Scholarships

We believe that tennis should be a right, not a privilege. That is why we do our best to offer financial assistance to youth who may not otherwise be able to participate in our programs.

Below are three scholarship opportunities that individuals may apply for. Our scholarships come from a variety of sources, like fundraisers, individual donations and grants. To donate, click below and select the scholarship name in the designation drop down. To apply, please scroll down, and you will find the application link below each opportunity.

Isora Foundation Scholarship

The Isora Foundation Junior Tennis Scholarship helps ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation in our junior tennis programs. Full or partial scholarships are available and individuals must apply every session. The scholarship is made possible through the generous, on-going support of the Isora Foundation and individual donors.

Scholarship Eligibility 

  • Families must demonstrate financial need. We use the federal free and reduced lunch income eligibility guidelines as one of our indicators of need.

  • Players must complete and submit the online scholarship application each session.

  • All scholarship recipients must be patrons of Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center. If not a patron, the fee may be added to a scholarship award.

Apply

  1. Submit the scholarship application online.

  2. Applications can be submitted at any time during the year. Requests are typically reviewed starting two weeks prior to the start of registration for the next session and remain available until that session is full.

  3. You will be notified when you can expect a funding decision once you submit your application.

Selection Process

Recipients and their respective awards will be selected by our scholarship committee. All scholarship applications are held in the strictest confidence. FWTEC does not discriminate based on age, race, color, national origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, we have a limited amount of scholarship funds that we can award every year, so it is possible that scholarship requests will be greater than our available funds.

Nguyen Vo Family College Scholarship

Nguyen Vo’s family immigrated to Minnesota from Vietnam in 1975 with the help of kind family and friends and Nguyen grew in the Frogtown neighborhood of St Paul. In an effort to keep their kids from negative neighborhood influences, Nguyen’s parents kept their children engaged in sports. When they were small, Nguyen and his brother and sister hit tennis balls against the garage door and in the driveway with donated racquets and tennis balls found in a nearby park. When Nguyen turned five, he and his siblings started playing tennis on public park courts near his home. It was there he met Ernie Greene, a well-respected tennis advocate in the Twin Cities who connected Nguyen to a larger tennis community. With the support of his parents and junior coaches, Nguyen excelled in both academics and athletics and fueled his desire to give back to youth in the FWTEC community today.

The Nguyen Vo Family College Scholarship generously supports the opportunity for youth participants from Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center to attend college through assistance with start-up expenses, such as, application fees, tuition, housing, books, and technology.

The applicant must be a current participant of Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center education or junior programs. Applications are now open and will close on November 30, 2023.

Jim Dixon Play It Better Tournament Scholarship

We are excited to announce the Jim Dixon Play It Better Tournament Scholarship to assist individuals who wish to compete in local and national tournaments. Jim Dixon was a respected tennis coach and instructor who passed away last year on November 1, 2020. He is remembered as a teacher who pushed his students to excel in the sport of tennis. It did not matter if you were a beginner or a 5.0 player, he taught you to strive to play it better.

Two dear friends of Jim have created this scholarship to honor his passion for competitive tennis. The scholarship will ensure that cost is not a barrier for individuals to follow in Jim's coaching philosophy of "the more you played, the more you improved." By providing necessary funds to deserving students in grades 3-12, the legacy of Jim Dixon can continue and his love of the game will be passed on to a generation of players at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center who may not otherwise have an opportunity to fully pursue their aspirations in tennis.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need and participate in a FWTEC Junior Program or TennisWorks program. Applicants will be notified within two weeks of submission when they can expect a funding decision. Any approved tournament fees will be paid by check upon receipt of the confirmed tournament registration.

Questions?

Contact Leslie Oskey at leslie@fwtec.org or at (612) 252-8367, ext. 102