How to Apply for a Scholarship: High School Seniors and Current College Students

The Foundation’s scholarship application is open!   To be eligible, you must be a resident of Oceana County and a graduate of an Oceana public or private school.  Read through the instructions below to start your application!

Scholarships are paid to accredited institutions and divided equally between the terms of the academic year. The scholarship award is used toward the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, books, or other educational expenses the student may incur. While many scholarships are for specific types of students, colleges, or fields of study, the Foundation’s process is a “general application.” Each individual application is reviewed and matched with the best-fitting scholarship source. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact us.

Our scholarships are awarded once per year. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their award in April and will be recognized at their high school awards ceremonies. Current college students will be notified by mail in May.

60 Scholarships – 1 Application!
Scholarships for Everyone!
Degree or Certificate
Apprenticeships & Skilled Trades

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Foundation has 60 scholarships and you only need to fill out 1 application to be connected to all of them!

We have scholarships for everyone! Whether they are going into skilled trades, apprenticeships, certificate programs, associates degree, or a bachelor’s degree

Everyone should apply for scholarships – regardless of GPA, documentation status, field of study, family income, etc…

2024 SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE – March 1, 2024 

HOW TO APPLY

A complete scholarship application has three parts:

  1. Submit the online application through the portal below
  2. If you are dual-enrolled or a current college student, send over your college transcript to the Foundation. We will accept unofficial transcripts, but they must show your name and college. The Foundation will work with your guidance counselor to receive a copy of your high school transcript
  3. Submit your Student Aid Index to be considered for need-based aid. 

Due to the updated federal timelines regarding the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), the Oceana Community Foundation has decided to extend our deadline for submitting applicants’ Student Aid Index (SAI) to April 1, 2024. Please note that the online scholarship application is still due on March 1, 2024.

If a student does not receive their SAI by April 1 they can complete the Federal Student Aid Estimator and submit that number (Federal Student Aid Estimator | Federal Student Aid). Please save the Federal Student Aid Estimator determination, or a screenshot of the page, to send to our Program Officer, Hannah, at hannah@oceanafoundation.org.

*Please Note: Students will still need to complete FAFSA and submit their SAI at a later date to verify eligibility for need-based scholarships. Students who do not submit their official FAFSA Student Aid Index will be disqualified from receiving an Oceana Community Foundation need-based scholarship. Should the scholarship committee determine that the student’s verified Student Aid Index does not qualify the student for need-based scholarships, the scholarship will be awarded to an alternate student.

Additional documents can be emailed to our Program Officer, Hannah Naples, at hannah@oceanafoundation.org

APPLICATION TIPS & TRICKS

  • You can save and edit your work at any time. Save often!
  • Do NOT use your high school email address!
  • Write essays in word first
  • Have someone proofread! – A teacher, College Advisor/Counselor, Foundation staff, community member, parents, etc..
  • Make sure to answer the actual questions
  • Be clear, avoid acronyms
  • List all high school and community involvements, even if only active for one year or one time
  • Save essays! They can be used on multiple applications often with just a few tweaks
  • Include all work experiences

ESSAY QUESTIONS

  • Explain your future education and career goals and how you are prepared to achieve those goals. Your response is limited to 1200 characters.
  • What teacher, opportunity, or activity that you’ve been involved in has influenced your goals? Your response is limited to 600 characters.
  • Tell us about something you did that helped your community. Your response is limited to 600 characters.
  • Explain any additional factors you believe should be considered by the scholarship committee in reviewing your application. These could be family circumstances, siblings in college, difficulties faced, something you’re proud of, etc. Your response is limited to 600 characters.

ESSAY WRITING TIPS

  • Brag! You have spent all these years working towards graduation, this is your time to brag about it all!
  • Connect your past achievements or experiences to your future goals. Show how these accomplishments have helped you prepare for the next phase of your education and career.
  • Be concise in identifying the teacher, opportunity, or activity that has had a significant impact on your goals. Be specific on examples.
  • Emphasize the positive impact you have made in your community and reflect on what you learned from the experience.
  • Emphasize your resilience and determination in overcoming obstacles. Showcase how these factors have not deterred but strengthened your commitment to academic and personal success.

High school seniors & current college students may submit an application through the GoApply system here:

Please read through these Scholarship Application Detailed Instructions to help navigate our application portal!

SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

Renewing a Multiple-Year Existing Scholarship

If you received a multiyear scholarship in the previous year(s), you must submit an official transcript of your fall grades with your renewal application by March 1. You will be contacted by our scholarship staff in January. Not all scholarships are renewable.

Available Scholarships

View a complete list of scholarship funds managed by the Community Foundation for Oceana County.

Recent Scholarship Recipients

View a complete listing of recently awarded scholarships, including the recipient and amount awarded for each scholarship.

Learn More

Available Scholarships

View a complete list of scholarship funds managed by the Community Foundation for Oceana County.

Learn More

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