UPDATE: APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 28

The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation is committed to supporting people from communities who directly experience the consequences of injustice and discrimination every day of their lives. Developed in partnership with UNCF, the Pierre and Tana Matisse Scholarship will provide need-based scholarships to Black, Latinx, and Indigenous undergraduate students in New York City attending any accredited 4-year institution or 2-year community college. All majors are welcome! Award funds will be disbursed in the 2022-2023 academic year. 

Selected recipients may have their contact information shared with the scholarship Grantor.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Be African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latinx, or Native American/Indigenous.
2. Be a US citizen, permanent US resident, an undocumented student, or an undocumented student with DACA status. 
3. Be a permanent resident of one of the five boroughs of New York City: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island. See the list of eligible NYC ZIP codes on the right side of this page. 
   1. Applicants who are permanent residents of NYC but attend college outside of NYC may still apply if their permanent home address is in NYC.
4. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
5. Be currently classified as a graduating high school senior, or college freshman, sophomore, or junior. Current first-semester college seniors who are graduating in December 2022 may also apply.
6. Will be enrolled as a full-time freshman, sophomore, junior, or second-semester senior at any accredited US 4-year institution or 2-year community college in the 2022-2023 academic year. 
7. Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a demonstrated unmet financial need, as verified by the applicant's institution.

NOTE Undocumented students and students with DACA status will be exempt from being required to have completed a FAFSA.

Application Requirements

1. An official or unofficial current academic transcript.
2. A one-page essay (see application for details).
3. One letter of recommendation written by a non-relative.
4. Indigenous applicants must submit verification of tribal affiliation with their application. 

Letter of Recommendation Instructions

Applicants must log in to their UNCF student account, go to the Application Status page, and select Invite Reference to invite a Reference to submit a recommendation. Applicants must check the Application Status page for recommendation status. Applicants should invite an alternate Reference if the first is unresponsive.

Because the "Invite Reference" feature may be blocked by a firewall, applicants should immediately email the How to Submit a Letter of Recommendation document to their Reference (the download link is on the right side of this page under “Supporting Documents”).

Additional Scholarship Information

1. UNCF will contact finalists' institutions to verify their eligibility. Ineligible applicants cannot be awarded. Applicants who do not meet all listed eligibility and application requirements should not apply.
2. International Students are ineligible for this scholarship. Applicants unsure if their residency status is "International" or "Undocumented" should contact their Office of Financial Aid for clarification before applying.
3. Application materials, including letters of recommendation, will not be accepted via email.
4. Unless specified above, scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the recipient’s institution.
5. For login, password, or other account issues, please contact 202-810-0258 or scholarships@uncf.org from 9am-5pm EST.
6. Scholarship decisions will be emailed to applicants by December 1, 2022.
7. Questions about this scholarship that have not been answered above may be submitted to Brandi Williams at brandi.williams@uncf.org.