Live Your Dream Award 2027 | Study in United States — Soroptimist International of the Americas
Many scholarships quietly assume applicants are young, unattached students with few outside responsibilities. The Live Your Dream Award is built for the opposite reality, women who are already supporting themselves and often their children while trying to finish an education.
That focus shapes almost everything about how this award works, from its eligibility criteria to its multi-level award structure.
About the Scholarship
The Live Your Dream Award, run by Soroptimist International of the Americas, supports women who serve as the primary financial providers for themselves and their dependents while pursuing vocational training or an undergraduate education. It is explicitly designed around the real financial pressures many women juggling education and family responsibility face.
The award works through a tiered, bottom-up structure. Applicants first compete at the local Soroptimist club level, where winners average around $1,000. Local winners can then advance to regional competition for awards of $3,000 or $5,000, and regional winners move on to the international level, where awards can add up to $10,000 more.
This tiered structure means a single successful application can, in principle, lead to a combined total approaching $16,000 across the local, regional, and international stages, though not every local winner advances through every subsequent level.
Soroptimist International itself is a global volunteer service organization focused on improving the lives of women and girls, and the Live Your Dream Award is one of its most visible and long-running direct funding programs in North America specifically.
Because the award is run through local clubs first, the actual experience of applying can vary somewhat by region, even though the core eligibility and award structure remains consistent nationally.
Scholarship Benefits
- Local-level awards averaging around $1,000
- Regional-level awards of $3,000 or $5,000 for advancing applicants
- International-level awards adding up to $10,000 more for top advancing applicants
- A combined potential total of up to $16,000 across all three levels
- Recognition and connection to the broader Soroptimist network supporting women and girls
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be a woman
- You must be the primary financial provider for yourself and your dependents
- You must be pursuing vocational or skills training, or an undergraduate degree
- You must demonstrate financial need
- You should be prepared to apply through your local Soroptimist club first, since the award structure begins at that level
Fields of Study Covered
The Live Your Dream Award does not restrict applicants to a specific field. Vocational and skills training programs are explicitly included alongside traditional undergraduate degree programs, making this one of the more accessible awards on this list for women pursuing non-traditional educational paths.
This openness reflects the award’s core focus on financial need and family responsibility rather than a specific academic or career direction.
Required Documents
- A completed Live Your Dream Award application
- Proof that you are the primary financial provider for yourself and your dependents
- Documentation supporting your demonstrated financial need
- Proof of enrollment, or plans to enroll, in vocational training or an undergraduate program
- Any additional materials requested by your local Soroptimist club
How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
- Identify and contact your local Soroptimist club, since the award process begins at that level
- Confirm your eligibility as a primary financial provider pursuing vocational training or undergraduate study
- Gather documentation of your financial need and family responsibilities
- Complete your local club’s application before the November 15 deadline
- If selected, continue through the regional and international stages as applicable
Selection Process
Local clubs review applications first, selecting winners based on financial need, the applicant’s educational and career goals, and the real responsibilities she is managing while pursuing her education. Local winners are then forwarded for regional and potentially international consideration.
Because the review happens first at a local, community level, applicants sometimes find the process more personal than large national scholarship competitions, with local club members directly engaging with each applicant’s story.
Soroptimist clubs operate across thousands of communities, which means the specific look and feel of the application process can differ somewhat from one club to another, even though the award’s core purpose and tiered structure remain consistent nationwide.
This localized structure also means an applicant’s personal story and community connections can genuinely matter in a way that is less common in large, centralized national scholarship programs. Local club members often know the communities they serve well, which can make for a more personal, relationship-based selection process at that first stage.
The award’s name, Live Your Dream, reflects Soroptimist’s broader philosophy that financial hardship should not permanently close off a woman’s educational or career goals, even when it has already significantly delayed or complicated her path.
Many past recipients have described the award as arriving at a genuinely pivotal moment, when the combination of work, caregiving, and study had become difficult to sustain without additional support of exactly this kind.
Beyond the direct financial support, several recipients have also pointed to the confidence boost that comes from a community organization formally recognizing and validating the difficulty of what they are managing, alongside the funding itself.
Soroptimist clubs frequently continue to check in with past award winners informally, creating a sense of ongoing community support that extends well beyond the single funding decision, something that purely transactional national scholarship programs rarely offer in quite the same way.
Tips to Improve Your Chances
- Be specific and honest about your financial situation and the responsibilities you are balancing, since this is central to the award’s purpose
- Clearly describe your educational and career goals, not just your current challenges
- Apply through your actual local Soroptimist club rather than assuming a single national portal, since the process starts locally
- Reach out to your local club directly if you have questions about their specific application requirements
- Apply even if you are pursuing vocational training rather than a traditional degree, since both paths are explicitly eligible
- Prepare your financial documentation well ahead of the November 15 deadline to avoid last-minute issues
- Women balancing work and study may also want to look at the NACA Zagunis Student Leader Scholarship if campus leadership is also part of their story
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to apply through a specific local club, or is there one national application?
The award process begins at the local Soroptimist club level, so you should identify and apply through your nearest club.
Is this award only for single mothers?
No, it is open to any woman who is the primary financial provider for herself and her dependents, which can include a range of family situations.
Can I apply if I’m pursuing vocational training instead of a college degree?
Yes, vocational and skills training programs are explicitly eligible alongside undergraduate degree programs.
Is winning at the local level enough to receive the full $16,000?
No, the $16,000 figure reflects the maximum combined total across local, regional, and international levels; not every local winner advances through every subsequent stage.
Is there a nationality requirement for this award?
Eligibility centers on your situation as a primary financial provider and your U.S. or Americas-region location rather than a specific nationality requirement; confirm your local club’s exact eligibility criteria.
Can I apply more than once if I don’t win in one cycle?
Check your local Soroptimist club’s current policy on reapplying in future cycles.
What counts as being a “primary financial provider”?
Generally, this means you are the main source of financial support for yourself and any dependents, such as children; your local club can clarify specifics for your situation.
Is there an age limit for applicants?
Check your local Soroptimist club’s current guidance, since age-related criteria have varied by program and cycle.
How soon after applying will I know if I’ve advanced to the regional level?
Timelines vary by club and region; confirm with your local Soroptimist club for their specific process and expected timeline.
Can I apply if I’m attending school part-time rather than full-time?
Check your local Soroptimist club’s current guidance on enrollment status, since this can vary depending on local program rules.
Does the award cover living expenses, or only tuition and training costs?
The award is generally flexible funding rather than restricted to tuition alone; confirm your local club’s current guidance on allowable uses.
Is there a cap on household income to qualify?
Specific income thresholds are not uniformly published; demonstrated financial need and status as primary provider are the central criteria your local club will assess.
Can women outside the United States apply through their own country’s Soroptimist clubs?
Soroptimist International of the Americas covers the U.S. and other Americas-region countries; women outside this region should check whether a separate Soroptimist federation serves their country.
Does the award consider applicants with past educational gaps or interrupted studies?
Yes, the award’s focus on real-world financial and family responsibility means interrupted educational histories are a normal and understood part of many applicants’ stories, not a disqualifying factor.
Can I reapply in a future year if I’m not selected this cycle?
Check your local Soroptimist club’s current policy on reapplying, since this can vary by club and circumstance.
Does the award require ongoing proof of enrollment while funds are disbursed?
Confirm your local club’s current reporting requirements, since this can vary by club and award level.