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
Art Meade Memorial Scholarship
AMOUNT: Multiple scholarships of varying amounts, usually $1000-$5000*
DESCRIPTION: This scholarship has been established by the friends and family of Art Meade, a former Willow Glen High School educator.
Applicants are well-rounded students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, athletics and/or service to others.
- This is not a need-based scholarship.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Applicants must be entering one of the following schools:
- San Jose State University
- Cal-Poly-San Luis Obispo,
- Santa Clara University.
- Requires a minimum 3.2 GPA
- You must submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or mentor.
- In addition to the Common Application essay, you must submit an essay of 350-1,000 words addressing the following prompt:“Describe a unique experience at WGHS that inspired or influenced you, and explain how you plan to carry the lessons you learned forward into college.”
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
“Just Drew” Memorial Scholarship:
For the Love of Tinkering
AMOUNT: $10,000*
DESCRIPTION: Drew Nixon was a force to be reckoned with, and he deeply, passionately loved three things: music, tinkering, and his dog, Tyus. In his room, across from his guitar and record player, Drew had a desk/workbench. He had an endless number of projects in various stages, all sitting in front of the computer he had built from scratch. Projects ran the gamut from custom keyboards to weird switch systems and occasional carpentry. The 3D printer in his home’s hallway ran at all hours and his mom would always worry that he had forgotten to unplug his soldering iron. He even had a car project in the making that would have taken over the garage.
In Drew’s memory and the spirit of tinkering, creating, and imagining the possibilities, this $10,000 scholarship is offered to support a future mechanic, electrician, architect, carpenter, engineer, contractor, or creator of any sort.
REQUIREMENTS:
- In addition to the general essay, applicants are required to include a 500-2,000-word description of their favorite “passion project.” Please include photos if available.
- This project does not have to be related to a particular school class or have a real-world application; it can even be playful!
- This project should be primarily about bringing to life something you dreamed up and doesn’t need to be completed. (What great project is ever truly completed?)
- This project can be physical or digital.
- Within the project description, please be sure to share
1) What you have learned or are learning from your project
2) Where you encountered challenges or struggled
3) How you could approach the project differently if you were to start it again - Project success is not a criteria to receive this scholarship because the joy is in the process.
Other Requirements
- This scholarship is for anyone continuing their education after high school graduation (e.g., trade school, performing arts academy/school, community college, four-year college/university, etc.).
- Does not require a certain GPA or particular major.
Please consider a donation to this scholarship.
*Scholarship amount is subject to change
Scholarships Donations
If you’d like to contribute to scholarship funding: