Resilience Scholarship Program

Resilience Scholarship Program is sponsored by Los Angeles County Commission for Women (via Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health). Since 1999, the Resilience Scholarship has provided women within Los Angeles County with support to achieve their educational goals.

The Commission for Women voted at their meeting on October 5, 2015, to change the name of "The Girls at Risk Educational Scholarship Program" to "The Los Angeles County Commission for Women (LACCW) Resilience Scholarship Program." The scholarship program was created in 1999. This is when the Commission for Women hosted an annual Run/Walk event to raise funds for young women.

The Commission has taken proceeds from this and other annual events to provide over 300 young women supplemental educational scholarships. The Commission, as throughout Los Angeles County was hit with economic challenges in 2011. And the Commission has not been able to host the Run/Walk event since 2011.

Knowing this could risk the further assistance to young women, the Commission utilized its Women of the Year event, to continue to raise funds for the LACCW Resilience Scholarship Program. These girls and their special and varied circumstances are given the option to use their funds not solely for tuition, but for other fundamentals such as books, medical insurance, school supplies, child care and clothing.

The goal of the Commission is to have equal representation from each Supervisorial District. Therefore, first-time candidates must reside in Los Angeles County. A short testimonial video clip, defining HERstory: Past, Present & Future .

This counter-narrative describes the remarkable resilience of our scholarship recipients, who have triumphed in the face of tremendous obstacles. Santa Monica Daily News: LA County Honors 15 Women with Resilience Scholarship The 2026 Los Angeles County Commission for Women Resilience Scholarship Program is NOW CLOSED Los Angeles County Commission for Women Janet Elliott Mummey, Esq. Commissioner Janet Elliot Mummey, Esq.

, had the foresight and impetus to create the Resilience Scholarship. A tireless champion for women, children, and the elderly, she dedicated her professional career to empowering and improving women's education. Since the inception of the Resilience Scholarship in 1999, the Los Angeles County Commission for Women has maintained its steadfast commitment to this invaluable endeavor.

The Commission for Women has awarded more than half a million dollars in educational scholarships to women throughout Los Angeles County. LACCW defines resilience as those students who have demonstrated exceptional perseverance in the face of challenges, whether personal, academic, or social.

This scholarship serves to recognize individuals who have overcome adversity—such as financial hardship, family difficulties, health issues, or other obstacles—while maintaining a commitment to their education and personal growth. This award values and seeks to emphasize qualities like determination, adaptability, and the ability to rise above difficult circumstances to achieve academic success and contribute to their community.

The Resilience Scholarship is a source of financial support and motivational resource for women within Los Angeles County wishing to pursue a college degree or post-secondary certification program. The scholarship seeks to support women and girls whose resilience and determination have overcome considerable hardship.

As such, our scholarship funds can subsidize incidentals above and beyond allowable expenses covered by federal and state financial aid. First-time applicants must reside within Los Angeles County.

Students must be enrolled in or plan to attend an accredited university, community college or post-secondary certification program and provide proof of enrollment or attendance, including any of the following: current letter of intent to enroll, current enrollment schedule, recent transcripts, or current letter from counselor/program director verifying enrollment for Fall 2026.

High school seniors (12th graders) must graduate with their high school diploma or GED by June 2026 and attend a university, community college, or vocational/trade school in Fall 2026. Student applicants must have a minimum cumulative S/B 2. 5 GPA.

Students must be enrolled in or taking a minimum of 6 units per term. Prior applicants and recipients may reapply and be considered by verifying continued enrollment in an academic or vocational program. Continuing students who are enrolled at a college or university outside of Los Angeles County are not required to reside in Los Angeles County while attending their educational institution to be considered eligible.

Students must be able to accept the Resilience Scholarship for Fall 2026. No deferments. The completed application packet must be submitted by 5:00 PM on March 13, 2026 .

A complete application includes: Scholarship application (completed via e-app portal) Two essay statements (completed via e-app portal) Two letters of recommendation (email to staff at: laccw@bos. lacounty. gov ) Each essay must be at least 500 words, and must be typed and in MLA format ( https://mlaformat.

org/ ). Essays will be evaluated and scored based on subject matter, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. Please include information on being a first-generation college student, if applicable.

A scoring rubric is defined in the following section below “Scholarship Evaluation and Selection Process”. The letters of recommendation must be addressed to the LACCW Resilience Scholarship and come from a teacher, academic counselor, employer, mentor, clergy/religious leader, and/or a representative from a social service agency.

The letters are character references and should address work, volunteer activities, or academic achievement, as well as potential perseverance. Unsigned letters without the author’s contact information and a current date (December 2025 - March 2026) will NOT be considered. Template letters are not recommended.

All essays must be the original work of the applicant. All applications are subject to authentication before final selection is made. Any use of artificial intelligence or plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification .

Submit application and any inquiries to commission services staff at: laccw@bos. lacounty. gov .

