The Virginia Smith Trust (VST) was established with the goal of helping future generations of Merced students achieve academic excellence. The scholarship’s namesake, Virginia, left Merced as a young teen but retained strong ties to her hometown.
Such strong ties that in her will she declared that the land which supported her family for almost a century would be used to fund scholarships for “worthy, deserving and needy students” in Merced.
Since its inception in 1976, the VST has benefitted 3,700 students through nearly $6 million in scholarships, and 200 high school seniors received $500 grants to assist with college tuition and housing.
Highlights
Eligibility
To be eligible for VST grants or scholarships, students must be a senior at a high school in Merced, have attended a school in Merced for at least 3 years, be on track to graduate with their A-G requirements and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Deadline
The 2023-24 VST Scholarship Application is now available. The application deadline is March 2, 2023.
Virginia Smith Trust Office
632 West 13th Street, Room C-1, Merced, CA 95341
