The Northern New York Community Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications from students in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis counties who plan to enroll in post-secondary educational programs in the fall of 2023.

An online application streamlines the process for most scholarships. Students may access the portal, create a user account, and begin an online application by clicking on “2023-2024 Scholarship Application” found at the top of nnycf.org/scholarships/scholarship-overview.

With few exceptions, all Community Foundation scholarship applications are due Wednesday, March 15, through the online portal.

Scholarships with different deadlines — some after March 15 — are noted on the same web page.

Applications cannot be accepted after the published deadline.

High school seniors from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties who plan to enroll as full-time undergraduates next fall may apply for a one-year, Community Foundation Freshman Scholarship.

Students pursuing technical, trade or vocational school may also apply and should complete the same application.

Students are reminded to thoroughly read all application instructions and include a complete application, an essay, appraisal forms, references, and transcripts.

Since 1980, the Community Foundation has provided more than $22 million in scholarship awards to students who live in the tri-county region.

The Community Foundation annually administers nearly 500 restricted scholarships established by individual donors, families, businesses, and organizations, as well as scholarship funds on behalf of 32 school districts throughout Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.

“Increasingly, donors are providing a wider variety of scholarship opportunities for local students, and it has become one of the most far-reaching investments in our region. Because of this, it is as important as ever that those seeking any type of educational pursuit apply,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “The more diversity we have in our applicant pool, the better we are able to align donor

interests with the type of students they aspire to help.”

Students may now apply online using the same 2023-2024 Scholarship Application for several scholarships that previously required unique applications, including: 10th Mountain Division (Light) Scholarship; George C. Boldt Scholarship; Vici and Steve Diehl Foundation Graduate Scholarships; Frances Anderson Luck Foundation Scholarship; North Country Goes Green Irish Festival Scholarship; North Pleasant Street (Watertown) Scholarship; Northpole Fire Company Inc. Scholarship; North Side Legacy Fund Scholarship; Rotary Purple Heart Scholarship; Michelle D. Salisbury Scholarship; Shaw Harbor Foundation Scholarship; and all Thousand Islands Foundation scholarships.

The Retired Educators of New York North Central Zone scholarship requires students to complete an application packet that can be downloaded and printed from the Community Foundation’s website at nnycf.org/scholarships/applications.

The deadline to apply for that scholarship is Wednesday, March 15.

Completed packets must be returned or postmarked by the deadline to the address specified in the application.

Additional programs, opportunities

The Community Foundation also administers the following scholarship funds and programs for which students may apply using the same online 2023-2024 Scholarship Application:

• Nontraditional Student Scholarship — Awarded to applicants who live in Jefferson, Lewis, or St. Lawrence counties. Eligible applicants may be enrolled full- or part-time in college or a technical, trade, or vocational school. Applications for this program are due by Thursday, June 1, 2023.

• Evergreen STEM Scholarship — (High school class of 2024) Awards ten, $3,000 scholarships annually to St. Lawrence County high school juniors who plan to pursue studies in STEM-related fields — science, technology, engineering, and math. Applications for this program are due by Thursday, June 1, 2023.

• Herring College Memorial Scholarship — Awarded to students in engineering, sciences, mathematics, and related fields, as well as the Visiting Nurses Association Scholarship for students pursuing continued education in nursing or health-related fields.

• Rotary Purple Heart Scholarship — Available to residents of Jefferson, Lewis, or St. Lawrence County who were awarded a Purple Heart by the U.S. armed forces or are a dependent — spouse or child — of a U.S. military member or veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart. Purple Heart Scholarship applications are reviewed throughout the year until all available funds for the academic year are awarded.

• 10th Mountain Division (Light) Scholarship — Awarded to active or former 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) members or family members — spouse or child — of an active or former 10th Mountain Division soldier. The applicant or their military sponsor must also be a member of the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division. Scholarship applicants may live anywhere and be in any year of full-time undergraduate study.

• George C. Boldt Scholarship — Awarded to three Jefferson County residents for full-time undergraduate study. Graduate study is not funded. Students who will be attending technical, trade or vocational schools are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted from high school seniors or nontraditional students who have had a break in their studies.

• Russell I. Wilcox Thousand Islands Bridge Authority Scholarship — Awarded to two students for undergraduate study. Applicants must be current full-time Thousand Islands Bridge Authority employees, retirees, or the children or grandchildren of the same.

Contact Mary Perrine, coordinator of partnerships, 315-782-7110, or maryp@nnycf.org, with questions about Community Foundation scholarships. Visit nnycf.org, or to learn more about scholarships and to access applications.