“Blessons Awards are in honor of women who have a vision to succeed in spite of obstacles.”

Scholarships for Women Application OVERVIEW

Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants for Blessons Scholarships for Women Awards must be:

Adult/Non-traditional female students who are ages 25 or older and whose continuing education was interrupted or put on hold due to challenging life lessons such as but not limited to; cancer, mental health conditions, physical or emotional abuse, sex trafficking, discrimination and isolation due to sexual orientation or those who are first-generation female immigrants.
She must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.
Must be pursuing a Trade/Technical or Vocational education or Continuing Education (examples; certification, license, CE credits..), or an associate’s degree, towards securing and/or maintaining her advancement economically, through a skilled trade profession.
Currently enrolled at a regional or ACICS accredited school/program, at least part-time. Must provide documentation about the program to verify credibility.
Proof of applicant’s program acceptance letter or current transcript.
Must also be willing to disclose any supporting materials, including medical records, financial documents, to support your essay, when requested.
If you are selected to receive a Blessons Scholarship Award, you must be able to provide a short video of you expressing these challenging life lessons.

Selection Factors:

The Blessons Awards Committee considers financial need, personal circumstances and achievements, educational and career goals, challenges faced in life, how their “blessons” are viewed and the impact of the financial assistance in addition to the following but not limited to;

Two letters of recommendations must be emailed to khit@blessons.org or mailed, sealed, directly to the attention of Blessons Scholarship Awards Committee ( 405 N. Wabash Ave. #2006, Chicago, IL 60611 ) both from individuals not related to the applicant, attesting to her character.
Submit one essay between 750 - 1000 words describing ALL of the following;
- How your higher/continuing education and/or training was interrupted or put on hold due to challenging life lessons.
- The financial challenges you face today in obtaining financial assistance and/or finding available resources in funding your continuing education/ training.
- Your plans - including personal goals, projected use of program completion, license, certification and/or new skilled trade profession.
- How you would like to see yourself giving back to your community thanks to the support provided by Blessons for Women, after completing your continuing education.

If you are selected to receive a Blessons Scholarship Award, you must be able to provide a short video of you sharing your Blessons.

Blessons Scholarships for Women applications are accepted until the 25th of each month in 2024 starting January 1st. There will be 12 scholarship opportunities up to $1,000 each, one award for each month (Jan. - Dec. 2024).

We welcome accredited Trade, Vocational & Tech School/Program female students to apply.

APPLY ONLINE - Blessons Scholarship

Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest in receiving assistance of up to $1,000 from Blessons for Women. We offer an understanding program that assists women who reach their full potential and complete their higher education/ continuing education, who are ages 25 or older and whose previous higher education experience was interrupted or put on hold. Technical, trade and vocational schools do not always bask in the financial aid limelight attracted by high-profile universities, but Blessons Scholarships for Women awards are available for trade schools too. Enclosed in this packet is our application for you to join our program.

Blessons offers its scholarships to disadvantaged, low-income women who have suffered from challenging life lessons such as cancer, mental health conditions, physical or emotional abuse, or who are first generation female immigrants. If you meet these criteria, have completed at least some higher education/training -level coursework or program, are at least 25 years of age, and are legally in the United States, you are eligible for assistance from Blessons for Women. If you are accepted into the Blessons program, you will receive a scholarship of up to $1,000 to help you achieve your goal of completing your continuing education. Blessons generally require women participating in the program to have already been accepted or enrolled in a college or trade school, tech/vocational program or training course. Blessons accepts women into its program who are: (i) in greatest need of assistance; (ii) demonstrate the greatest aptitude; and (iii) with greatest chances of success in completing their education with Blessons’ assistance. ELIGIBILITY You must be a woman who’s 25 years of age or older. You must be registered OR have attended a CE training, certification course, paid and obtained a license renewal OR have taken a license/certification exam in 2024 or within the past year of today's date. Agree to submit a short video about completing your program if awarded. Note: For verification purposes including reimbursements, you must submit all documents along with the Blessons for Women Scholarship form to khit@blessons.org. Statement or Invoice of program/course fee or receipts (if already completed) showing payment for your CE training, any course fees, license or certification exam fees, license renewals costs, and/or membership fees. Provide proof of exam/course completion and/or certificate showing proof of obtaining CEs. Give us a copy of your current professional license if available. Copy of a government issued form of identification. A current photo of yourself.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

Address

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Phone

(###)

###

####

Date of Birth

MM

DD

YYYY

I am a (please check one)

US Citizen

Resident Alien

Other

If other, please specify (e.g. refugee)

Line

How did you hear about us?

Please add the source/platform, name of the individual, business and/or program if applicable.

SKILLED TRADE PROFESSION

What is the skilled trade profession you are pursuing ?

