Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment

The Nelson Vacaville Endowment awards five scholarships of $20,000 each, paid as $5,000 a year over four years, which makes it one of the largest per-student awards available anywhere in Solano County. It is gated to graduating seniors of Vacaville High School, Will C. Wood High School and Buckingham Collegiate Charter, and requires both a 3.5 GPA and demonstrated financial need. It is catalogued individually rather than as a county record because the Solano Community Foundation's funds are each tied to specific schools, so a county-level entry would tell most families they match when they do not.

Other deadlines near this one

• American Legion Legacy Scholarship
  Due April 1, 2027 · Up to $20,000 (fallen) / up to $5,000 (disabled)
• Arizona Promise Program
  Due April 1, 2027 · Full tuition & mandatory fees at Arizona public universities (last-dollar)
• Broward Education Foundation Scholarship Application
  Due April 1, 2027 · $1,000 for one year up to $20,000 across four years

How hard is the Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to California residents
• Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
• Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
• Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3.5 GPA
• More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of California
• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓GPA of 3.5 or higher (unweighted)

What the application takes

• Essay required.
• 1 letter of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is April 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around April 1 each year.

Applications close

April 1, 2027

Common questions about the Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment

More merit-based scholarships

• Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative Scholarships
  $2,000, paid to the institution · due March 1, 2027
• Houston Rodeo Agricultural and Affiliation Scholarships
  $20,000 total, paid across four years · due February 2, 2027
• Lam Research Core Values Scholarship
  $10,000 over four years · due January 31, 2027
• NALC William C. Doherty Scholarship Fund
  $16,000 ($4,000/yr over 4 years) · due December 31, 2026
• National Honor Society Scholarship
  $3,200 - $25,000 (600 awards) · due November 20, 2026
• National Merit Scholarship Program
  $2,500 (plus corporate and college-sponsored awards that vary) · due October 30, 2026

Lists this award appears on

• California Scholarships and State Grants
• Merit Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships With April Deadlines