Community Foundation of NCW Awards Over $1.1M in Scholarships

The Community Foundation of NCW has awarded $1,123,900 to 216 students across North Central Washington and beyond – the largest award amount to date.

The Foundation now manages over 130 scholarships established by individuals, families, and businesses from across the region who care deeply about supporting local students’ education. Each scholarship is unique – the criteria is set by the donor and can range from academic achievement to community involvement to overcoming obstacles – and supports students attending community college university, or trade school. Most scholarships aim to support students with the greatest financial need.

“Scholarships are a very personal way to give back to the community” said Beth Stipe, the foundation’s executive director. “They often honor the memory of a loved one, or support students attending their alma mater, or simply help a student that otherwise wouldn’t be able to advance their education.”

Students apply online and are matched to scholarships for which they can apply. A scholarship selection committee is assigned to each scholarship to review and select the recipient. There were 280 volunteers this year that helped review over 2,400 applications received. “Our scholarship committee volunteers are vital to a fair selection process” said Julie Mott, the foundation’s scholarship specialist. “They have the hard but rewarding job of finding the right student that matches the spirit and integrity of the scholarship. We are incredibly grateful for the time, dedication, and thoughtfulness they bring to the table.”

The next scholarship application cycle opens January 1 with deadlines of March 1 and June 1. Students will need to complete the FAFSA and collect letters of recommendation, so it is encouraged to start the application process as early as possible.

For a listing of this year’s award recipients and how to apply, visit www.cfncw.org/scholarships.

The Community Foundation of North Central Washington’s mission is to grow, protect, and connect charitable gifts in support of strong communities throughout Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. Established in 1986, the Community Foundation manages $148 million in assets through 600+ individual funds and has awarded over $46 million in grants and scholarships.