Scholarships are a donor's way of offering continuing education opportunities for students- providing the keys to the future. Individuals and organizations who place a high value on education have contacted the Foundation to establish permanent funds that annually produce the revenue needed for granting to deserving students. For those students who are continuing their education in the 2011/2012 school year, SCCF awarded scholarships totaling $26,950.

Most people think of scholarship recipients as straight-A students; rewarding academic ability makes sense. Yet average kids often work just as hard and show determination to learn. They too dream of college and careers, and someday B and C students will fill the majority of important roles in our society. History has shown that many so-so high school students had outstanding successes in life (for example, David Letterman).

As a donor, you can become as involved in the process as you choose to be- name the scholarship, help decide the selection criteria, serve on the committee that names the recipient, and even present the award at the student's school.

Some Things to Know:

• A permanent scholarship fund established at the Community Foundation will be carried out for generations to come (permanence).
• When creating a scholarship fund, donors have a great deal of flexibility in shaping the scholarship. You may decide how often the scholarship is awarded, a school the student comes from or must attend, the type of study or degree to be pursued, academic standing, status of graduate (traditional or non-traditional), participation in a specific course or activity (drama, math, 4-H), and much more (flexibility).
• By establishing a scholarship at the Community Foundation, you have essentially hired a permanent, experienced staff to administer your scholarship (accountability).
• In accordance with the law, a scholarship program must benefit a broad pool of applicants, and the selection process must not be discriminatory.
• SCCF honors each scholarship recipient with an award certificate, a bookmark that tells the story of the donor who made the gift possible, and an opportunity to attend the award banquet where the recipient can meet the donor.

2011 Scholarship Recipients

--Published by the Herald Republican on June 24, 2011