Start your fund with a gift of $10,000 or more. Or “save up” for one over five years by starting a Build A Fund with a starting gift of $1,000. We recommend establishing criteria for your fund that centers on student need at the core – to be flexible to support students at any age along their career pathway – high school graduates, college students and non-traditional or adult learners. We also recommend criteria that supports student choice to the institution that meets their educational goals – trade/union schools, community college, universities and apprenticeships. We have decades of experience in running a robust scholarship program that has evolved to support adult learners, students pursuing skilled trades and providing life needs support. We will work with you to develop an educational program that is impactful & can evolve with changing student needs.

Or give to an existing scholarship fund today! You can view a complete list of scholarship funds managed by the Oceana Community Foundation to explore more.   

The Foundation is additionally focused on growing resources for high priority students, as generally defined by the list below. We would encourage a further discussion on how your Fund can support these students.  

• 1st Generation:  neither parent has a degree beyond high school  
• Is a Single Parent  
• Lives with one parent or raised by one parent  
• Lives on their own without any family support  
• Has suffered through some personal trauma or lives with a significant disability  
• Is a Foster Child  
• BIPOC:  Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color  
• Non-Traditional:  did not start college immediately after high school or dropped out and is going back at an older age  
• Socio-Economic Variables:  low income for example, parent (s) may be unemployed or disabled 

The Foundation is additionally focused on growing resources, with renewable awards for high priority students, as generally defined by the list above. We would encourage a further discussion on how your Fund can support these students.   

You can rely on our expertise to handle all of the details! Students complete one online application to be in the running for all of our scholarships. Internal review and interviews by volunteer community committee members help us match students with available awards. Donors are also welcome to participate in the selection process. Finally, we make payments directly to the college or institution and monitor student achievement.  

When you’re ready to talk and explore the many opportunities in our scholarship program, we’re here to help!  

For more information, please contact:  

Tammy Carey
Oceana Foundation CEO
Tel: 231-869-3377