Support begins with Family

A scholarship program dedicated to propelling youth in foster care into higher education through financial assistance and family-like emotional support.

Learn More Donate

Scholarship Application Closed

Announcing Winners Summer 2022

Family Fellowship Together We Rise + Fund II Foundation

Through the generous support by Hope D. Smith and her husband Robert F. Smith, Together We Rise partners with the Fund ll Foundation to provide the Family Fellowship Scholarship, a scholarship program dedicated to propelling youth in foster care into higher education through financial assistance and family-like emotional support.

Our unwavering commitment is to provide higher education scholarships to current and former foster youth. Each student chosen receives up to $12,000 per

year for up to five years to alleviate the financial burden of obtaining a college degree while addressing current and former foster youths 3-11% national graduation success rates.

The vision of the Family Fellowship is to change the legacy of aged-out foster youth by transforming the way foster youth are supported through their college journey. Our program emphasizes the need to innovate, explore, and discover new ways to develop our young individuals for a modern workforce.

Tuition

Up to five years of financial support to help with tuition, books, and tutors.

Housing

Monthly housing allowance as well as housing for summer and winter breaks.

Professional Development

Personal life-skills and career-focused support to prepare students for a modern workforce.

Family

Emotional and wrap-around services to all fellows year around.

Application Process

The main objective of our Family Fellowship Program is to offer family-like financial and emotional support to college-bound, “aging out” foster youth. The Family Fellowship program seeks students who remain committed to their education; determined to achieve their personal and professional goals; dedicated to building, nurturing, and sustaining a family-like community amongst their peers; and develop leadership skills to break barriers and continue to innovate the way foster youth navigate college and life beyond.

The Family Fellowship Scholarship will open at the beginning of the year with applications due in early spring. Letters of Recommendation, Proof of Foster Care Status, Official Transcripts, and Personal Statement will be required. While the application remains closed, make an effort to gather the necessary documents now and prepare your personal statement for submission.

Application Closed
Elgibility Requirements

"As I finish up my last year of college, I realized I have learned two very important things over the years: a good work ethic will take you farther than you can imagine, and there is no greater measurement of a person than their willingness to change the world around them."
Kyndra - Cal State Long Beach

Anthony - UC Santa Cruz

"With your support and the support from Together We Rise, I am able to focus on my dreams of becoming an attorney and use my voice to bring focus on the health disparities for black women in today's society."
Taylor - UC Irvine

Kendra - Loyola Marymount

Meet a few of the students

Each of these talented & driven individuals has benefited from the Family Fellowship Scholarship. Their achievements and dedication to higher education are genuinely inspiring and continue to motivate others who seek the same opportunities graciously provided by our benefactors.

Donate

Vaneshia - Harvard

"For the first time, I felt understood by my new friends and encouraged by my Together We Rise Family. I felt a shift in my mentality about who I am and what I can become. I realized that I had to allow myself to explore new horizons and grow out of my comfort zone to achieve greatness"
Ariella - UC Davis

Shay - Mills College

"Because of your kind hearts, I have been able to not only graduate with my Bachelor's degree in Public Health, but I have now gone on to continue my education to eventually receive my Master's of Public Health as well."
Alicia - Cal State Dominguez Hills

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ panel answers some common questions regarding the application, selection, and admissions process. Please visit our contact us page for additional information..

Go To FAQ