Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Women who are primary financial providers for themselves and dependents — single mothers, women raising siblings or relatives, women supporting families in early adulthood. Both current college students and women returning to school after a break qualify.
What they actually look for
Live Your Dream is Soroptimist's flagship program for women who are heads-of-household pursuing education. Awards $1,000 to $10,000 at the club level, plus regional and national finalist awards up to $16,000. About 1,500 winners/yr across all local clubs combined. The LOCAL CLUB level is where the applicant pool is smallest — your competition is other women at your nearest Soroptimist club, NOT a national pool. This dramatically improves odds.
What you'll need
- Identify as a woman who is the primary financial provider for herself and her dependents (single mother, primary breadwinner, caretaker, etc.)
- Plan to enroll in an undergraduate degree program, vocational training, or graduate program at an accredited institution
- Demonstrated financial need
- Essays on your situation, goals, and how the award would help
- Two recommendations
- Apply through your LOCAL Soroptimist club — find yours at soroptimist.org
When to start
Local club application typically opens August-September, closes November 15. Winners at the club level advance to regional + national rounds. Re-apply each year — winning at higher levels takes multiple cycles for many recipients.
Watch out for
Apply through the SPECIFIC SOROPTIMIST CLUB nearest you — search for clubs by zip code at soroptimist.org. Don't apply nationally — your application gets returned. Also: 'primary financial provider' is broader than 'single mother' — women with disabled spouses, women supporting elderly parents, women whose partners are unable to work, all qualify. Be specific about your situation in essays.