Helping St. Louis High School Students Achieve Success
The Shirley Bradley LeFlore Foundation (SBLF) is excited to announce two micro-grants for high school seniors enrolled at a high school within the St. Louis Public Schools system, in St. Louis, Missouri who have been accepted into a four-year college or university in the State of Missouri. The SBLF Undergraduate Micro-Grants Program will be initiated for its inaugural payouts during the 2026-2027 semesters.
“For it is with greater assurance that the healthy life of our community is preserved and thriving with the positive development of its people, especially our youth.” ~Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore
Literature and art have significantly influenced Shirley’s life. She was a renowned poet, professor, and psychologist who was among the first to link mental health with art and spirituality early in her career. Lacking access to large grants, she focused on initiatives that fostered community projects and secured small grants to promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and collective efforts.
As a fledgling foundation, we are unable to provide substantial scholarships or grants. So we did what we often do, and sought inspiration from Shirley’s philosophy, which emphasized the value of smaller, meaningful connections over grandiose ones. And in doing so, we determined that offering smaller grants would have a more direct and positive impact on the residents of St. Louis. In tribute to Shirley’s legacy, we chose to introduce two micro-grants to help students with the smaller but important costs they frequently encounter while pursuing their college or university education.
The Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore Undergraduate Cultural Arts Micro Grant
Supports students pursuing fields in writing, music, dance, theater, and visual arts.
The Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore Undergraduate Psychology Micro-Grant
Supports students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology or within a psychology field.
The SBLF Undergraduate Micro-Grants are designed to support students with essential expenses like textbooks, supplies, food, transportation, cell phones, and Wi-Fi costs. Each grant provides $500 to one student for up to eight consecutive semesters, amounting to a total of $4,000. Applicants may ONLY apply for one type of micro-grant.
To be eligible, you must be a high school senior at a St. Louis city high school with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a maximum family income of $50,000, and acceptance into a four-year college or university in Missouri. The application requires you to submit your high school transcript reflecting a minimum GPA of 3.0, a 2024 tax return that claims the student proving income eligibility, an official college or university acceptance letter, a recommendation letter from a teacher, and a 2,500-word essay detailing your background, intended college major, career goals, funding plans for college, how you would use the grant, and why you believe you deserve it.
Shirley was famously known as a strong supporter of her students, regardless of whether they pursued the arts or psychology, assisting them in artistic, financial, and spiritual aspects. The SBLF Undergraduate Micro-Grants was established to honor her memory.
Applications for students entering their senior year of high school for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on September 1, 2025.