Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP)
The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program, or WISP, provides scholarships to women who are victims of domestic violence or partner abuse.
Women who wish to undertake studies in order to work towards providing independence for themselves and their children after leaving an abusive domestic situation are able to apply for the WISP scholarship
The amount of money you can receive from the scholarships varies and ranges from $250 to $2000 per semester.
The goals of WISP include:
- To encourage women into education so that new opportunities open up towards becoming financially independent. Many women who have suffered abuse in the home have lost their financial independence, leading to a loss of self esteem and limited options.
- The main mission of the Women’s Independent Scholarship Program is to play a role in supporting victims and helping to end domestic violence by making these scholarships available to abuse survivors – and thus opening new doors and future hope that comes with gaining an education.
What You Need To Know About WISP Scholarships
How much money can you receive?
Unlike most other scholarship programs, the WISP program does not have a set award amount. Each and every application is reviewed on its own to determine a suitable amount for each successful applicant.
Awards can range from $250 at the lower end of the scale, up to more than $2000. This amount is based on each school term so helps you cover expenses over the lifetime of your course.
Where and What Can You Study?
WISP has a variety of institutions which are accredited as being eligible for women who are wanting to apply for a scholarship through the foundation.
It includes programs in a mixed array of fields, meaning there is something for everyone and you are not pigeon-holed into being able to choose between a tiny number of courses, fields or institutions.
They consider each application on an individual basis. So you can submit your form stating that you’d like to go to a 2 or 4 year college, or a technical school or other accredited institution.
How to Apply
WISP has moved to a completely online form of application, so paper applications are no longer available or accepted. To apply, you follow the Apply links on the official WISP website, where you then must sign up and follow the instructions to upload your application material and complete the process.
Make sure you have everything ready to go so that your application process can run as smoothly as possible!
The application is quite long and the foundation recommends taking your time and completing one section at a time if you feel overwhelmed. The effort will certainly be worth it if you are chosen as a recipient of the funds. The online application process lets you save your work as you go, so you can always come back to it at a later time.
There is no specific cut off date for applying for this scholarship. You just need to submit your application no more than two months before the program you want to attend is due to start. WISP accepts applications year round however, so submitting yours as soon as you can will ensure that your details are looked at sooner, as applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
You can apply for this scholarship program at the WISP website
