ScholarshipsA-Z

SA-Z equips Undocumented youth in Southern Arizona with the tools and networks to pursue a higher education, navigate the workforce and become agents of change. Our programs bridge community, empowerment, and education with, by, and for immigrant youth.

ScholarshipsA-Z is a Tucson-based immigrant youth-led organization that works to make higher education accessible to all students regardless of immigration status. We're here to provide hope to Undocumented youth and change the narrative about what is possible for Undocumented students in Arizona. In Arizona, 2,000 Undocumented students graduate from high school every year and less than 5% enroll in college.

Since 2010 we've helped over 3,000 immigrant youth apply to scholarships and/or college . We co-founded the Immigrant Scholarship Hustle (ISH) program and have served 10 ISH student cohorts to date. ISH is the only program in AZ that provides post-secondary educational support for Undocumented students and ISH participants are three times more likely to enroll in higher education than the national average. We recently launched our Undocumented Youth Empowerment Initiative (UYEI) program which seeks to help Arizona Undocumented youth find pathways beyond high school. UYEI has provided year-round support and programming to 70+ youth through consistent spaces where they can build community and have the opportunity to thrive. We have also helped fill out 500+ DACA applications and covered application fees for over 60 youth.

Our team has trained over 700 educators on how to work with and for Undocumented students. We continue to be the only community-based organization in Southern AZ to serve the needs of Undocumented and immigrant students. We play a critical role in the Arizona community and are a trusted resource to students, families, and educators alike.

We currently have 3000+ visitors using our online resources and engaging with our social media platforms every month.

ScholarshipsA-Z is in the midst of transition from a completely volunteer team to providing compensated full time roles. Our work is crucial, revolutionary and necessary, yet our capacity continues to suffer due to our current financial limitations. ScholarshipsA-Z is working towards having the ability to compensate more of our leadership and continue to grow our capacity and our impact.

Testimonials

"I am thankful for ISH because it not only gave me hope to keep believing in myself and my dreams, but also for giving my family hope. I learned about tools I didn't even know I needed. I learned about laws I didn't even know existed, like Prop 300 and that I had rights even as an undocumented student. I learned the importance of storytelling and that my story is beautiful..." -High school senior in Tucson & ISH 4 Scholar

"For me, ScholarshipsA-Z made attaining a higher education possible, regardless of my immigration status." - Danilo Andrade Mendoza
Danilo is a DACA Recipient, University of Arizona Alumnus, Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Former SA-Z Scholarships Coordinator

"I was in need of resources and guidance from fellow educators that were carrying out this work in their own schools; a need that drove me to the ScholarshipsA-Z Educator's Committee meetings....ScholarshipsA-Z became my sole support" - Danielle Khambholjia
Danielle is a school counselor for Sunnyside High School

"Above all, they (ScholarshipsA-Z) gave me hope." - Cenorina Ramirez
Cenorina Ramirez is an interdisciplinary visual artist , a DACA recipient, and former member of ScholarshipsA-Z.

For more testimonials visit: www.scholarshipsaz.org/who-we-are/mosaic