Diamond in the Rough | ISTS Programs

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Paula E. Waters – Diamond In The Rough Scholarship Program!

The Paula E. Waters – Diamond in the Rough Fund is dedicated to providing educational assistance for deserving senior high school African-American male students from selected schools who plan to continue education at a two-or four year college, university or vocational-technical school. Scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.

We encourage you to review this website for in-depth information about the scholarship program, as well as helpful student resources.

History

Founded in 2004, Paula E. Waters-Diamond In The Rough Scholarship Fund (PaulaWaters-DITR) is an organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to deserving African-American male youth. The organization established the scholarship program and designed it to reward disadvantaged African-American male high school students who have potential and desire to further their education and who may otherwise find college or vocational-technical school unaffordable.

Click here to read more about President and Founder, Paula E. Waters.

The scholarship program is currently administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), an independent scholarship management company based in Nashville, TN.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

Be a high school senior.
Be an African-American male.
Have a cumulative GPA between 2.0 and 2.99 (un-weighted, based on a 4-point scale).
Be attending:
- Any public or charter school in Montgomery or Prince George’s County, Maryland, OR
- Any public or charter school in the District of Columbia, OR
- Any public or charter school in Arlington or Fairfax Counties, or the cities of Alexandria or Falls Church, Virginia, OR
- Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

No exceptions will be made.

Awards

Three (3) one-time scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,000 each. One (1) award is specifically meant for applicants going to vocational/trade school.
The scholarships can be applied to tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies and equipment required for course load at accredited, nonprofit two or four-year colleges/universities or vocational/trade schools in the United States.
Awards are not renewable.

Application Process

1. Click the “Apply Now” button (below) or go to https://aim.applyISTS.net/DITR (program key DITR) to create an AIM account using your e-mail address and chosen password

2. Log in to your AIM account to be taken directly to the Welcome page of the Paula E. Waters Diamond in the Rough Scholarship application

3. Complete all required fields in the online application and upload your most recent high school transcript and ACT/SAT scores

5. Click the Submit button on the Save/Submit page of the online application

NOTE: The status Complete will display on your AIM Home page when all forms have been submitted and all documents have been verified. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the progress of all application requirements to make sure their application is complete by 11:59 pm PT on May 24, 2019. Late submissions will not be considered.

The 2019-20 application period is March 1 – May 24, 2019.

Apply Now

Click the “Program FAQ” button below to learn more about the program and get answers to commonly asked questions.

Program FAQ

Scholarships for Minorities