The Hillsdale County Community Foundation offers college scholarships to high school students. Courtesy | Facebook
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation will soon release its annual scholarships, which totaled more than $242,000 last year.
Melinda Eggleston, the director of the program, said the scholarships are open to all high school students and often go to those in Hillsdale County.
“Millions of dollars have been poured into the community over the past 30 years in the form of grants, scholarships and donor-designated funding,” the foundation’s website said.
Foundation staff will visit local high schools to announce this year’s winners between May 17 and June 4.
“Applications are available online usually around Dec. 1 and due March 1 by 4 p.m. every year,” Eggleston said.
The foundation extended this year’s scholarship application deadline to March 3 due to statewide power outages that started Feb. 22, according to a Feb. 28 Facebook post.
The application process includes submitting a student aid report, a one-page essay about personal and educational goals, two letters of recommendation, and a cumulative high school transcript.
Last year’s scholarship winners include Hillsdale College freshmen Anna Roberts, Carson Loader, Curtis Knapp, and MaryEllen Petersen, according to Eggleston.
Scholarships awarded can be up to $3,000. Some of the scholarships are offered as a one-time deal, while others are available to be renewed on a yearly basis.
“Awards are sent directly to the school the student is attending, usually in July or August,” Eggleston said.
2023 marks 30 years since local residents met to establish the foundation. Over that time, HCCF has provided $3,531,270 in scholarships to students through 330 funds which help students attain their higher education goals, according to the website.
“But we know our work is not about the dollars and numbers,” the website said. “It’s about the impact it is having on our community.”
More information about the scholarships is available at https://abouthccf.org/scholarships/.
