At the core of HAND’s mission is building the capacity of its members to support the development of thriving communities across the region. Representing the ecosystem of partners working together to bring equitable communities to fruition, HAND works to disrupt the systems perpetuating inequity. With this work in mind, we recognized a need to support the next generation of leaders and in 2015 we established GenerationHAND. The GenerationHAND initiative aims to provide needed tools and guidance to our emerging leaders through a wide variety of activities including but not limited to mentorship, community service and professional development programming. This year HAND is excited to expand the initiative’s offerings with the launch of the GenerationHAND Scholarship program!

HAND is proud to offer financial assistance to outstanding students residing in HAND member properties who are pursuing higher education at an accredited four-year college or university. The scholarship is for $10,000 ($2,500 annually for four years), awarded to college-bound high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, drive and a commitment to using their talents to serve our communities. Students of color, first-generation and students who demonstrate financial need are highly encouraged to apply. Awards are renewable for up to three years. Renewal is contingent upon the recipient continuing full-time enrollment at an accredited four-year college or university, and maintaining a good standing with the school.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or legal permanent student who resides in a HAND member community
• Must currently be a high school senior attending high school in the United States 
• Plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study toward a bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year
• 3.0 Minimum GPA (cumulative)

How To Apply

1. HAND requests that the resident services team in our members’ communities choose one student to apply per community. 
2. Once the HAND member organization has selected a student to nominate, please complete the brief nomination form (see below) with the following details: 
   • The student’s name
   • The HAND member organization name
   • The name of the community where the student resides
   • The name, phone number and email of the point of contact in the resident services program
3. Following the submission of the nomination form, students can complete the official application on the HAND website (see below). A PDF of the application questions can be found here.
4. All applications must be submitted by 5pm on Monday, April 24th.

Please direct any questions on the application to info@handhousing.org.

        John D. Spencer, Founder, HAND