Level Up Your Future: The MLK Scholarship Fund is Open!
The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund is here to help high schoolers seeking higher education turn that dream into reality. This scholarship is all about finding future leaders in the Pacific Northwest who are ready to crush their college goals and take that next step to reaching their full potential.
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to inspire, and one powerful way his dream lives on is through the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund. Started in 1985 by a small group of neighbors in Seattle's Mount Baker community, this scholarship is a sponsored activity of the Mount Baker Community Club, dedicated to helping deserving students achieve the dream of a higher education. The fund aims to support students who demonstrate financial need, academic promise, have overcome obstacles, and who actively contribute to their community.
Earlier this year, the 40th annual MLK Jr Scholarship Fund awards ceremony took place at the Mount Baker Community Club, where 24 high school students received scholarships for their college education. These scholarships support high school seniors in Southeast Seattle who demonstrate financial need, academic promise, community contributions, and are from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups in higher education.
What You Need to Know: Scholarship Details
This renewable scholarship offers substantial support throughout your college career:
Four-Year Colleges: Students will receive $4,000 per year for four years of college.
Two-Year Colleges: Students will receive $2,000 per year for two years. If you transfer to a four-year college, you will then receive $4,000 per year for your final two years.
The scholarship is administered by the College Success Foundation. For more information, you can visit their website: Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.
Application Eligibility and Deadlines
If you are a high school senior with big dreams for college, this scholarship could be for you. To be considered for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
Be a high school senior who is a resident of or attending school in one of the following Seattle zip codes and on track to graduate by June 2023: 98104, 98108, 98118, 98122, 98134, 98144. (This includes Franklin, Garfield, NOVA, interagency sites, Rainier Beach, South Lake, Cleveland, and independent schools in these zip codes).
Have a family income for 2024 that does not exceed the amount listed by family size in this chart.
Have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 through the fall 2025 term.
Plan to enroll at a not-for-profit, accredited college or university in the United States starting in fall 2026.
File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA).
Complete and submit the application along with the required supporting documents.
Important Note: International students, students on foreign exchange or visas, and out-of-state residents are not eligible.
Don't Miss the Deadline
The application for the Class of 2026 is currently open. Be sure to mark your calendar with these crucial dates:
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Supporting Documents Deadline: February 6, 2026
Happy applying!
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