By Rose S. Prinzi
Did you know that the leading source of college scholarships in the area is the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation? In 2009, the Foundation distributed over $869,000 in scholarships to 770 area students. This represents an increase of 15% of the number of students who received financial assistance compared to the previous year.
Scholarship season at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation begins on March 1st. Only online applications are accepted. All Chautauqua County high school graduating seniors are eligible to apply.
College students who intend to apply must be enrolled in an accredited college or university as well as being a graduate from a Chautauqua County high school.
Please take note: Both undergraduate and graduate college students are eligible to apply.
The deadline date to submit an application is June 1st for both high school graduates and returning college students. Support materials, which include the Financial Aid Release Form and an official transcript of the current year, are due to the Foundation by June 30th.
By implementing an online process, the Foundation has streamlined their method of accepting the scores of applications it receives annually. It has also reduced the amount of paperwork historically required by scholarship candidates. Candidates need to submit only one online application, with their supporting paperwork, in order to be eligible for the many scholarships housed at the Foundation.
After the Foundation’s staff has received all of the completed online applications, the review process begins. The various scholarship committees evaluate all the applications in the fall. Once the committees have completed their tasks, award recommendations are submitted to the Board of Directors of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation for approval. In November, notifications are sent out to all applicants informing them of their results. Scholarship awards are then available in January for the spring semester of 2011.
The Foundation administers over 220 scholarship funds, each with its own specific criteria. Therefore, some students will receive scholarships based on academic achievement, while others may receive assistance for community service work or on their career goals.
Regardless of personal or academic background, students should take the time to fill out and submit an application. With the financial rigors of college, every single, potential dollar can help with the cost of higher education. Eighty-three percent of the graduating high school and college level students who applied for a scholarship from the Foundation last year received some type of assistance. Therefore, there is a great chance that you will receive some financial award.
As you plan for college, remember the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. The financial assistance it can provide you during your college years may go a long way to helping you achieve your academic and personal goals.
To access the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation’s scholarship application, go to our website at: www.crcfonline.org.