Determine if Toyota’s Making Life Easier Scholarship Program is right for you, and apply here! Details on all Toyota scholarships are made available in this blog.
Unlike my recent publications on the Taco Bell Scholarship Application and Burger King Scholarship Application which are just one single scholarship application from each of the corporations, the Toyota scholarship is quite different. Toyota partners with different nonprofit organizations to provide scholarships and grants to deserving students.
The Toyota scholarship is similar to the Tata Trust scholarship and Target Corporation scholarship because they also partner with nonprofit organizations to offer financial assistance to students.
During my research on this topic, I was expecting a single scholarship application from Toyota that all qualified students can apply for but I realized that the automobile corporation scatters its funds across nonprofit organizations whose cause is aimed at offering financial assistance to students.
At first, it wasn’t very clear but on conducting deeper research, I realized how the Toyota scholarship works and it is much beneficial that way because this way, financial support will get to students who truly need it.
Gathering all the Toyota scholarships in one place was quite tough because some had expired but the Google search engine is still displaying them (Google needs to do better on that). I guess that Toyota stopped partnering with those organizations which means they also stopped providing them with grants.
Don’t worry, I didn’t list ANY expired Toyota scholarships in this blog. I only curated the scholarships that are ongoing and offered every year so you can rest assured that you are getting concrete scholarship information.
Table of Contents
About Toyota Scholarships
Toyota Motor Corporation, the Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer and the largest automobile manufacturer in the world provides scholarships and grants through nonprofit organizations to support students pursuing a postsecondary education.
How the Toyota scholarships work is that Toyota offers grants to nonprofit organizations that are committed to providing financial support to students, you already know this. Then students will apply for the Toyota scholarship through those organizations that Toyota partnered with.
The rules, requirements, eligibility criteria, open and closing dates for the scholarship, selection criteria, selection of winners, and award distribution are then set and determined by that nonprofit organization.
In this section, you will find information on all Toyota scholarships especially the Making Life Easier Scholarship program, the most popular scholarship program from Toyota. The details will include each of their eligibility criteria, application materials, how to apply, and application links to apply for each of the scholarships.
Without any further ado, let’s kick start with the most popular scholarship from Toyota.
1. Toyota Making Life Easier Scholarship Program
Toyota launched the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program to offer financial assistance to college-bound students. The scholarships program is usually open in September every year with up to 100 awards granted each year and the automobile giant partnered with Scholarship America to offer the scholarship.
Scholarship America is the largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals in the United States. Although Scholarship America is the partnering organization, its only job is to review eligible applications. The eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of Toyota.
For 2024 – the publishing year of this blog – Toyota’s Making Life Easier Scholarship Program will award up to $1 million to college-bound students associated with select community partners. Student can receive up to $20,000 to cover the cost of their higher education for 4 years.
Eligibility Criteria for Toyota Making Life Easier Scholarship Program
Determine your eligibility to apply for the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program below:
- Applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 26
- You can apply as a high school senior or graduate, undergraduate student, or graduate student
- Have a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent.
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, professional school, or vocational-technical school in the United States for the entire academic year.
- Have a minimum CGPA of 2.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0
- Be in good standing in the community and at school (i.e. not on disciplinary or academic probation).
You are NOT eligible to apply for the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program if you are an employee, vendor, and business partner of Toyota and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, promotion and advertising agencies, and members of their immediate family (defined as spouse and parent, children and siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and persons living in the same household, whether or not related, of such employees.
Application Documents for Making Life Easier Scholarship Program
As part of the application process for the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program, you must upload the following documents:
- A Partner Verification Form signed by an administrative or leadership representative from the partner organization with which you are affiliated.
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display the student name, school name, grades, and credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
- A copy of the 2022 IRS Form 1040 which was used to complete the Financial Information section. Block out all security numbers. Submit a note of explanation if a 2022 IRS Form 1040 was not filed.
Award Details of Making Life Easier Scholarship Program
Selected recipients will receive an award ranging from $1,250 to $5,000. Recipients in an undergraduate degree program can renew their scholarships for up to three (3) years until they earn their bachelor’s degree.
