About the WCJC Scholarship

The Wharton County Junior College Foundation has partnered with Wharton County Junior College to provide scholarships to students in need of financial assistance to attend WCJC.  Our goal is to provide financial assistance  in  order  to  help  students  matriculate  in  the  most  expedient  manner possible, culminating in students either their transfer to a four-year college or taking their place in the workforce.  Students must meet the following criteria to be considered for a WCJC Foundation scholarship:

1.  Students must be graduating in 2025 from one of the following high schools:

• Boling High School
• East Bernard High School
• El Campo High School
• Louise High School
• Needville High School
• Matagorda County High Schools
• Fort Bend County High Schools

1. Students should attend their high school transcript, and if available, students attach a copy of their diploma.
2. Applicants must be in need of financial assistance to attend college and must provide a descriptive essay (1 to 2 pages) in their application describing their economic situation, other challenges and their desire to attend college.   Students who demonstrate in their essay their limited resources and need for financial support as well as how a scholarship to WCJC will help them, will be given priority in the selection process.  
3. Students must submit a letter of recommendation from a community member, teacher, school employee, or adult friend, who can comment on their character and commitment to attend college if awarded this scholarship.
4. Scholarship applications and required documentation must be received by the scholarship deadline: Friday, April 18, 2025

Scholarship Packet Checklist:

No person shall be excluded from participation, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity sponsored by Wharton County Junior College on any basis prohibited by applicable law, included but not limited to: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or handicap.

Scholarship Process

Interested students will fill out the Wharton County Junior College Foundation Scholarship Application (attached) and return following the instructions on the application.

After the application deadline, the High School Scholarship Committee will review the applications and award scholarships based on the aforementioned criteria.

A Certificate of Scholarship Award will be mailed to each student.

Upon award of the scholarship, students must apply to meet WCJC admission requirements and register for courses by the Fall 2025 semester.

The $4,000 awards from the Wharton County Junior College Foundation will be divided between two subsequent academic years, $2,000 for 2025-2026 and $2,000 for 2026-2027

The WCJC Business Office staff will note in the student’s file their credit for the scholarship. Students will not receive a check from the Foundation.

Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, and books if they maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher, and maintain full-time status for the fall and spring semester and are not subject to disciplinary action. Awards are only for the two academic years previously mentioned.

Audits of the recipients’ records will be performed at the end of each semester by the WCJC Office of Financial Aid to ensure students meet the criteria for continuing the scholarship.

The WCJC Financial Aid Office will be responsible for ensuring that scholarship recipients meet and maintain scholarship requirements.  The WCJC Business Office is responsible for managing and distributing scholarship funds for each recipient.   

Scholarship funds not used will be returned to the Wharton County Junior College Foundation.

Selection Criteria

1. Using funding provided by the Wharton County Junior College Foundation, WCJC will allot funds to scholarships at WCJC tax district high schools for graduating seniors.  In 2025, the Foundation will award scholarships to graduating seniors who fall outside the WCJC tax district high schools.  Using the following selection criteria, we hope to facilitate and encourage students to stay in college, complete their program, and matriculate into the workforce or toward the pursuit of a four-year degree in the most expedient way possible.

• Students are required to complete an application and submit all required documentation. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Students who demonstrate in their essay their limited resources and financial support to attend college along with how a scholarship to attend WCJC will help them, will be given priority in the selection process.

• Applications will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee and scored on a rubric system based on:
  • School Activities
  • Community Activities and Honors
  • Volunteer Experience
  • Essay Submitted
  • Letter of Recommendation

Scholarship Continuation

Continuation of the scholarship from semester to semester depends on the following criteria:

1. Student must maintain continuous enrollment for the fall and spring semesters, and maintain FULL-TIME status (12 semester credit hours or more depending upon declared major).
2. Student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 in each subsequent semester at WCJC.

The above criteria will help accomplish the mutual goal of WCJC and the WCJC Foundation in offering educational opportunities to students.