College Prep
College Prep is a program we support in collaboration with the Migrant Education Program. It is an after-school program hosted once per week at Biglerville and Gettysburg High School. It is open to students in other districts, if they have transportation. Message or call us with any questions!
Scholarships
The Beatrice and Siegfried Lowenthal Scholarship for First and Second Generation Immigrants
Scholarships are provided by the Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) Foundation and the Mexican Consulate’s IME Becas and are administered by Casa de la Cultura.
Scholarships will be given to students who will be attending school in the academic year 2026-2027.
Scholarships will be given to students based on essay responses, financial need, and timely submission of required documentation. Recipients will be required to participate in occasional gatherings to be held virtually and in-person. There is no age or citizenship restriction. Priority will be given to students who have participated in Casa de la Cultura or Migrant Education programming and to residents of Adams County. The scholarship check will be written out to the institution the student will attend, including universities, colleges, technical schools, and community colleges.
Recipients and their families are invited to our Scholarship Ceremony in July at Gettysburg College. Awards will be given at the event.
Application Instructions
Applicants will use this google form (or the button below) to submit all information and attachments. Please review the below information carefully, and prep all documents prior to starting the google form. Please upload the required documents using the following naming format: First & Last Name, Document Type.
ALL APPLICANTS:
The scholarship review committee asks for the following information to best understand your interests, goals and needs.
1) Provide the following information in the google form:
a. Name
b. Home Address
c. Telephone Number
d. Email
e. Date of Birth
f. Name of institution of higher learning that you are attending
g. Field of study/major and minor (current or planned) and anticipated graduation
h. Your student ID number (if known)
i. The address of your school’s financial aid office
j. Are you of Mexican origin? If yes, from which state is your family from? (Being of Mexican origin is not a requirement).
l. How did you hear about this scholarship?
2) Academic transcript from your current school (high school or college)
File name: First & Last Name, Transcript
3) Fall 2026 bill from your higher education institution
File name: First & Last Name, Bill
NEW IN 2026: Casa de la Cultura’s Policy on AI Use:
Artificial intelligence represents one of the most transformative developments in modern STEM fields. Casa de la Cultura acknowledges the potential of these emerging tools and supports their thoughtful, ethical application when preparing scholarship materials.
The essay questions in this application exist to invite genuine introspection and personal growth. They allow scholarship committee members to learn about who you are, where you come from, and what drives you to pursue further education. However, just as in any other situation, relying on AI to invent, misrepresent, or copy someone else's narrative defeats the purpose of the process. Doing so ultimately prevents reviewers from accurately assessing your application.
Beginning in 2026, applicants for The Beatrice and Siegfried Lowenthal Scholarship for First- and Second-Generation Immigrants will be asked to indicate whether AI contributed to any portion of their submission. This disclosure will be shared with the review committee. Importantly, applications will continue to be judged according to the established selection criteria. Decisions will not soley be based on whether AI was used, but rather on whether it was used honestly and appropriately.
Casa de la Cultura’s Policy on AI Use:
What a student submits must be authentic, accurate, and written by the student.
Students may not plagiarize, falsify information, commit forgery, or otherwise make a knowingly false statement in their scholarship essays.
AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) may be used to support the writing process, such as refining spelling, grammar, and structural organization, provided the content remains the student’s original work.
Students should NOT use AI to generate essay responses. Copying and pasting full AI generated passages results in a generic tone and negatively impacts the review of your application.
Applications from students who violate this policy will be disqualified.
For more guidance on using AI in your application while remaining authentic, visit these resources:
NEW APPLICANTS ONLY:
Select one topic from each group and write an essay in response. All Applicants must respond to the prompt in Group C. Each response should be one page.
File name: First & Last Name, Essay A, B, C
Group A:
Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your future goals.
Pick an experience from your own life and explain how it has influenced your development and prospective career path.
Who in your life has been your biggest influence and why? How has this affected the way you see the world?
Group B:
Why do you want to continue your education? Describe how this will support in meeting your future goals.
From a financial standpoint, what impact would this scholarship have on your education?
Describe any special personal or family circumstances affecting your need for financial assistance.
Group C:
Please share why you enrolled at your institution and include your intended career path.
APPLICANTS WHO RECEIVED FUNDS FOR THE 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR:
Please answer the following three essay questions (one page max each):
File name: First & Last Name, EssayHow did the funds you received impact you and your academic endeavors? Please provide specific examples from your academic and co-curricular experiences this past academic year.
What financial, personal or academic challenges and successes did you encounter this academic year? Please share in detail.
How have your academic classes prepared you for your intended career path?
Tentative schedule for the 2026-2027 Academic Year
File name: First & Last Name, Schedule