Recipients completing their undergraduate degree may renew their awards upon transfer to graduate school as long as enrollment is continuous. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance in a full-time course of study and continuation of the program by Toyota. Students may receive the award for a maximum of four years.
The award must be applied towards undergraduate or graduate school-related expenses only at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, professional school, or vocational-technical school in the United States.
Scholarship American processes scholarship payments on behalf of Toyota. Payments are made in one installment.
Selection Criteria for Making Life Easier Scholarship Program
Selection is based on financial need, community involvement, and essay responses. Toyota and partner organizations will review contact information to confirm eligibility and essays to confirm recipients. The selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America.
To apply for the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program, click HERE.
2. Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program
The Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program is specifically for eligible dependent children of Toyota team members across North America. The scholarship is made available yearly for full-time, undergraduate study at an accredited institution of your choice.
Just as the Making Life Easier Scholarship Program, the Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program is also administered by Scholarship America and eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor.
Eligibility Criteria for Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program
To be eligible for the Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be the dependent children of Toyota team members
- You must be 23 years old or younger
- Plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program at an accredited two or four-year college, university, vocational, or technical school.
NOTE: The Toyota team member must be a US or Canadian team member who has completed a minimum of 6 months of direct employment with the company as of the application deadline date at an eligible company.
Application Documents for Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program
As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Unofficial or online transcripts must display the student name, school name, grades, and credit hours for each course, and the term in which each course was taken.
- Provide English translations for all non-English documents.
- Provide results of academic examinations, if not included on the transcript.
- One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf.
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT scores, and those scores are not listed 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.
Award Details of Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program
- 10 Peak Performance Awards: $5,000 per year
- Granted to the highest-ranking students per scholarship criteria, regardless of location.Renewable for up to a total of 4 years of undergraduate study, or until the requirements for the bachelor’s degree are obtained.To qualify for renewal, you must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 credits per semester or 9 credits per quarter), maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, and remain in good academic standing as determined by the college or university.If a scholarship recipient completes their undergraduate degree in less than 4 years, the remaining funds will be forfeited. The scholarship is not transferable to any advanced degree program.60 Performance Awards: $2,500 per year
- Granted per scholarship criteria.Not renewable; however, students may reapply to the scholarship program each year they meet eligibility requirements, up to a total of 4 years.The number of Performance awards allocated to each company will be in direct proportion to the number of applications received from each company. At least one applicant (exclusive of Peak Performance Award) per company will be awarded, as long as there is a qualified applicant.
- Awards are for undergraduate study only.
- Granted to the highest-ranking students per scholarship criteria, regardless of location.Renewable for up to a total of 4 years of undergraduate study, or until the requirements for the bachelor’s degree are obtained.To qualify for renewal, you must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 credits per semester or 9 credits per quarter), maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, and remain in good academic standing as determined by the college or university.If a scholarship recipient completes their undergraduate degree in less than 4 years, the remaining funds will be forfeited. The scholarship is not transferable to any advanced degree program.60 Performance Awards: $2,500 per year
Selection Criteria for Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program
Scholarship recipients are selected based on:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- Statement of career and educational goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An online recommendation
No officer or team member of Toyota plays a part in the selection, only Scholarship America makes the selection of recipients and scholarship payment.
To apply for the Toyota Motor North America Scholarship Program, click HERE.
3. UNCF Toyota Scholars Program
Toyota and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) partnered together to establish the UNCF Toyota Scholars Program, a professional development initiative for HBCU students. UNCF is a nonprofit organization that funds scholarships for underrepresented students.
The UNCF Toyota Scholars Program offers scholarships, career-readiness training, internship opportunities, and other tools for success. The program also supports college success and completion for high-achieving minority students, while preparing scholars for career opportunities at Toyota.
