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

The Foundation’s scholarship application now open, and due March 3rd by 4:00pm!   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 May and will be recognized at their high school awards ceremonies. Current college students will be notified by mail in May.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Foundation has over 55 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…

2025 SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE – March 3, 2025 by 4:00pm 

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. 

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

APPLICATION TIPS & TRICKS

  • Save and edit your work frequently.
  • Write essays in Word or Google Docs first.
  • Discuss your essays with a teacher, counselor, or trusted person.
  • Answer the actual questions clearly—avoid acronyms.
  • List all school, community, and work experiences, even if brief.
  • Save your essays; you can reuse them with minor tweaks

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Share with us details about yourself and your life through sentences and paragraphs, bullet points, etc. (Share in the mode that best suits you). This is a very important part of the application. Its your opportunity to let us know who you are and where you want to go in your career and life with the assistance of scholarship support. Please take time to reflect on the following questions and provide specific examples and explanations that highlight who you are, your goals, and how scholarship assistance will help you achieve them.

  • Explain your future education and career goals, as well as your inspiration or motivation for pursuing these goals and plans. Your response is limited to 1200 characters.
  • Describe a key experience that has influenced you and/or prepared you to pursue your goals. Your response is limited to 1200 characters.
    (Examples: a family member, a teacher/mentor, an opportunity, or an activity, etc.)
  • Tell us about something you did that helped your community. What motivated you? How will you continue to help your community wherever life takes you? Your response is limited to 1200 characters.
  • Explain any additional factors you believe should be considered in reviewing your application. Your response is limited to 1200 characters.
    We encourage you to share something you’re proud of, any challenges you’ve overcome, or additional struggles you’ve
    faced in pursuing your education. Please only share what you feel comfortable sharing.

ESSAY WRITING TIPS

  • Brag! You’ve worked hard to reach this point—take this opportunity to proudly share your journey and achievements.
  • Show your vision. Clearly outline your future education and career goals, and explain the motivations or inspirations driving you to pursue them.
  • Be specific. When discussing key influences, like a family member, a teacher/mentor, an opportunity, or an activity, etc, give clear examples of how they impacted your goals.
  • Highlight community impact. Share how your contributions have made a positive difference in your community and reflect on what you learned and how you plan to continue helping.
  • Share what matters. Use the additional factors section to highlight something you’re proud of, a challenge you’ve overcome, or a struggle you’ve faced in pursuing your education. Only share what feels right for you.

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

Our Program Officer, Hannah, has put together an informational video on our scholarship program – check it out here!

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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