The Dr. Solomon Wallace Legacy Scholarship Program, an initiative of New Day Community Development Corporation, honors the power of education by investing in the promise of deserving students. Through renewable four-year scholarships, leadership development, mentoring, and community engagement opportunities, the program seeks to support the next generation of leaders who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership potential, integrity, and a deep commitment to serving their communities. We do not discriminate based on race, gender identity or expression, marital, partnership, or cohabitation status, or actual or perceived sexual orientation.

Our goal is to reduce the financial barriers to higher education and provide access to secondary and postsecondary opportunities for students who consistently excel academically, show promise for future success, and value an educational environment that strengthens character, encourages service, and prepares them for meaningful lives of leadership. These scholarships are available to students who meet the program’s standards and are accepted to or enrolled in an accredited prep school, college, or university.

Because these awards are highly competitive, applicants must demonstrate strong academic achievement, leadership potential, integrity, active community involvement, and financial need.

The program’s flagship scholarship commitment includes a total program investment of $250,000, with ten annual scholarships of $5,000 per student, renewable for up to four years, for a maximum award of $20,000 per student. By year four, the program will support up to 40 students simultaneously, creating an ongoing cohort of scholars connected through mentorship, leadership training, and alumni engagement.

Scholarship recipients are expected to remain committed to their studies, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and continue to reflect the values of scholarship, service, and leadership that define Dr. Wallace’s legacy. Before each renewal period, the New Day Community Development Corporation Scholarship Committee will review each student’s grades, progress toward degree completion, and overall standing to determine whether the scholarship should be renewed. The committee may also revoke a scholarship during the academic year based on the same standards of review.

The scholarship may be revoked if a student fails to meet academic expectations, does not maintain satisfactory progress toward graduation, or no longer meets the program’s requirements. These awards may be used toward tuition, room and board, academic fees, books, and curriculum-required materials not covered by other financial aid, such as loans, grants, or other scholarships.

A guiding principle of this scholarship program is that every student, parent, or legal guardian should contribute as much as possible to education, helping graduates avoid excessive student loan debt that can limit opportunity, hinder wealth-building, and affect the ability to create lasting generational impact.

Dr. Solomon Wallace believed that education creates opportunity, leadership creates change, and service creates lasting impact. Through this scholarship program, his vision lives on in every student who chooses to learn, to lead, and to serve.