Eligibility Criteria for the UNCF Toyota Scholars Program
To qualify, you must meet the requirements below:
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
- Must be an underrepresented minority student classified as sophomores or juniors
- Must be enrolled in a full-time academic program at an accredited 4-year public or private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Must have a declared major or interest in STEM
Award Details for UNCF Toyota Scholars Program
Those who are selected to receive the scholarship are called Toyota Scholars. These Scholars will have access to multiple scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,500. They will also receive the following:
Career-Readiness Training
Scholars will participate in the virtual “Toyota Day” Summit experience to learn more about career opportunities at Toyota and its employee culture, while also gaining knowledge about strategies for success in the workplace. Summits are offered once each semester.
Two scholars will win a $2,500 merit-based scholarship at each Summit for participating.
Paid Internship and Scholarship
Scholars will be selected annually to participate in a 12-week paid summer internship at Toyota and receive a merit-based scholarship of $7,500. Housing and travel to and from the internship will be provided.
UNCF Student Leadership Conference
During a three-day professional development and leadership conference, invited scholars will learn the skills needed to be successful as interns and early career professionals.
Careers at Toyota
Scholars will receive priority consideration for career opportunities at Toyota post-graduation.
The scholarship is not renewable but students who continue to meet the eligibility criteria can apply the following academic year for consideration. Past Toyota Scholars who continue to meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply again for consideration in the next academic year. The scholarship is need-based therefore you will be required to complete FAFSA.
To apply for the UNCF Toyota Scholars Program, click HERE.
4. I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship
The I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship is for graduating high school seniors who want to pursue post-secondary education. You will not just be an ordinary high school senior but one who made a significant contribution to their high school and community and demonstrated I-5 Toyota’s motto of Be Bold. Be Kind. Be Awesome.
Eligibility Criteria for I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship
To be eligible to apply for the I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- A 500-word, two-page, double-spaced essay on who you are, your plans after high school, and why you should be awarded the scholarship.
- Two letters of recommendation from a teacher or high school advisor and an employer or a representative of a service or charitable organization, or a community member.
- A one-page resume outlining your high school achievements, activities, awards, work, and/or volunteer experience.
- High school transcript
- A video of you explaining your perception of how the I-5 Auto Group has contributed to our amazing community and how you plan to be a part of that. Click here to send your video
How to Apply for the I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship
The application for the I-5 Toyota Senior Scholarship is different. It is not done online rather it is an offline application.
To apply, start by downloading the application form. Fill the form with the accurate information then gather all the documents listed above in the criteria section along with the application form and mail or drop it off by May 1st at:
I-5 ToyotaATTN: Scholarship Committee
1950 NW Louisiana Avenue, Chehalis, WA 98532
COMMITTEE CONTACTS:
Heidi Pehl – heidipehl@i-5cars.com
Melissa Ryan – melissaryan@i-5cars.com
Tonja Vlach – tonjavlach@i-5cars.com
GUIDELINES:
- Selection of recipients will be done by the I-5 Toyota Scholarship Committee.
- Scholarships will be awarded to the recipient at the school’s scholarship night.
- The Scholarships are not renewable and must be used during the school year immediately following graduation unless an exception is formally approved for special circumstances by the Scholarship Committee.
- Scholarship checks will be made out to the recipient and the school/training center where the recipient will be enrolled. It is the recipient’s responsibility to notify I-5 Toyota of their school/training center.
5. Toyota Tsusho International Student Scholarship
Toyota Tsusho is the child company of Toyota and they provide this scholarship through the Japan Educational Exchange Services. The scholarship is for international students who are in an undergraduate (3rd year), master’s, doctoral, or other professional degree in social science, humanities, natural science, or engineering program.
The scholarship is offered to about 15 students and the value is 100,000 Yen for a month per student. You can also get other scholarships up to 50,000 Yen for a month. The scholarship duration is for 2 years and it is usually open from October to November.
To learn more about this scholarship and apply, click here.
Conclusion
Toyota offers several scholarships every year, details about each of the scholarships and how you can apply are provided here to guide you toward applying and winning the scholarship. If you have any questions or need clarity during the scholarship application, remember to contact the scholarship committee via the telephone and email contacts provided.
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