Q: Who was Erika Niedowski?
A: It is best answered by reading the About Erika page.
Q: Who is eligible for this scholarship?
A: Erika’s wishes were to support a Black student from Rhode Island who is graduating from a Rhode Island high school in the current year. The amount will be $2,500 per year, and is renewable if the student continues to maintain the requirements for eligibility.
Q: What are the qualifications for this scholarship?
A. The student must have at least a final 2.75 GPA (or the school’s equivalent) from their high school. Extracurricular activities both in school and in the community will also be considered, along with other factors the Board may consider significant. To renew the scholarship, the student must maintain at least a 2.75 GPA at their college. We also require that scholarship recipients allow us to publish their name, hometown, high school, college and college major on this web site.
Q: Do I need to choose a particular major or go to a particular college to be eligible for the scholarship?
A. Any choice of majors, including “Undecided” is eligible. The only requirement for the college is that it is a two or four year accredited college or university.
Q: How do I apply for this scholarship?
A. Completely and accurately fill out the application on the Application page. A transcript will be required to validate the student’s GPA. This scholarship is merit-based and not based on financial need. No financial documents are required with the application.
Q: Who decides who will get the scholarship?
A: Our organization will review all applications and make decisions on who will receive the scholarship. You can find more information about us here at the Our Organization page.
Q: Can I spend the scholarship money on anything I want?
A. The scholarship funds must be used for college educational needs.
Q: How can I contribute to the scholarship fund?
A: Please see our Donors page. We accept cash, checks, credit cards and stock donations. We are happy to accept one-time donations and we would love to work with you as an annual recurring donor. One of Erika’s wishes was that the donation amount is something that is meaningful to you.
Q. Is this organization designated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by the IRS?
A. Yes. Our Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) is available as needed, on request. We are incorporated in the state of Rhode Island as the Erika Niedowski Memorial Scholarship.
