For the first time, the Northern New York Community Foundation is opening its nontraditional scholarship program to St. Lawrence County residents.

The foundation is accepting scholarship application packets from student residents of St. Lawrence. Jefferson and Lewis counties. High school seniors who will be full-time undergraduates in the fall of 2015 may apply for a one-year freshman scholarship.

For the first time the foundation is allowing non-traditional students from all three counties to apply to its non-traditional scholarship program.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to open our non-traditional scholarship program to students in St. Lawrence County this year. In years past the opportunity was only available to students residing in Jefferson or Lewis County,” states April L. Fallon, Coordinator of Partnerships.

“Non-traditional students are those individuals who have not only gone back to college, but may have had to switch careers altogether. Non-traditional students are juggling college, family and work obligations. It is more than rewarding to assist these individuals,” Fallon said.

Scholarship application packets can be downloaded and printed from www.nnycf.org, and are also available at high school guidance offices.

Completed application packets must be returned, or postmarked, by April 1. The application deadline for non-traditional students is June 1.

Complete application packets must include the student’s application; essay; appraisal forms; references; and official transcript(s). No application packets, or individual pieces of the required packet, will be accepted after these dates for any reason.

Last year they awarded 505 scholarships totaling $845,688 to 414 students. Since 1980 they have awarded more than $12.4 million in scholarships.