SOAR Mission: The mission of the Student Outreach and Retention (SOAR) Center at UC Irvine is to cultivate a community of authentic student leaders who aspire to develop innovative, student-initiated outreach and retention programs that foster critical dialogue, mentorship, and shift the educational paradigm to improve college access, readiness, and retention rates for historically marginalized communities in higher education. SOAR is a dynamic space that empowers student scholars through praxis to advocate and develop a transformative and equitable educational environment where students can use their education as a vehicle for social impact.   

Purpose of the Grant: One of SOAR’s core values is access. Often, one of the barriers that students face in higher education is the issue of affordability. This grant is aimed at decreasing the financial burden that students face when purchasing book materials. Fifteen scholarships ($200 per undergraduate individual) will be awarded in the Winter Quarter during the 2025-2026 academic year. Undergraduates from all majors are encouraged to apply.   

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Be an enrolled undergraduate student in any major at UCI for the 2025-2026 academic year. 
• Minimum of a 2.0 GPA.
• Currently involved or engaged in efforts in the SOAR Center throughout one's undergraduate career. Examples include being an active participant of the Pathfinder Peer Educator program, Umoja Community, Graduate Access Preparation program, a member of a registered campus organization that is affiliated with the SOAR center, or a participant of the center's programs/resources. 
• Preference for students who demonstrate need, such as Expected Family Contribution (EFC), do not meet the Cost of Attendance (CoA), and/or are recipients of government funds (Pell Grant, Cal Grant, etc.).
• The award will be disbursed to your UCI student account by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Scholarships may not exceed a student’s cost of attendance. This scholarship may reduce or replace your loans or unused work/study funds to allow for the scholarship to be applied. If you have questions about how the funds may impact your financial aid package, please contact your financial aid counselor at finaid@uci.edu or call (949) 824-8262.
• By submitting this application, I hereby give permission to the UCI SOAR Center to review my academic transcript record to verify next quarter enrollment. It is my understanding that this information will not be made public.

For questions or concerns, please email soaring@uci.edu.