Scholarship Funds

If awarded a Blessons Scholarship (up to $1,000), please select where the funds will be applied towards.

Certification Course

Licensing Course

Trade School Program

Other

If you selected OTHER, please explain here.

Name of School/Program

Please add the address of program, website, phone number and name of Instructor facilitating (if available) and the Program/Course and description of training.

Name & Date(s) of Course/Program

If you already completed the course or program, please add that information here. If you are only taking an exam, Expected Date of EXAMINATION

Cost of Program/Course/Licensing

Course Fee

ESSAY SUBMISSION

Submit one essay between 500 - 750 words describing ALL of the following; How your higher/continuing education and/or training was interrupted or put on hold due to challenging life lessons. The financial challenges you face today in obtaining financial assistance and/or finding available resources in funding your continuing education/ training. Your plans - including personal goals, projected use of program completion, license, certification and/or new skilled trade profession. How you would like to see yourself giving back to your community thanks to the support provided by Blessons for Women, after completing your continuing education.

If awarded a Blessons Scholarship, do you agree to submit a short video of yourself sharing some highlights of your essay submission?

Applicants who agree to share a video testimony will have a greater chance in the award selection process.

YES

NO

Your evaluation will become part of the nominee’s confidential file, for use only by the Blessons Awards Committee. It will not be released to the nominee. 2023 Blessons Scholarships for Women Program Official Rules Judging All eligible applications received will be judged by a panel of qualified judges on the criteria of: (1.) The compelling nature of the story; (2.) How instructive the story is with regards to the need for educational assistance, including scholarships; and (3.) The determination of the student to view the blessings and not allow her challenging lessons to prevent her from completing their continuing education. 2023 potential award recipients will be selected on the last day of each month in 2023 and will be notified by telephone and/or email. In the event of a tie, such tied applications will be re-judged by an additional “tie-breaking” judge based on the criteria set forth herein. Blessons for Women reserves the right not to award all scholarships in the event it receives an insufficient number of eligible applications that meet the minimum judging criteria, as determined by Blessons for Women in its sole discretion. Blessons for Women also reserves the right to reallocate scholarships from one form of application to another should it receive an insufficient number of applications that meet the minimum judging criteria, as determined by Blessons for Women in its sole discretion.

2024 Scholarship Award Recipient Notification Potential Award Recipients will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and (where legal) Publicity Release within 7 days of issuance of notification. Noncompliance with the foregoing, these official rules, Blessons for Women inability to make contact with a potential winner within a reasonable time period or scholarship notification returned as undeliverable, may result in disqualification and, at Blessons for Women discretion, a runner-up may be notified. Blessons for Women will not pay the student directly. Instead, the organization will send a check directly to the higher education institution where the student is enrolled. Things like “tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses'' will be covered by the funds. Recipients of the scholarship awards will not be reimbursed. General Conditions By applying, each applicant agrees; (i) to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and the decisions of Blessons for Women and the Scholarship Awards Committee, which shall be final and binding in all respects; (ii) to release Blessons for Women and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability, loss, injury or damage to applicants or any other person or entity, including personal injury or death to participants or any other person or damage to personal or real property, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by reason of applicant’s participation in this program, the use of any application or acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a scholarship, and any claims based on rights of privacy, rights of publicity and/or copyright infringement; (iii) to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from any liability, loss, injury or damage related to applicant’s participation in this program, the use of any application or acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a scholarship, and any claims based on rights of privacy, rights of publicity and/or copyright infringement and (iv) to the use by Blessons for Women and its designees of his/her name, city and state of residence, likeness, voice, actions and biographical information for advertising and promotion purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification permission, unless prohibited by law. Should any portion of the program be, in Blessons for Women sole opinion, compromised by non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Blessons for Women, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness, or submission of entries, Blessons for Women reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the program and select the potential winners from all eligible, non-suspect applications received prior to such action using the judging procedure outlined above. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, submissions. Released Parties are not responsible for printing, typographical, technical, telephonic, computer, human, network or other errors relating to or in connection with the program, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in any program related materials, the administration of the scholarship program, the processing or judging of entries or the announcement of the scholarship; for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, inaccurate, undelivered, damaged, delayed, garbled, illegible, incomplete or postage-due entries or mail. General Conditions (continued) Released Parties are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or telephone lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received on account of technical problems, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to individual’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in this program or downloading any materials in this program. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, Blessons for Women RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Use of Application By submitting an application, applicant agrees Blessons for Women, its member organization licensees and its agents shall own the entry submitted (including all rights embodied therein) and that it and its designees may exploit, edit, modify, and distribute the entry and all elements of such entry, including, without limitation, the names, likenesses, voices and actions of any persons or locations embodied therein, in any and all media now known or not currently known, throughout the world in perpetuity without compensation, permission or notification to the applicant or any third party. You further grant Blessons for Women the right to allow promotional materials that include your application to be embeddable by the public via YouTube or other online video or photo services or other sources of social media.

