Scholarships 

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2026-2027 APPLICANT GUIDELINES

 (for First-time Applicants and Renewal Applicants)

Scholarships and other awards administered by MHF that have been funded are available to U. S. residents nationwide unless the donor has previously restricted the funds to certain populations. Guidelines and requirements that applicants should follow appear below.

APPLICANT must be:

• • ·         A high school graduate, GED recipient, post-secondary, college, or university student.  If the applicant is not currently enrolled, they should submit proof of their intention to enroll in a qualified program.

  • ·         A U.S. resident age 18 or above. If under 18, a parent or guardian must apply and sign. The maximum age for first-time applicants for the Victor Quann Jackson Scholarship is 21.

APPLICANT should submit the following by April 1:

1.        A completed scholarship application.  

2.        Verification of needy status with ONE of the following:

• • • • • A copy of the notice of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) eligibility. Visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/ for information about how to apply for FAFSA (FAFSA notice required for college students) or

        • A copy of a notice verifying eligibility for reduced-rate meals, food stamps or a summer feeding program, or

        • Documentation showing where family income falls within the federal poverty guidelines.  Visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines for additional information about poverty guidelines.

3.   EITHER An essay titled “My (nationality) Heritage, My American Dream.”  For example, if the applicant was born in or has family roots in Jamaica, the essay should be titled “My Jamaican Heritage, My American Dream,”

       OR a book review that is typed on one or more pages. The review should analyze ONE of the following books about life in Holmes County, MS:

·         Growing up Black in Rural Mississippi: Memories of a Family, Heritage of a Place, by Chalmers Archer, New York: Walker and Company, 1992. Available at https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/growing-up-black-in-rural-mississippi-memories-of-a-family-heritage-of-a-place_chalmers-archer/1313723/#edition=1828152&idiq=34544683.

·         A Place Called Home:  As Told by the Lastborn by Andora Wade Cambell, www.urbanwarecafe.com, 2023. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Place-Called-Home-Told-Lastborn/dp/B0C5P7Z6W4.

·         Mis-educating Blacks in A Southern Rural Community: The Case of Holmes County, Mississippi by Sylvia Reedy Gist, South Holland, Il: Accurate Publishing Company, 2023.  Available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/098378518X?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520.

·          Integration Now, Alexander v. Holmes and the End of Jim Crow Education by William P. Hustwit, Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2019. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Integration-Now-Alexander-Holmes.../dp/1469648555. 

·         Broken Rungs Yet I Climbed by Mary G. Patton, Ph.D., Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2019. Available at https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/745500-broken-rungs-yet-i-climbed andhttps://www.amazon.com/Broken-Rungs-yet-I-Climbed/dp/197366.

·         Borrowed Land, Stolen Labor, and the Holy Spirit: The Struggle for Power and Equality in Holmes County, Mississippi, by Diane Feldman, University of Mississippi Press, 1925. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Borrowed-Land-Stolen-Labor-Spirit/dp/1496857461 or the University Press of Mississippi at https://www.upress.state.ms.us/content/search?search_in%5B%5D=all&SearchText=feldman.

Important Notes:

1. Essays and book reviews will be checked for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.  Therefore, applicants are encouraged not submit documents prepared with AI, as they may be disqualified for the scholarship.

2.  Guideline #3 above (Essay and Book Review) does not apply to Renewal Applicants or those who received an MHF scholarship in the past.

3.  If selected for the scholarship, applicants will be required to submit a photo.  Essays and photos submitted are subject to publication.  Submission of these documents confirms the applicant's approval to publish them.

4. Victor Quann Jackson Scholarship Applicants should:

• Be under age 21

• Submit a 200-300-word essay describing a time in their life when they demonstrated resilience or confidence. (Do not submit the Heritage Essay or Book Review.) Applicants are to share what happened, the resilient qualities shown, what they learned, and how this experience will help them move forward in life.

• Because our generous donors love to hear from scholarship recipients and learn about their plans for the future, before Victor Quann Jackson Scholarship funds are disbursed, awardees must submit a short selfie video (30 to 60 seconds) that will be shared with the donor.  The video should include the following information:

  • • • ·         Full Name

      • ·         Intended College/University

      • ·         Intended Major/Field of Study

      • ·         A brief summary of your essay — What did you write about and why?

Click Here for Application.