Founded in 2010 by Yasmine Arrington — then a high school junior who couldn't find a scholarship for teens like her with an incarcerated parent — ScholarCHIPS has since supported more than 120 scholars at 53 different universities, including HBCUs, with about 90% graduating or on track to graduate. Beyond the scholarship itself, ScholarCHIPS pairs each scholar with a mentor and provides mental-health support, a peer network, and an emergency fund to help students stay in school through unexpected setbacks. The organization does not publish a fixed award amount. The 2026 application window has closed; ScholarCHIPS says its next cycle reopens in January 2027, with the exact deadline to be announced.
Eligibility
DemographicsFor students who have, or have had, an incarcerated parent; more than 5 million U.S. children have experienced a parent's incarceration, and ScholarCHIPS was built specifically for them.
Applying
Award amount is not published; scholars also receive ongoing mentoring, mental-health support, a peer network, and access to an emergency fund.