Date

MM

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Scholarship Benefits

Blessons for Women will not pay the student directly. Instead, the organization will pay directly to the higher education institution where the student is currently enrolled. Things like “tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses” will be covered by the funds. Recipients of the scholarship awards will not be reimbursed.

Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of Blessons Scholarships for Women to make financial awards without regard to race, creed, religion, color, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, or disability.

Questions Regarding the Application
Carefully read the instructions and guidelines included with the scholarship application (below). If you still have questions, you may send an email to our Awards Committee at info@blessons.org.

A GPA and a Bachelor’s Degree Isn’t Everything.

Endless skilled trade job opportunities awaits you!

**The Blessons Scholarships for Women program focuses on women who are returning to complete a higher education, after interruptions.**

Not every adult learner that advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Many adults today seek job training that lasts a year or two, and then places them in the workforce. Technical, trade and vocational schools do not always bask in the financial aid limelight attracted by high-profile universities, but Blessons Scholarships for Women awards are available for trade schools too.

Skilled trades jobs vary from mechanics to machinists, electricians to construction workers, welders to bakers, and hairstylists to respiratory therapists. “If we are going to create growth in our communities, we have to empower women in advancing economically in skilled trades. These jobs are fundamental to communities but are vastly underrated.” - Founder of Blessons for Women.

Not every student is top of their graduating class when it comes to GPAs, and many of them are overlooked when it comes time to hand out scholarship money. These same students may have accomplishments outside of their test scores, however. Blessons for Women recognizes these women with scholarships tailored specifically for their hard work as they faced challenging life lessons.

The Blessons Awards are funded by donations and are unique and may often function as the only source of support for women where no other granting and scholarship organizations may exist or are accessible in it’s nature where grade point average is NOT a deciding factor. They give women the resources to realize their educational goals to use the funds in whatever way that helps them most such as: books, tuition, on-campus health insurance, cafeteria, computer labs and transportation.

Each award cycle, we will receive countless applications of incredibly inspiring women with survivor stories who have had their higher education put on hold due to challenging life lessons such as; cancer, mental illness, physical or emotional abuse, sex trafficking, discrimination and isolation due to sexual orientation, or who are first-generation female immigrants.

In 2024, Blessons for Women is committed in funding a minimum of (1) per month - up to $1000 one-time scholarship awards in providing educational assistance, to disadvantaged, low-income women who are 25 years or older. These women are U.S. citizens pursuing an undergraduate education at a regionally accredited college, a vocational, technical and/or trade school program that lead to degrees or certificates, and within the United States. 2024 applications are accepted each month starting Jan. 1st, 2024. Each application cycle deadline is on the 25th of each month.

You can help as a Blessons volunteer, charity athlete, inspirational impetus, school partner, sponsor or even host an educational workshop on behalf of Blessons. The support from our supporters and communities helps us continue in delivering this life-changing program to empower women through education.

APPLY NOW - hair stylist

Scholarships - Apply Today

Advancing women economically through skilled trade jobs.

Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants for Blessons Scholarships for Women Awards must be:

Selection Factors:

The Blessons Awards Committee considers financial need, personal circumstances and achievements, educational and career goals, challenges faced in life, how their “blessons” are viewed and the impact of the financial assistance in addition to the following but not limited to;

Blessons Scholarships for Women applications are accepted until the 25th of each month in 2024 starting January 1st. There will be 12 scholarship opportunities up to $1,000 each, one award for each month (Jan. - Dec. 2024).

We welcome accredited Trade, Vocational & Tech School/Program female students to apply.

A GPA and a Bachelor’s Degree Isn’t Everything.

Endless skilled trade job opportunities awaits you!

Make A Lasting Difference

Scholarships - Apply Today

Advancing women economically through skilled trade jobs.

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants for Blessons Scholarships for Women Awards must be:

Selection Factors:

The Blessons Awards Committee considers financial need, personal circumstances and achievements, educational and career goals, challenges faced in life, how their “blessons” are viewed and the impact of the financial assistance in addition to the following but not limited to;

Blessons Scholarships for Women applications are accepted until the 25th of each month in 2024 starting January 1st. There will be 12 scholarship opportunities up to $1,000 each, one award for each month (Jan. - Dec. 2024).

We welcome accredited Trade, Vocational & Tech School/Program female students to apply.

A GPA and a Bachelor’s Degree Isn’t Everything.

Endless skilled trade job opportunities awaits you!

Make A Lasting Difference

Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants for Blessons Scholarships for Women Awards must be: