Connecting East Bay Students with Opportunities
About Micah D. Bycel
Micah and his wife Liat, and their two kids, Eva and Levi, have been East Bay Residents for many years. Micah died suddenly in 2022 at the age of 42. He was a most caring, loving, and compassionate person who was anchored in Jewish values. Micah always felt grateful for his life, that his parents were able to pay for his college education, that he was able to marry the woman he most respected and loved, that he could pursue his dreams, and that he was able to play a major role in the raising of their children, who were 8 and 5 when he died. Micah was always mindful of others; he listened carefully, he followed through, he was empathetic, and he especially cared about others who, for whatever reason, could not pursue their dreams. The Micah D. Bycel Scholarship Fund exists to honor Micah’s legacy by supporting East Bay students who face financial barriers to education.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The Micah D. Bycel Scholarship Fund supports individuals from the East Bay region who are pursuing higher education or vocational training and who face financial hardship in accessing these opportunities. Grants will be awarded in the range of $500 to $2,000.
Applicants must have applied and been accepted to a 2- or 4-year accredited public college or university program, accredited technical college, or trade school.
Special consideration will be given to applicants who:
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Attend a California public university or an accredited vocational program.
• Are children of immigrants or individuals from immigrant families.
• Embody menschlichkeit – caring about others, acting with integrity, and contributing positively to their community.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are open from April 1, 2026, through May 15, 2026.
To apply, please click here.
To complete the application, applicants will need to upload the following:
- Cumulative transcripts for college or high school
- A brief resume of extracurricular activities
- Short answer and essay responses (essay questions will not be made available prior to the application opening)
- One letter of recommendation. You will designate your recommender in the application, and your recommender will be prompted by email to submit a recommendation letter on your behalf.
- The first page of the most recent federal tax return — either your family’s, or your own if you are not claimed as a dependent.
- A financial aid award letter from your college, listing all grants, loans, and outside awards you received, if you have received it by the application deadline. If this information is not available prior to the application deadline, it is your responsibility to provide this information when it is available.
