OCA-UPS® Gold Mountain Scholarship for Graduating High School Seniors
Since 1999, the OCA-UPS® Gold Mountain Scholarship has supported first-generation Asian American and Pacific Islander high school students in their pursuit of higher education.
The title of this scholarship program calls back to a time when many Asian immigrants looked upon America as a mountain of golden opportunities for themselves and their families. Awardees of the scholarship seek dreams of higher education, which are not only the dreams of the students but also of their parents and extended family.
This year, first-gen high school students who identify as AAPI and will be graduating high school this year and starting college/university in Fall 2024 will be awarded $2,000 each.
The application is now closed.
Meet the Scholars!
Since its initiation, the OCA-UPS® Gold Mountain Scholarship has provided over 160 scholarships to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) first-gen high school seniors.
Scholarship Details
Scholarship Award: $2,000 (non-renewable)
Please note: If selected as a Gold Mountain Scholar, the award will be sent directly to you via ACH or PayPal (checks are also available) and it will be considered taxable income, meaning you/your family will need to include it in the next tax filing season. Scholars will be asked to complete a W-9 form to receive the award.
Application Deadline: Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.
All applicants will be notified of their status by June.
Eligibility
Applicants must identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI).
Applicants must currently be enrolled as a high school senior and be attending college by Fall 2024.
Applicants must be first-gen, meaning your parents did not complete a college or university degree.
Applicants do not need to be a U.S. citizen. DACA students or undocumented students must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to be eligible for this scholarship.
If awarded a scholarship, applicants may be required to submit either a 2023 or 2024 tax return.
Awarded scholars will be required to submit proof that they’ve been accepted into one or more colleges/universities before receiving the scholarship.
Applicants must not be a child or dependent of:
an OCA National staff member,
an OCA Executive Council member,
or an OCA Business Advisory Council member.
Application Requirements
Short Bio (in PDF format, 300 words max).
This should include your background, identity, school, major/minor, work/experience, interests, etc. This info will be used on our website if you are selected to be a scholar. If you’d like to see examples of what this short bio should look like, please refer to our previous scholars page.
Academic Transcript (in PDF format; unofficial transcripts are also accepted)
Your transcript must include the first quarter/semester of your freshman year through at least the first quarter/semester of your senior year corresponding with your application.
One (1) Essay Responses (in PDF format, 500 words max each)
Essay Prompt: Describe a challenge you’ve had to overcome. What effect did this have on your person and character?
Two (2) Short Answer Responses (in PDF, 300 words max)
Short Answer Prompt 1: Describe your experience as a first-gen Asian American and Pacific Islander student.
Short Answer Prompt 2: What are you intending to major/minor in college? Why?
Experiences (in PDF)
There will be a section in the application form asking you to provide details on three types of experiences you may have:
Leadership experience
Community Service/Volunteer experience
Employment/Work experience
For each type of experience, you can list up to three of your most prominent and relevant experiences. It’s okay if you don’t have experiences in all three categories because everyone has different circumstances. For any section you don't have experience in, please upload a short PDF document explaining why you don't have that experience(s).
Two (2) References
References can be anyone who can speak about you and your work on a personal and professional level. We may contact one or both of your references if we determine the need to ask them about you and your application.
Include their name, job title/position, email, phone number, and their relationship to you.
Please note we are not asking for letters of recommendation.
Application Guide
Review the application form
Make sure to look over the application form before you start applying so that you can prepare all of the application materials and answers to each prompt ahead of time. Take note of the application deadline.
Make sure you are actually eligible for this scholarship by reviewing the eligibility and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of the scholarship website.
Personal Information
Make sure the email address you provide on the application form is one you check regularly and have access to through at least the fall of 2023.
Make sure you are able to describe your racial and ethnic identities.
Write your short bio. Look at previous scholarship recipients’ short bios for inspiration.
Find out if your family is affiliated with, or is a member of, an OCA chapter.
Experiences
Be prepared to provide details of your volunteer/community service, leadership, and/or work/employment experiences (including family responsibilities, if applicable). It’s okay if you don’t have all three types of experiences because everyone has different life circumstances.
