Scholarships for Students From Single‑Parent Households

Scholarships_for_single-parent_202604111038

Scholarships for Students From Single‑Parent Households

March

1) Be the Change Scholarship Competition
Why It Slaps: This is one of the better opportunities for students in Lexington who want a scholarship tied to violence prevention, healing, and community impact. It is not limited only to survivors of shootings, but it comes from One Lexington’s violence-reduction work and is aimed at Fayette County public high school seniors who want to build a future in fields like mental health, education, nursing, social work, public health, and criminal justice. That makes it a smart fit for students whose lives have been shaped by neighborhood violence or the loss of someone close to them and who want to turn that pain into purpose.
Amount: $2,500, renewable for one additional year.
Deadline: March 6, 2026.
Apply/info: One Lexington Be the Change Scholarship Competition

April

2) Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation Award
Why It Slaps: This is one of the strongest direct-match scholarships on this page because the foundation specifically says it helps underserved young adults pursue higher education in the aftermath of gun violence. That is rare. It is targeted, mission-driven, and very clearly built around the type of student this article is about. The catch is that it has geographic and demographic requirements, but for students who fit, it is a meaningful and highly relevant award with a clean official application page.
Amount: $1,000.
Deadline: April 10, 2026.
Apply/info: Craig D. Butler Scholarship Application

3) Americans Against Gun Violence National High School Essay Contest
Why It Slaps: This is not a survivor-only scholarship, so it is more of an adjacent opportunity than a direct trauma scholarship. Still, it belongs on the radar for high school students affected by gun violence who want to turn their experience, policy views, or community perspective into a strong essay-based award. The total award pool is unusually solid for a student essay contest, and students who have something real to say about gun violence prevention may have a strong angle here.
Amount: At least $15,000 total awards, including $3,000 for first place.
Deadline: April 18, 2026.
Apply/info: Americans Against Gun Violence Essay Contest

May

4) Catina Rose Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This scholarship is broader than gun violence alone, but it is a real fit for students who are victims or surviving family members of crime. That matters because many students affected by shootings may not find a scholarship that says “gun violence” on the label, but they may still qualify through a crime-victim scholarship like this one. The program is administered through Crime Victims United Charitable Foundation and is designed for California students who have lived through crime and are trying to keep moving through school. It is also one of the more straightforward victim-focused scholarships I found with a real application packet and spelled-out eligibility.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: The latest public packet shows May 5, 2025. Check the official page for the 2026 refresh before publishing or applying.
Apply/info: Catina Rose Memorial Scholarship

5) The Unbreakable Organization Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the clearest direct-match scholarships in the country for this topic. The organization says the scholarship is for youth impacted by gun violence, including survivors, students who lost loved ones, and people from communities disproportionately affected by gun violence. It also stands out because it is not limited to just tuition. The organization says funds can support school needs and even mental health-related needs, which is a big deal for students whose education has been disrupted by trauma. That makes this scholarship unusually practical, humane, and aligned with what affected students actually need.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: The next round is listed as opening in May 2026.
Apply/info: The Unbreakable Organization Scholarship

6) RJT Foundation Educational Assistance Encouragement Award Scholarships
Why It Slaps: This is one of the more practical scholarships for students affected by crime, homicide, and community violence, especially in South Florida. The RJT Foundation runs multiple scholarship tracks and explicitly includes crime survivors, victims of crime, dependents of homicide victims, and students facing serious life barriers. It is local, yes, but it is also unusually specific and transparent. For a student who qualifies, this is exactly the kind of award that often gets missed because it is not sitting on the giant generic scholarship websites.
Amount: $500, $1,000, or $500 depending on the scholarship track.
Deadline: May 21, 2026.
Apply/info: RJT Foundation Scholarship Criteria and Application

June

7) Hearts of Hope Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the strongest adjacent scholarships for students who lost a parent or sibling to homicide. For families affected by fatal shootings, that can make it highly relevant. The Peyton Tuthill Foundation is very clear about the target group, age range, and award structure, and the scholarship can be renewed for multiple years if the student stays in good standing and funding remains available. It is also built with emotional reality in mind, not just academics, which makes it feel less like a generic merit award and more like a real support program for grieving students trying to keep their education alive.
Amount: Annual scholarships of $1,000 and up to $2,000 for seniors per academic year; renewable in some cases.
Deadline: June 1, 2026.
Apply/info: Hearts of Hope Scholarship

8) Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This scholarship is for students who lost a parent or legal guardian to homicide, which makes it another important adjacent fit for students affected by fatal gun violence. It is not a huge national program with a flashy marketing page, but that is part of why it is worth paying attention to. Smaller targeted scholarships often have less competition and can mean more to the students they choose. The program is also built around bereavement support, not just money, which signals that the organization understands what surviving family members are actually carrying into college.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: June 30 each year.
Apply/info: Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation Scholarships

9) Jalen Talbert Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the more thoughtfully structured homicide-survivor scholarships I found. It is specifically for adults who have lost a parent or sibling to murder or who are immediate family members of a murder victim, and it blends financial need, education goals, and emotional recovery. The creative-arts preference narrows the pool, but that can help the right students. It is also one of the few programs in this space with a clearly posted application window and clearly posted award amounts, which makes it easier to publish confidently and easier for students to plan around.
Amount: $1,500, $1,000, and $500.
Deadline: June 30, 2026.
Apply/info: Jalen Talbert Memorial Scholarship

