Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship

The Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship is awarded annually in memory of peacemaker Jim McEntee, Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations for more than 27 years..

This scholarship is awarded to Santa Clara County residents transferring as juniors from a Santa Clara County community college to a four year college or university. We especially encourage applications from students who have faced financial and/or social obstacles in pursuing their education.

Go to Past Scholarship Recipients to learn about previous scholarship winners. Go to Scholarship Recipient Graduations to follow those past scholarship winners through graduation from a 4-year college or university..

2024-2025 Scholarship Application is now available!

CLICK HERE for a 2024 scholarship application.

Applications are due May 12, 2024

Scholarship History

In the years 2005 to 2010, the Jim McEntee Legacy Committee/Friends of Human Relations focused on the design, capital campaign and implementation of the Legacy Art Project on the County Plaza at 70 West Hedding, San Jose. Once that was successfully completed, the Friends turned their focus to raising money for college scholarships..

Starting in 2007 Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarships of $1,000 were awarded annually to a single recipient. By 2010, two scholarship awards of $1,000 were awarded and following the Friends’ first annual scholarship fundraiser in April 2012, six $1,000 scholarships were awarded. Since that first fundraiser, the amount of scholarship money raised each year has increased and both the number and size (now $2,000) of individual scholarships awarded has grown.

The Friends is committed to continue to increase the number of scholarship awards  each year.

Thank you to the Castellano Family Foundation

The Friends of Human Relations and the Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship Committee have been honored to have the support of the Castellano Family Foundation, Carmen and Alcario Castellano, over the past 9 years. The Castellanos have given major support to the Jim McEntee Art Project (completed in 2010) and have served as the largest and most dedicated contributor to the McEntee Legacy Scholarship Program since its inception.