Essays and Short Answers
You are required to submit one essay response and two short answer responses. This is a chance for us to learn about you and truly get to know you. Make sure you thoroughly answer the prompts.
Financial Information
Be prepared to provide your and/or your family’s total gross income from the most recent tax filing season.
References
You will be asked to provide the names and contact information of two references. These references should not be family members. They should be someone who can speak about you personally and professionally. We are not asking for letters of recommendations.
Be sure to ask your references for permission before including them as a reference on the application form.
Certification
Before submitting your application, be sure to take one last look at your application answers. Check for errors. Make sure everything is accurate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tap on a question to see the answer. If you have a question not covered in the FAQs, contact Hojin Kim at hojin.kim@ocanational.org.
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This includes those who identify as East Asian American, Filipino American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander American, South Asian American, and Southeast Asian American.
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Different institutions have different determinations for who is considered a first-gen student. For the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship, first-gen means your parents did not complete a college or university degree.
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Yes.
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Yes. Being a first-gen student means that your parent(s) did not complete a college or university degree. Your sibling(s) would also be considered first-gen.
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Yes you are still eligible.
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Although GPA is a consideration, there is no minimum GPA requirement in order to be eligible to apply.
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No.
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Successful applicants will receive a check directly via USPS. Please note the scholarships will not be addressed to the college/university the awardees are attending—they will be sent directly to the awardees’ home address.
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Scholarship recipients can choose how they use their scholarship funding. However, we suggest it be used towards tuition-specific purposes (i.e. tuition, books, computer, etc).
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Check the bottom of this page for additional scholarships from external organizations: https://www.ocanational.org/scholarships
Testimonials
Jeffrey Chen
2020 Scholar, Yale University
“Being a Gold Mountain Scholarship recipient has given me the confidence, support network, and resources necessary to tackle the challenge of being a first generation college student. This scholarship has helped me overcome the economic hardships my family has experienced due to the pandemic in order to be able to attend my dream college and focus on challenging myself academically and contributing to my community.”
Donna Fernandez
2020 Scholar, University of California, Davis
"With the help of the Gold Mountain Scholarship, I am grateful to be receiving financial support to attend college. As a first-generation student, navigating college is already very challenging itself and especially when it comes to affording college. With the scholarship award, it has been able to lessen the burden for my family and they are able to have a sense of security that I am able to pursue a college degree."
Imani King
2020 Scholar, Anderson University
“Because of the Gold Mountain Scholarship, I was able to attend my top choice school with almost a full ride. It was my Gold Mountain Scholarship that helped to cover my tuition deficit, relieving my family of any additional financial burden. I am honored as a first generation college student to have been connected with others that were rooting for my success. This scholarship has assisted in catapulting my academic career as an Art Education major and given me the unfailing motivation to succeed. I am proud to say that I made the Dean’s list last semester and am on course to conquer that goal again this Spring. Thank you Gold Mountain Scholarship!”
Ayame Lewis
2020 Scholar, Pomona College
“As a first generation low income student, I constantly worried about the costs of attending college. I feared that I wouldn’t be able to afford the books, supplies and living costs especially because the pandemic has put a lot of stress on my family. Because of the Gold Mountain Scholarship, I was able to attend my dream college without having to worry about the costs. I am able to focus on my education and enjoy my freshman year of college. The Gold Mountain scholarship also opened up new opportunities for me such as internships and other scholarships. I thank the Gold Mountain Scholarship and UPS for helping me succeed in my adventures.”
Nina Linh Nguyen
2020 Scholar, University of Southern California
“Because of the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship, I am able to attend USC with less financial barriers and worries. The program gave me the opportunity to move to LA and immerse myself into USC collegiate life without worrying about my socioeconomic background limiting me. As a first-generation, low-income college student, this scholarship has helped me build a community and support system of like-minded and inspiring people who will continue to guide me through college and beyond. I am eternally thankful for the friendships and connections this opportunity has given me. With the help of OCA and UPS, I was able to be the first in my family to attend college.”
