2024 OnderLaw Children of Parents with Cancer Scholarship

Learning that a parent or guardian has a serious illness is life-shattering. For students, coping with the physical and emotional aspects of a parent’s illness while handling the responsibilities and pressures of school, activities, and social lives can be particularly overwhelming. Our team at OnderLaw knows all too well the devastation families go through when a parent is diagnosed with cancer. The experiences someone goes through are painful, but sharing them can be a catalyst for moving forward.

To help honor those who are fighting cancer or who have lost their battle, we are asking students to write an essay answering the question: What would you tell someone about what is important in life, knowing what cancer has taught you?

We want this to be an opportunity to open a dialogue about cancer and how it affects real people. Ultimately, we hope this scholarship provides an outlet for children of parents with cancer to process their grief, recognize their personal strengths, and start a dialogue about serious illness, mental health, and the value of living life to its fullest.  

One applicant will receive a $1,000 scholarship award to be used towards their educational pursuits. Please review the eligibility requirements below:

Eligibility

• The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, vocational student, college student or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a vocational program or two to four-year post-secondary institution for the fall 2024 semester.
• The applicant must have a parent or guardian who was diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.
• To keep the selection process fair, employees of OnderLaw, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, spouse), and anyone living in those households of such individuals (whether related or not) are not eligible to participate in the competition. 
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must submit a 750 – 1,000 word essay response to the prompt: What would you tell your younger self about what is important in life, knowing what cancer has taught you? 
• The candidate must submit a cover letter that includes how they intend to use the scholarship, their GPA, and any academic or athletic awards or volunteer or extracurricular activities they have taken part in, as well as any other information they feel is relevant for our judging panel to know.  
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college or university students or transfer students should submit an unofficial transcript from their current school as well as a transcript from their most-recent school. New students should also submit proof of acceptance to their college, university or vocational program as well.

The scholarship recipient will be chosen in September, following the scholarship deadline.

Application Deadline and Instructions:

To be eligible for this scholarship, candidates must email their full application (including the essay, resumé, and transcript) to location1@onderlaw.com by August 31, 2024. Any applications sent after this date will not be considered.

Scholarship applications should be sent with the subject line “OnderLaw 2024 Children of Parents with Cancer Scholarship Application”

Please send any questions to location1@onderlaw.com as well.