Sisters of St. Francis Scholarship

Pursuit of formal education has been, from its beginning, an essential part and a primary goal of the Hanna Center program.

Students are encouraged to continue their studies after leaving the program, which could include community college, a four-year university or trade school. To support the youth in this endeavor, a special fund was established in 1952 to ensure that graduates who qualified would be able to receive financial assistance as they continued their education. Over the years, Hanna Center has awarded scholarships to hundreds of young men.

The Sisters of St. Francis Scholarship Program is named in honor of the sisters who served the Center for more than 50 years. To qualify for a scholarship, the youth must successfully complete the Hanna Center program, demonstrate a desire to continue his education, complete a written application and appear before the scholarship committee for an interview.

The results of the scholarship program have been excellent. Former Hanna students have successfully graduated from dozens of higher education institutions, including St. John’s University, the University of California at Berkeley, Sonoma State University, Howard University, San Francisco State University and more.

Last year, over 30 alumni applied for the scholarship. The young men had various goals for their scholarships, including plans to earn BA, MA or doctorate degrees and certificates in Law, Respiratory Therapy, Labor and Employment Studies, Dental Hygiene, Correctional Psychology and more.

This year, we are pleased to once again invite graduates of the Hanna Center program to apply, so that we may support them in their academic endeavors.

If you would like to read the stories of some of our successful alumni, please find Alum Success Stories below, and more on our News & Events page.