This four-year scholarship is open to all DC Public and Public Charter School seniors. It is made possible by three Quaker Meetings: Bethesda Friends Meeting, Friends Meeting of Washington (FMW) and Langley Hill Friends Meeting. The scholarship was established in 1981 and later was named for Mary Jane Simpson, an FMW member who had been a social worker in the DC public schools. It is supported entirely through donations by individuals and the three Meetings.
Selection Criteria: Students with strong financial need*, demonstrated drive and determination to succeed in college, solid academic achievement, success in overcoming past obstacles, strong values and contribution to community. Recipients are chosen by a committee of the three sponsoring Meetings; applicants' religious affiliations have no bearing on the selection process.
*The committee focuses its awards on students whose families cannot contribute to their college education, which typically means families with household incomes of $50,000 or less. The committee uses the Federal FAFSA form or the parent's federal tax form to determine eligibility. Most successful applicants have Expected Family Contributions (EFC) of a few hundred dollars or less. The committee also considers the students' financial needs in the context of their plans for financing their college education.
Important Dates:
- Monday, February 20, 2023. Opening Date for On-line Application Submission
- Friday, April 21, 2023. Submitted applications must be entirely complete, including documents being submitted by others, by 11:59 pm, Friday, April 21st in order to be considered.
- Saturday, June 4, 2023. Selected applicants are Interviewed via Zoom.
- By July 1, 2023. Notification of Awardees
Number of Scholarships to be Awarded this Year: 5 - 10
Amount Awarded per Student: At least $6,000, disbursed $1,500 per year for years one through four of college.
Application Criteria and Instructions: Applications are accepted solely online at this internet address. We can accept most file formats, but prefer pdfs.
To start your application, you must first create an account with Submittable.com. When you create this account, use your first and last names by which you are known to your high school teachers or other school staff. If you send a request for others to upload materials, such as a reference letter, your name on your Submittable.com account is what will show up in the request to them.
Your log-in with Submittable requires an email address. You should use an email address that you will be able to use for at least the next four years. Do NOT use an email address from your high school; such email addresses expire at some time after your high school graduation. Please be sure to save your Submittable.com log-in and password information, so that you can return to this site.
Questions: Questions about the scholarship, criteria, requirements, for those experiencing technical issues with the online platform or students unable to access the internet, please email mjsimpsonscholarship@gmail.com.