Scholarships & Education
SCHOLARSHIPS
Our Scholarship Process
The Los Charros Foundation has now provided more than a half million in scholarships since 2018. The Dancing Under the Stars fundraising event began in September 2017 and with the net proceeds, along with an additional donation for the Burton Beck Scholarship, we were able to award $62,000 of scholarships in May 2019. Our second Dancing Under the Stars in September 2018 fundraiser has allowed us to award $42,000 of scholarships in May 2019. From the 2019 Dancing Under the Stars in September 2019, awarded $57,500 in scholarships in May 2020. Unfortunately we were not able to have our Dancing Under the Stars even in 2020 due to Covid, however we still raised funds to award $119,000 in scholarship. From our 2021 event we were able to award $95,000 in scholarships in May 2022. After a record breaking year in 2022, we are thrilled to award $140,000 in May of 2023. Always raising the bar, we are proud to award $190,000 in April of 2024.
The scholarships awarded each year vary from one-year scholarships to four-year scholarships depending on the student and the field of study they intend to pursue. For those with one or two-year scholarships, upon completing their awarded scholarship, they can apply for a further scholarship towards finishing their education. Scholarships are awarded for four-year universities/colleges, community colleges and technical/trade schools or programs.
The application process begins in February each year and students applying for scholarships have until March 31 to submit their applications. The scholarship committee, composed of six board members, reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the board of directors who vote to approve the recommended scholarships. All applicants are notified in early May of each year of their scholarship status.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Who Qualifies and Requirements
Our scholarship program is available to all students who live in Cochise, Pima, Eastern Pinal and Santa Cruz counties. We welcome scholarship applications from all students no matter their grade point average or the high school they attend. We focus on recipients that are in financial need, but we also support students from all demographics. We have received scholarship applications from students with varying backgrounds and have been able to award scholarships to youth across the four counties. We also award scholarships to students already enrolled in college or trade/vocational programs.
Criteria for applying for a scholarship includes:
Eligibility: Eligible students are from the rural communities of Pima, Pinal, Cochise or
Santa Cruz Counties with plans to attend or are attending post‐secondary vocation, trade school, community college or university.
Applicants should demonstrate financial need and a reasonable chance for academic
success. Applicants should be able to express their intent clearly and have established educational goals.
Application Process: Students submit an application online, a one-page essay on why they are applying, resume, two letters of recommendation, FAFSA documentation and unofficial transcripts. Applicants will indicate the category which they are applying for (Vocational/community college/university). The top candidates may be invited to an interview with members of the Scholarship Committee prior to the announcement of scholarship awardees.
Timeline: Applications are due March 31 of each year and awarded in May. Applicants will be notified via email of their scholarship status.
Scholarship Agreement: Scholarship awardees are required to sign a Scholarship Agreement which requires each student to provide certain information including school attending, degree program, classes and number of semester units being taken, a school transcript at the end of each semester along with certain other criteria.
Continuation of your scholarship: The student is required to be a full-time student with at
least 12 credit hours each semester and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
Apply for a Scholarship
Scholarship application is available February 1 through March 31, 2024
For any questions you may have, please click here.
Education
4-H, FFA and
Other Community Support
Our support of 4-H and FFA programs includes direct support to more than 100 youth since our start in 2015. We attend the annual county fairs in Cochise, Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties and purchase animals from the youth at their livestock auctions. The animals are then donated back to the 4-H program which allows them to generate additional scholarship funds for their programs. The purchase of these animals assists the youth in saving for their college education and we believe it teaches them responsibility and money management. In addition, we also provide funding to 4-H and FFA programs for special projects or events.
In 2021, we provided support to a southern Arizona high school to help restart their vocational training program in welding, automotive and computer technology. Since our start in 2015, our support of 4-H, FFA and other programs has totaled more than $113,000. Our funds for supporting 4-H and FFA are generated from the net proceeds of our annual Dancing Under the Stars fundraiser held annually in September.
Our Mission
To promote the Cowboy Way of Life, Land Conservation and Youth
Development &; Education specifically in Santa Cruz, Pima and Cochise Counties, Arizona