Dates not publicly posted or program page says to check back

10) Karli Short Better Tomorrow Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the few university-linked scholarships I found that directly says it supports students with financial need who have been affected by gun violence. That language is specific and valuable. The program began at Penn State Greater Allegheny and later expanded to University Park, which shows real growth instead of a one-time memorial page that never turns into student support. It is especially worth watching for Penn State students or incoming students who want a scholarship built around both financial need and the lived impact of gun violence.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: Current deadline not publicly posted on the live foundation page I reviewed.
Apply/info: Karli Short Better Tomorrow

11) Raymond J. Rue Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This scholarship is built specifically to support young adults impacted by gun violence. That direct wording is exactly what makes it worth publishing. The scholarship honors Raymond J. Rue and is highlighted through Brooklyn Org, with a live scholarship site showing that the 2026 application is open. Public details are still light, but the mission fit is strong and unusually on-topic. For students who have had their education shaped by shootings, community violence, or losing someone to gun violence, this is one of the most relevant scholarship pages I found.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: 2026 application is open, but the page does not publicly post a clear deadline.
Apply/info: Raymond J. Rue Memorial Scholarship

12) Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation Scholarship and Emergency Fund
Why It Slaps: This scholarship and emergency fund is tied to a foundation that supports victims of gun violence and their families, and the scholarship page explains that it is meant to help students push through academic and financial struggles while in college. That matters because many students affected by violence do not just need one clean tuition scholarship. They may also need short-term support to stay enrolled, cover life costs, and survive a difficult semester. This makes the program worth watching, especially for students connected to the John Jay community or students looking for both scholarship and emergency support.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: Current deadline not publicly listed on the live page I reviewed.
Apply/info: Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation Scholarship and Emergency Fund

13) Building Bridges to Opportunity CTE Scholarships
Why It Slaps: This is not a traditional national scholarship, but it deserves a spot because the One Lexington program has publicly described these career and technical education scholarships as serving graduates whose lives have been directly or indirectly affected by gun violence. That makes it one of the few live programs I found that directly names gun violence impact in its audience. It is especially useful for students who are headed into technical training or workforce pathways rather than a four-year college. For the right student, that can be a much better fit than a generic university scholarship list.
Amount: In 2025, the program awarded 12 scholarships from a $100,000 fund, but individual award amounts were not publicly posted.
Deadline: Current application date is not publicly posted; the official page says to check back.
Apply/info: Building Bridges to Opportunity

14) Compassion Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This scholarship is for immediate family members of murder victims, which makes it another important adjacent fit for students whose loss involved gun violence. The program is run by Compassion on Death Row and supports both college and trade-school paths, which is useful because many grief-focused scholarships skew too narrowly. Public details on amount and deadline are limited, but the program has a live application setup and a clear mission focused on families of murder victims. It is a smaller opportunity, but smaller opportunities are often where real students actually get funded.
Amount: Not publicly listed.
Deadline: Current deadline not publicly posted on the live page I reviewed.
Apply/info: Compassion Scholarship

15) Carey Gabay Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This scholarship is not a survivor-targeted award in the same way as some others on this page, but it is still a meaningful fit because it was created in memory of Carey Gabay after he was killed by stray gunfire and it funds students with financial need who demonstrate leadership, academic achievement, and a commitment to social justice. For New York students applying to SUNY, that makes it a strong mission-aligned opportunity, especially for students whose personal experience with violence has shaped their goals and public service commitments. The award is also unusually large compared with most memorial scholarships.
Amount: Full cost of attendance.
Deadline: The live SUNY page does not currently post the new cycle deadline.
Apply/info: Carey Gabay Memorial Scholarship

Bonus Opportunity That Is Not a Tuition Scholarship

Everytown Survivor Fellowship Program for Students
This is a fellowship, not a tuition scholarship, so I did not count it in the main list. But it is still worth mentioning because it is specifically for students impacted by gun violence and includes annual application cycles, training, travel support, and a national survivor network. For some students, connection, advocacy training, and community support may be just as important as a small scholarship check.
Apply/info: Everytown Survivor Fellowship for Students

FAQs

Are there really scholarships just for students affected by gun violence?

Yes, but there are far fewer than most students expect. The strongest direct-match programs I found were The Unbreakable Organization Scholarship, the Raymond J. Rue Memorial Scholarship, the Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation Scholarship and Emergency Fund, the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Scholarship, and some One Lexington opportunities. Many students will also need to look at homicide-survivor or crime-victim scholarships because those are more common.

What counts as being “affected by gun violence”?

It depends on the program. Some scholarships include survivors of shootings, students who lost a loved one, or students from communities heavily affected by gun violence. Others use broader language like homicide victim family member, murder victim family member, or crime survivor. Always read the eligibility page carefully before applying.

What should students prepare before applying?

Most of these programs ask for some mix of a personal statement, proof of enrollment or admission, academic records, financial-need information, recommendation letters, and sometimes evidence related to victim status or family loss. A few also ask for counseling participation or FAFSA information.

What if a scholarship page does not list the amount or deadline?

Do not guess. If the live page does not publicly post an amount or deadline, say so in the article and send readers to the official application page. That is better than publishing inaccurate details that could mislead students.

Should students only apply to survivor-focused scholarships?

No. Students affected by gun violence should also apply to need-based scholarships, first-generation scholarships, emergency grants, local foundation awards, and college-specific aid. The most effective strategy is to combine niche-fit scholarships with broader money sources.