Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter (BBAAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Introduction
The Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter (BBAAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private community-service organization composed of college-educated African American women. BBAAC is offering scholarships to college-bound high school seniors of African/African American descent who attend high schools in Alameda County, California. Preference is given to students planning to enroll in four-year colleges or universities; however, applicants who intend to begin at a community college and later transfer to a four-year institution will also be considered. Awards are intended to supplement other sources of financial aid and will vary depending on available funding.

Award Amount
Scholarship awards typically range from $500 to $3,000, subject to available funds.

Who is Eligible
- Must be a high school senior of African/African American descent enrolled in a high school located in Alameda County, California.
- Must be college-bound (four-year institutions preferred; community college with the intention to transfer is acceptable).
- Must have a cumulative, unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. This is calculated across all years of high school. There are no exceptions to the 3.0 minimum. (Unweighted GPA excludes additional points from Honors, AP, IB, or college-level courses.)
- Must be available for a remote Zoom interview in March or early April. Rare exceptions or alternate arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Application Requirements and Checklist
All materials may be submitted electronically. Documents issued by schools or service organizations should be on official letterhead and may be sent from a school/service email address.

Applicants must submit the following items (all elements must be submitted together and be complete by the deadline):
1. Completed application form, including the applicant’s confirmation of eligibility and consent to be contacted for evaluation and award purposes.
2. One letter of recommendation (select only one):
- High school counselor or administrator on official letterhead; or
- Teacher on official letterhead; or
- A letter verifying community or school service on official letterhead.
A strong recommendation will state how the recommender knows the student, detail contributions to school or community, and highlight notable personal qualities and leadership.
3. Academic record: an official transcript OR an unofficial grade report accompanied by a verification letter on official letterhead or from a school email account verifying the accuracy of the unofficial report.
4. Essay addressing this prompt: What are your college education and career goals and why are they important to you?
- Discuss discoveries, current activities, and experiences that inform your goals and expand on what these goals mean beyond earning a livelihood.
- Length: minimum 1 page, maximum 2.5 pages. Margins no larger than 1 inch; font size between 10.5 and 12 points.

Submission, Deadline, and Interview
- All application materials (items 1–4 above) must be submitted online or mailed and postmarked by March 6th, 2026. Electronic submissions are preferred; files can be uploaded via the online application or emailed to scholarship@bbaacdst.org. If submitting materials in separate parts, please label each item clearly to help assemble a complete packet.
- Applicants should be prepared to participate in a Zoom interview scheduled in March or early April. If scheduling a mutually agreeable interview time is not possible, exceptions or alternative arrangements may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Responsibility and Questions
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials are complete and submitted by the deadline. For questions or further information, email: scholarship@bbaacdst.org.