If you need assistance with your application, including special accommodations, please contact Commission Services at 213-974-1455 from 8am to 5pm Monday – Friday or email them at laccw@bos. lacounty. gov .

Once your application is submitted, it is considered official. Incomplete (missing an essay or letters of recommendation) or handwritten applications will be disqualified, and additional documents will not be accepted after your initial submission. Links will not be accepted.

SCHOLARSHIP EVALUATION and SELECTION PROCESS Commission Services staff will first review the scholarship applications to determine if an applicant meets the eligibility criteria (see above section entitled “ Applicant Eligibility Criteria ”) . Only completed applications received by the deadline, containing all required documents, will be considered by the Education Committee for review and scoring.

Applications will be evaluated and scored using the following rubric: First Essay Statement: 0 - 40 points Second Essay Statement: 0 - 40 points Letters of Recommendation: 0 - 20 points (10 points for each letter) EXCELLENT (30 - 40 PTS): Excellent, comprehensive essay; answering the question thoroughly while using academic language and adhering to all the guidelines listed under the Application Submission section.

STRONG (20 - 29 PTS): Strong essay; answering the question well while using academic language and adhering to most of the guidelines listed under the Application Submission section. SATISFACTORY (10 - 19 PTS): Satisfactory essay; answering the question somewhat while using limited academic language and minimally adhering to the guidelines listed under the Application Submission section.

POOR (0 - 9 PTS): Poor essay which did not answer the question, did not use academic language at all, and did not adhere to the guidelines listed under the Application Submission section. Academic language is the specialized language used in academic settings for both written and oral communication including the following: Formality : Academic language is formal and avoids casual or conversational language.

Sentence structure : Academic language includes varied and polished sentence structures. Grammar : Academic language includes proper grammar, such as the difference between "than" and "then." Grammar Assistance: https://www.

grammarly. com/ Online Writing Lab: https://owl. purdue.

edu/owl/ Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Request letters from those you know reasonably well to give you positive character references. Recommendations should come from a teacher, academic counselor, employer, mentor, clergy/religious leader, or social service agency representative.

If you serve as a volunteer, you can use a recommendation from your supervisor. Template letters of recommendation are not recommended. The letters must be addressed to the LACCW Resilience Scholarship and contain a current date (December 2025 - March 2026).

The recommendations should include evidence of the following traits: good work ethic, academic accomplishments, student involvement, perseverance, leadership, teamwork, and/or community service activities.

Letters of recommendation must contain: Name and relationship of reference Business address and contact information (phone and email address) Current date and the author’s signature EXCELLENT (8 - 10 PTS): Excellent recommendation; strengths of applicant are highlighted; relationship and length of time knowing applicant are stated; applicant’s strengths and substantial examples of their qualities are demonstrated.

STRONG (5 - 7 PTS): Strong recommendation; strengths of applicant are highlighted; relationship and length of time knowing applicant are stated; some of applicant’s strengths and examples of their qualities are demonstrated. SATISFACTORY (2 - 4 PTS): Satisfactory recommendation; some reservations. A few strengths of the applicant are highlighted, and a few examples of their qualities are demonstrated.

POOR (0 - 1 PT): Poor recommendation. No examples are provided; superficial. It is possible to receive financial aid from multiple sources, including grants, loans, or other scholarships.

Some sources of financial aid may place restrictions or limitations on the use of funds. However, the Resilience Scholarship can cover incidental costs that extend above and beyond fees and tuition.

Example of Incidental Costs School supplies and equipment Computers, tablets, smart devices, calculators, printers, and educational software Eye, Dental or Health Insurance Selected recipients must participate in an orientation and attend the Resilience Scholarship Ceremony.

Prior to issuing the scholarship check, you must be able to provide and show the following documents: Valid ID; CA Driver’s license, CA ID, US Passport, Photo ID, or School ID Social Security card or ITIN card First-time recipients must submit proof of enrollment (class schedule) and first-term grades if selected. Subsequent recipients must submit most recent term grades and proof of enrollment for next term if selected.

Combine all required documents into a single document and submit as a PDF. ( https://www. adobe.

com/acrobat/online/convert-pdf. html ). Links will not be accepted.

Before you complete the application, you must identify the district in which you reside. If you are currently away at college, please use the address of your permanent residence to determine your district. Your permanent residence must be located within the boundaries of Los Angeles County for your application to be considered.

To verify your district, please locate your permanent address using the Los Angeles County District Map provided here: https://planning. lacounty. gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/map_t06-cities-zip.

pdf If you cannot determine or verify which district you reside in, please contact commission staff at: laccw@bos. lacounty. gov or by calling 213-974-1455.

Applications with incorrect districts listed may be disqualified. After submitting your application you must submit your supplemental documents (Two Letter's of Recommendation) to: lacccw@bos. lacounty.

gov ) We congratulate our past and future Educational Scholarship awardees and wish them all the best in their education endeavors and future careers. For additional information contact us at laccw@bos. lacounty.

gov or by phone at (213) 974-1455.