Jefferson and Walentas Scholarships

# Jefferson and Walentas Scholarships The Jefferson Scholars Foundation awards the Jefferson Scholarship and the Walentas Scholarship to high school seniors nominated by their schools, based on leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. Both cover the full cost of attending the University of Virginia - tuition, room, board, books, and miscellaneous expenses for eight semesters - and both carry the same enrichment benefits. The Walentas Scholarship, endowed by a $100 million gift in 2019, is reserved for first-generation students. ## What You'll Do - Ask your school counselor about nomination; the nomination portal opens in August for eligible schools in more than 65 Jefferson regions and 20 Walentas regions - Complete the student portion of the nomination, including a scholastic report, extracurricular activities, and two essays, by the December 1 deadline - Interview with a Regional Selection Committee of UVA alumni between mid-December and January - Compete as a finalist in late-February virtual interviews - As a Scholar, attend a Summit at the Foundation the summer before first year and draw on up to $4,000 for internships, conferences, and travel abroad ## Who Should Apply Seniors at a school inside a Jefferson or Walentas nominating region. Students cannot apply directly - schools nominate. Prior interest in UVA and financial need are explicitly not factors in selecting a nominee. ## Outcomes Scholars attend UVA with full financial support for four years and join the Foundation's network of Scholars, Fellows, alumni, and volunteers, with continuing access to career development and enrichment programming.