Scholarship Information

The Scholarship Fund, a component of the AJ Wang Foundation, was established in 2013. The Scholarship Fund also receives donations from others wishing to participate in “giving back” in the same manner as the founders. Since 2008, the AJ Wang Foundation has donated several millions of dollars to various institutions in Taiwan and the United States to support students.

School year 2018-19 commences another charitable activity for the AJ Wang Foundation. In order to continue to encourage local high school graduates to pursue post-secondary options, the Foundation has partnered with the University of the West located in the city of Rosemead, California. University of the West was founded 30 years ago by the Venerable Master Hsing Yun with the vision of providing a campus where students from the East and West could come together to study their chosen academic disciplines in an environment enriched by Buddhist wisdom and values. Today, the University is a private, nonprofit, non-sectarian, and co-educational institution, and continues to follow the same concepts of character, compassion and community. University of the West is a WASC accredited institution. It offers undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, English/TESOL, Liberal Arts, and Psychology along with several masters and doctorate degree programs.

The AJ Wang Foundation Scholarship Fund is targeting graduating high school senior students who wish to attend the University of the West and who are US citizens, permanent residents, or students eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)/Dream Act. The Scholarship Fund provides four (4) scholarships for up to four consecutive academic years for students attending the University with full-time (minimum 12 units/semester) status and maintaining good standing (3.0 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale) in the academics.

The scholarship can be used for tuition, fees, books, housing, transportation and/or food. The award is disbursed each semester based on meeting the minimum eligibility. Depending on student’s progress towards completion of degree, or program, as well as obtaining satisfactory academic standing, a student shall be awarded the scholarship through the 4 years of attendance at the University of the West. Funds are forwarded directly to the University on a semester to semester basis in order to monitor continuous attendance and satisfactory academic progress. Students must provide proof each semester which includes transcripts from the previous semester and full-time registration for the subsequent semester prior to receiving continuous award.

The AJ Wang Foundation Scholarship Fund Applicant Must:

  • Be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States of America and its territories or DACA/Dream Act eligible
  • Have a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  • Be a graduating high school senior from an accredited high school with the goal to attend the University of the West and earn a undergraduate degree
  • Commit to enroll as a full-time (minimum of 12 units/semester) student, without interruption, for the entire academic year
  • Submit all of the following:
    1. the official application form (see application link below)
    2. a letter of application indicating the program of study, student background, academic achievement, intended educational and career goal(s), and financial need
    3. a resume
    4. the latest transcript including grades from 9th grade through at least the first semester of high school senior year with the final grades submitted along with full-time fall registration no later than August 15 after the award is granted
  • After enrollment at the University, provide most recent college transcript annually by January 15 for semester 1 and August 15 for semester 2 while attending the University, and for continuous attendance and award by submitting subsequent semester full time registration that demonstrates progress towards meeting educational goal(s) and obtaining at least a 3.0 term GPA on a 4.0 scale.
  • Students who fail to meet their educational goal(s) and/or the minimum GPA requirement will become ineligible for the scholarship in the subsequent semester. They may regain eligibility after meeting those requirements. However, the unclaimed award will become null and void.
  • Students who receive “incomplete” grade in the course are not eligible to receive the scholarship until the “incomplete” is resolved.  Students who drop a course during the course of the semester and not meeting full-time enrollment requirement, will become ineligible for the subsequent semester.

University of the West Scholarship Application

Application Period: April 15 – June 1 annually

Download Application

Award

The four (4) selected students will be awarded two thousand dollars ($2,000) a year for four years with $1,000 disbursed for each fall and spring semester.

  • Checks will be mailed to the University’s Scholarship/Finance Aid Office for disbursement according to the University’s guidelines.

  • Priority consideration will be given to first-generation college-bound students.

  • Students must demonstrate and articulate financial needs in their letters of application.

  • Recipients are selected by a committee established by the AJ Wang Foundation; there will be no appeals for students who are not granted the award.

  • Application materials must be received via email no later than mid-night on June 1.

  • Notification of awards will be provided by late June via US mail as well as emails; all subsequent communication will be made via email only.

  • All recipients will be known as the AJ Wang Foundation Scholars.

Please email all materials (e.g. application form, letter of application, resume, and transcript) to info@ajwangfoundation.org.

All correspondence will be by email only.