Scholarships

Scholarship Program

SCCF offers 60 scholarships for students pursuing further education and training each year. These scholarships are established often by families in memory of a loved one or by individuals who wish to support students entering a career path similar to theirs. Unless explicitly stated, scholarships are for residents of Steuben County. Scholarships are available for both traditional students (graduating high school seniors) and non-traditional students (current college students and those who are returning to advanced education after a period of time). Students may be eligible to apply through SCCF’s general scholarship cycle, vocational scholarships, or the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.

General Scholarship Season

The majority of SCCF scholarships are open for applications from November 1 – January 31 each year. Students submit an online application through our scholarship portal. Some scholarships have GPA requirements, additional essay questions, or support students attending a specific college. All scholarship applications are reviewed by a committee of volunteers. Award decisions are announced in late spring. If you plan to attend a for-profit college, please read through the information at the bottom of this page.

Before applying, we recommend students review the full list of scholarships to see which opportunities they may be eligible to receive. For general tips and due date reminders, students can follow the SCCF Scholarship social media accounts on Instagram and Twitter. SCCF hosted a Scholarship Q&A event on Zoom. Contact us for a link to the recording.

Not sure how to get started? SCCF recommends students create a resume to organize their high school activities and education goals. This will help you to complete the questions on our scholarship application and prepare you to complete applications from other funders. It’s also a helpful tool to provide for your recommenders so they can provide a good letter of reference. Click below to download a blank template that you can personalize.

Information for Scholarship Recipients

If you were a recipient of a Steuben County Community Foundation (SCCF) scholarship, you are required to file a scholarship voucher/renewal report. Failure to complete and submit forms in a timely, accurate fashion will delay future scholarship payments.

For any questions about acceptance agreements, renewal reports, and any other information pertaining to your scholarship, contact Jacqui Gentile at jgentile@steubenfoundation.org or 260-665-6656.

Vocational Scholarships

SCCF manages vocational scholarships for graduating high school seniors and adult Steuben County residents. These scholarships provide assistance to residents of Steuben County seeking educational opportunities that are not typically a four-year bachelor’s degree. For residents who are considering vocational or trade school, a certificate program, apprenticeship, skills-building courses for work including computer instruction, a secondary language, etc., this is the perfect opportunity.

The Lakeland Marine Retailers Association Scholarship is part of SCCF’s general donor established scholarship cycle and is administered online. Learn more about the requirements in this full list of SCCF scholarships.
The Angola Vocational Training Initiative Scholarship is a paper application available at SCCF with a rolling due date throughout the year. The applicant must be a Steuben County resident with a high school diploma or high school equivalency and 2 years of work experience. The applicant must also agree to work in a position for which they are certified for a period of 18 months in Steuben County, Indiana.
The Steuben County Vocational Education Scholarship is available at SCCF via a paper application with a rolling due date throughout the year. This scholarship is available for Steuben County residents seeking some form of vocational training. In addition to graduates, current high school students are eligible to apply for this funding.

Information about For-Profit Schools

SCCF must execute expenditure responsibility for any grant made to a for-profit institution. Grants/scholarships can be made to for-profit organizations for charitable, scientific or educational purposes, but since the grantee is not inherently charitable, a community foundation must take additional steps to ensure that the dollars granted are being used charitably. If the school is unwilling to agree to these steps, the Community Foundation will not be able to award the scholarship.

What is a For-Profit School?
A for-profit school is a business that offers a variety of degree programs to prepare students for specific careers. For-profit schools, like other for-profit businesses, are designed to make money for their owners. To find out if the school you are considering is for-profit, use a search engine with the phrase “for-profit colleges in Indiana” and you’ll find several lists. Wikipedia offers a list of all colleges and universities in Indiana in a simple chart that identifies the school as a private for-profit, private not-for-profit, or public school.

Additional Resources
Learn more about the financial aid process and the costs of college at www.indianacollegecosts.org.

If you plan to attend a for-profit school, contact our Program Officer, Jacqui Gentile, before applying.
jgentile@steubenfoundation.org
260-665-6656

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