View our latest scholarship news.
Two Square and Circle Club Scholarships for Graduating High School Students – administered by The Association of Chinese Teachers (TACT)
The SQUARE AND CIRCLE CLUB/ELAINE JANG SCHOLARSHIP ($3,000) administered by TACT is awarded annually in spring semester to a graduating San Francisco high school senior who is accepted to a college/university for the following academic year. This scholarship began when Square and Circle Club elder Elaine Jang gave a generous donation in 2017 at the Club’s 93rd Anniversary. Her subsequent annual donations grew to become the Elaine Jang Scholarship Fund. Elaine’s family and friends continue to support the Fund every year in her memory.
The SQUARE AND CIRCLE CLUB NURSING SCHOLARSHIP began in the 1990s with a donation from Dorothy Fong Lee, sister of a S&C member. It was initially awarded to San Francisco State University students and was later given to students attending City College of San Francisco. Beginning in 2023, TACT took over the administration of the Club’s Nursing Scholarship for graduating high school students. This is a $3,000 scholarship awarded annually in spring semester to a graduating San Francisco high school student who is accepted to a nursing program at a college/university in the following academic year.
TACT is a not-for-profit organization founded in San Francisco in 1969, and has been involved in issues such as affirmative action, bilingual education, curriculum, and teachers’ working conditions. Their scholarship application deadline is in the beginning of the spring semester. Go to TACT for current scholarship application information.
Square and Circle Club/Elaine Jang Grand Scholarship – administered by Asian Coalition at City College of San Francisco
In 1954, the Square and Circle Club established a scholarship for students at City College of San Francisco (CCSF). Thirty years later, CCSF Asian Coalition began to administer this scholarship and established a more inclusive scholarship program for deserving Asian Pacific Islander American and immigrant students. International students are encouraged to apply as well. Selection criteria for all scholarships include financial need, academic progress, classroom participation, school/community service, potential leadership skills, and evaluations from instructors and/or counselors. Asian Coalition is a voluntary membership organization comprised of faculty, classified staff, administrators, trustees, students, and community members of CCSF.
Currently, the Club offers the Square and Circle Club/Elaine Jang Grand Scholarship ($1,500) annually to a graduating CCSF student who is transferring to a four-year college/university in the following academic year. The Square and Circle Club/Elaine Jang Grand Scholarship began when Elaine Jang gave a generous donation in 2017 at the Club’s 93rd Anniversary. Her subsequent annual donations grew to become the Elaine Jang Scholarship Fund. Elaine’s family and friends continue to support the Fund every year in her memory.
Square and Circle Club/Yeong Jang Family AAS Graduate Studies Scholarship – administered by Asian American Studies (AAS) Department at San Francisco State University
Since the 1960s, Square and Circle Club began offering scholarships to San Francisco State University students. From 1990 to 2009, after receiving a donation from Dorothy Fong Lee, the sister of a Club member, S&C established a nursing scholarship at San Francisco State. In 2007, the Club offered the new Square and Circle Club AAS Graduate Studies Scholarship for graduating students majoring in Asian American Studies. It was later renamed in 2023 as the Square and Circle Club/Yeong Jang Family AAS Graduate Studies Scholarship when Sydney Yeong and Crystal Jang became sponsors of the scholarship.
The Square and Circle Club/Yeong Jang Family AAS Graduate Studies Scholarship ($2,000) is awarded annually to a graduating Asian American Studies (AAS) student at SF State University who is accepted to a teaching credential or an MA/PhD program in the following academic year. AAS is one of five departments housed in the first and only College of Ethnic Studies in America. Their scholarship application deadline is in late April. Email aas@sfsu.edu in early spring semester for application information.
Square and Circle Club Fellowship – administered by Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California
In 1997, Square and Circle Club received a bequest from member Edith Lew to establish a scholarship for a first- or second-year graduate student majoring in the arts (visual arts, music, dance, drama, or written literature) with preference going to a student of Chinese heritage. In the following year, Mills College endowed the “Square and Circle Club Fellowship” in memory of Edith Lew. The amount and frequency of this fellowship is determined by Mills and have varied over the years.
Mills College was founded in 1852 as the Young Ladies Seminary. When it relocated in 1871 to Oakland, California, it became the first women’s college west of the Rocky Mountains. Mills is known for its graduate programs in education and creative writing. In 1990, their undergraduate program became coed and in 2022, Mills merged with Northeastern University.