Over 100 Scholarships are Available for Promising Students Enrolling in Summer and Fall Semester
West Palm Beach, FL (January 2, 2024) – The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is launching its 2024 College Scholarship Program for local high school students today, January 2, 2024. The Community Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that creates partnerships with donors, nonprofits and community members to solve the region’s chronic and emerging issues. In 2023, the organization awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships to 116 students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
To apply for a scholarship, visit https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/scholarships-process/.
“Our goal is to open doors to opportunity for our motivated Palm Beach and Martin County students and give our young scholars a chance to follow their dreams without the burden of debt,” said Joanne Julien, MD, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. “The students who apply for our scholarships have the work ethic and the drive to succeed. The only thing they don’t have are the resources to follow their dreams, and that’s where the Community Foundation comes in.”
Since 1985, the Community Foundation has offered both need- and merit-based scholarships with an aim to increase access to higher education and decrease the burden of debt for our area’s aspiring college students. The Community Foundation currently hosts nearly 130 scholarship funds, each set up by donors. Students residing in Palm Beach and Martin Counties are eligible and can apply for scholarships via the Community Foundation’s general scholarship application.
“With our donors, we recognize that scholarships are powerful because they not only change the trajectory of a student’s life, but the economic mobility of their entire family, too,” said Danita R. DeHaney, President & CEO, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “Very few community foundations across the country offer scholarships, and we are proud to continue building our Scholarship Program to meet our area’s ever-growing demand, particularly for the thousands of students in our area who are the first in their families to pursue a degree.”
In its 50-year history, the Community Foundation has distributed nearly $17 million in scholarships and funded over 2,700 awards.
One of those recipients is Colin Graulich, a 2022 graduate of Florida Atlantic University who attended Dwyer High School in Jupiter. Colin, who has Asperger’s syndrome, was awarded the Harry and Bertha Bronstein Memorial Scholarship, which allowed him to attend college and excel, despite the financial challenges presented to his family due to COVID-19. As Heather Graulich, Colin’s mother said, “The Bronstein Scholarship is forever dear to us for its recognition that students with disabilities have amazing talents and gifts to share with the world. They may need a little extra support while reaching their dreams, but most importantly they need others to believe they can excel.”
About the Application
The application for this year’s Scholarship Program opens January 2 to those planning on enrolling in college in the summer and fall of 2024. Applications close on February 7 at 4 p.m. EST. Recipients will be notified in May, and funds will be distributed in July. Applicants must have a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher, be a graduating high school student from Palm Beach or Martin County, demonstrate financial need and/or academic achievement, and be an incoming student at a college, university or vocational/trade school; some scholarships have additional criteria.
The Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee reviews applications and matches potential candidates to scholarship funds based on a variety of criteria and several scholarships require interviews. The Committee makes awardee recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, which then votes to approve scholarship funding. To apply for a scholarship or learn more about the process, visit https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/scholarships-process/.
About the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is a nonprofit organization that leads philanthropy locally. The foundation provides charitable expertise and vehicles to increase the investment options on behalf of individuals, family foundations, and corporations. Since 1972, the foundation has distributed over $200 million in grants and scholarships aimed at closing the area’s opportunity gaps. With its vast network of donors and nonprofit partners, the foundation supports initiatives that improve youth and education, economic opportunity, thriving communities, and crisis preparation and response. Learn more at https://yourcommunityfoundation.org.