2026 Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship

Black women navigate systemic barriers in education and the workplace every day. EverGreen Dreams exists to change that narrative. As an organization founded by a Black woman and championed by advocates deeply rooted in our communities, we're committed to creating pathways to success for the next generation of Black female scholars. Through the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship, we provide financial support to two graduating high school seniors, awarding each at least $1,000 to help them pursue their educational dreams with one less obstacle in their way.

The Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine Scholarship (B.O.S.S.) aims to make racial equality a reality by helping outstanding Black cis or transgendered women high school students achieve their dreams to continue their education. 

How to Apply

To apply for the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship, submit your application online through Kaleidoscope by no later than March 31, 2026 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time with the following items:

1. Résumé. Your résumé MUST be no more than 2 pages, attached as a .pdf (no Word documents, or .jpeg or .png files) and should include the following information:

• Education

• Work experience

• Skills

• Achievements (academic or extracurricular)

• Honors and Awards

• Volunteer Work 

If the resume is more than 2 pages and/or attached in any format other than .pdf, the application WILL NOT be reviewed and will be DISQUALIFIED from consideration.

1. Two Essays.

• Essay #1 (250-500 words):  How do you personally (i.e., what actions do you take) celebrate the beauty, power, and resilience of Black women?

• Essay #2: (0-250 words): Explain the challenges you are personally facing (i.e., working to fund school, financially supporting other family members, planning to take significant debt to afford education, etc.) regarding your financial need for this scholarship.

1. One letter of recommendation: The letter of recommendation must meet the following criteria:

• From a faculty or staff member at your school

• On school letterhead

• Addressed to EverGreen Dreams Board of Directors and/or reference the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship

• Signed (handwritten or electronic) by faculty or staff member and includes their title 

It is the applicant's responsibility to inform their recommender of the recommendation criteria. If their recommender does not provide a letter of recommendation that meets all of the above criteria, the application WILL NOT be reviewed and will be DISQUALIFIED from consideration.

1. Transcript. Include a copy of your current academic transcript. (Official or Unofficial copies will both be accepted.)

2. Picture of yourself. Pictures must be in color. 

All materials MUST be submitted through Kaleidoscope’s website HERE or by clicking “Apply” on EverGreen Dreams’ website (www.evergreendreams.org). Emailed or mailed documents will not be accepted. For questions, please email [email protected].

Requirements

To be considered for a B.O.S.S. Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:

• Cis or Transgender woman

• At least one parent of African descent (e.g., African-American, African, Black Caribbean, Afro-Latina)

• Graduating High School Senior

• Have been accepted at a two- or four-year college/university or vocational/technical school and plan to attend in the fall of your high-school graduation year

• Legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident

• Less than 20 years of age

• Have a cumulative nweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale)

Scholarship Timeline:

• February – Scholarship applications are available on February 1st.

• March – The application deadline is March 31st, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

• April-mid-May – Applications reviewed. Depending on the volume of applications, volunteer reviewers may evaluate applications and make final recommendations to the EverGreen Dreams Board of Directors. The EverGreen Dreams Board of Directors makes the final selection.

• End of May – The selected recipients will be notified via email of their awards and are required to complete award acceptance steps.

• End of May/Early June – The Executive Director of EverGreen Dreams mails scholarship checks to recipients.

How Recipients are Selected

In selecting the two B.O.S.S. scholarship recipients, EverGreen Dreams will look for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders, and as contributors to the celebration of the beauty, power, and resilience of Black women. Applications will be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

• Academic Performance (GPA)

• Resumes or CVs

• Essays

• Letters of recommendation

• Responsibilities and Financial Need