Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Saint Paul and Minnesota Communication Foundation

The Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Program was created to support students intending to further their education at a recognized college or vocational institution in Minnesota.

Who Can Apply?

To be considered for the Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Program, applicants must:

• Be a high school senior, graduate, or a current undergraduate, graduate, or professional level student.
• Intend to enroll full-time in undergraduate, graduate, or professional level study at a recognized two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in Minnesota for the entire 2026-2027 academic year.
• Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

OR

• Be a worker who has been displaced under extraordinary circumstances, intending to enroll in a retraining program at a recognized two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in Minnesota for the entire 2026-2027 academic year.

Scholarship Amount

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation annually determines the distribution for awards based on the total amount available from the Richard and Louise Varco Scholarship Fund.

The maximum award amount is $5,000.

The awards are not renewable. However, students can reapply to the program each year they meet the eligibility criteria.

Notification Process

All applicants will receive notification in April.

Notifications will be sent via email. It is recommended to use a personal, active email address rather than a school or work email. Ensure you have ongoing access to this email.

Ensure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org and the program email address to your email contact list to receive all communications.

Disbursement of Scholarships

Scholarship America handles scholarship payments on behalf of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Payments are made in a single installment in early August.

Selection Criteria

Recipients of the scholarship are chosen based on:

• Academic achievement
• Leadership skills and involvement in school and community activities
• Work experience
• Statement of educational and career aspirations
• Extraordinary personal or family circumstances
• An online recommendation.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need, as determined by Scholarship America, to receive an award.

Scholarship America is responsible for the selection of recipients. No officer or employee of The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is involved in the selection process. Not all applicants will be awarded. Eligible students can reapply each year. All applicants must accept the decision as final.

Application Requirements

Your application must include the following uploads:

• A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must include:
• Student's name
• Name of the school
• Grades
• Credit hours for each course and the term in which each course was taken.

NOTE: If you are submitting SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

An online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than February 27, 2026 3:00 PM Central Time.

Your application will only be considered complete when all required materials have been submitted electronically.