Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by California Teachers Association

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program encourages Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students to become educators, school nurses, school counselors or school therapists and to promote professional growth for BIPOC teachers and Education Support Professionals (ESP) members.

A complete application consists of an online application and two recommendation forms.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program encourages Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students to become educators, school nurses, school counselors, or school therapists and to promote professional growth for BIPOC educators and Education Support Professionals (ESP) members.

Scholarship Eligibility and Criteria

Eligibility:  To be eligible, the applicant must be:

• Pursuing a degree, credential, or certification for a teaching-related career in public education in an accredited institution of higher education
• A member of a defined BIPOC group: (African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic)
• Enrolled for the summer or fall semester of 2025

The applicant must also be one of the following:

• An active member of CTA
• A dependent child of an active, CTA/NEA-Retired or deceased CTA member (per IRS ruling)
• An active member of CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE)

To receive the scholarship, the active CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member must reside in California and maintain membership at the time of disbursement.

Criteria:  Each Application is evaluated and scored on the following:

• Financial Need  30 pts
• Applicant Statement  30 pts
• Recommendation Form  20 pts
• Activities and achievements  20 pts

CTA and CTA Aspiring Educators members only:

In the spirit of Martin Luther King, who worked to promote civil rights and social justice, how do you intend to carry on his work in the following areas?

• Social Justice, Equity and Diversity
• Community Engagement
• Advocacy in Education

Explain the importance of having more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) educators in public education. Statement must be 350 words or fewer