As students enter their final high school years, many opt for a post-secondary education journey to help with career advancement. For students choosing to further their education, one question often looms for them: how will I afford it?
At the Community Foundation, we help bridge this gap by administering hundreds of scholarship opportunities for students from pre-K through post-graduate to make education more accessible. Through scholarship funds, Community Foundation donors provided $4.8 million in direct assistance to more than 2,300 students for the 2023 – 2024 school year.
Donors establishing scholarship funds determine the criteria, including student eligibility, financial need and academic requirements. They may also assist with designing the application process and working with the selection committee to review applications and select recipients. Meanwhile, the Community Foundation handles the administrative work, including managing applications and processing payments.
There are countless reasons why a donor might choose to establish a scholarship fund. Whether they have a passion for education, wish to honor the memory of a loved one, expand access for more students, or anything in between, these acts of generosity are all driven by the same desire to set students up for future success. Explore the impact donors are making through scholarship funds at the Community Foundation in our case studies below.
Opening doors for a career on the stage and screen
A husband and wife, devastated by the loss of their 15-year-old son, were looking for a way to keep his memory alive. Their son had a wide range of interests—sports, cars, and, most importantly, acting. Understanding how much acting meant to him, they decided to create a scholarship to offer high school students with financial need the opportunity to receive private acting lessons.
One student, passionate about performing, received the scholarship during her freshman and sophomore years. The scholarship introduced her to private lessons for the first time, which showed her that an acting career was within reach.
The student decided to go to college and pursue an acting degree. As she prepared to graduate from college, her final performance was her senior showcase, where she performed individually and alongside her peers. The student wanted to invite the couple to the showcase, since receiving that scholarship back in high school truly ignited her dreams. The couple was deeply honored to see how their son’s legacy had inspired and nurtured her talent to help her pursue a professional career in acting.
Cooking up big dreams in a small town
For generations, a family has been deeply rooted in their small-town community, building strong relationships and making a lasting impact on their neighbors. To further solidify the family’s legacy, they established a scholarship fund to support local students committed to community impact pursuing higher education.
One student wanted to attend a culinary program after graduating from high school. With his strong resume and clear ambition to achieve his future goals, he received this scholarship. Instead of having to pick up an additional job to cover expenses, he could use his extra time to dedicate more time to his craft. The student landed an executive chef position at a well-known restaurant, winning many awards for his creations.
The family finds incredible joy in seeing how their financial assistance helps students from their small town achieve great things.
Empowering future health care leaders
A professional organization for healthcare professionals wanted to create a scholarship fund for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry. This scholarship, which is a full ride for four years, has the power to completely change a student’s life.
One student, having faced many hardships throughout her childhood, had big dreams of making a difference in the lives of others by providing healthcare. She was honored to receive this scholarship, which allowed her to attend her dream school and pursue the career she was passionate about. Since the scholarship was renewable, she could spend the next four years focusing on her undergraduate studies without the financial stress of covering her educational costs.
The student completed her undergraduate degree with excellence, upholding a high grade-point average. The healthcare professionals were so impressed that they continued to financially support her through obtaining her graduate degree. Without this generous support, she wouldn’t have been able to achieve her academic and career goals. The group was thrilled to see how their contributions made a lasting impact over the years, watching her succeed as a well-trained occupational therapist.
If you have a passion for investing in the success of students and you’d like to set up a scholarship fund, contact my team at info@growyourgiving.org to learn more.
Authored by: Rosisella Blakney, Director of Scholarship & Grantmaking Services