Create a Scholarship Fund
Change a life. Make dreams come true. Shape the world. When you create a scholarship fund, you are the author of unlimited possibilities for a deserving student on their way to greatness.
Apply for Scholarships
You know your potential, graduate. Scholarships pave the way for your success. This powerful passport is made possible through the support of the larger community and donors who believe in you.
You can decide how much the scholarship awards as well as how many students receive the award. Considerations for this process include projected students’ degree timeframe, other financial aid, and desired lifetime of the scholarship fund.
You may choose not only how much a typical scholarship award is, but also how long the scholarship will be awarded to its recipients.
You may set restrictions on what costs are covered by the scholarship awards. Traditionally, scholarships are used to pay for expenses added to the student’s higher education billing (including tuition, meal plans, on-campus housing costs, books, etc.).
When you establish your scholarship, you decide the type of student you would like to award. Due to IRS regulations, the selection criteria must create a broad applicant pool but there are still plenty of ways you can customize your selection criteria.
What a student does in and out of the classroom as well as their future plans are common selection criteria. If this is important to you, consider these factors:
- Do you have a qualifying high school GPA? Some donors have even established a maximum GPA requirement to support students who may not qualify for other scholarships.
- Are there any specific extracurricular activities you’d like to see on a student’s profile? These could be specific involvements, such as being an athlete, a nonprofit volunteer, or a quiz bowl leader.
- Is there a specific college major or career interest you would like your scholarship to support? Examples can include Journalism, Accounting, Biology, First Responder, etc.
You may also have a preference to award scholarships based on where the student is from or where they will be completing their higher education. If this is important to you, we ask these questions:
- Do you want your recipient to come from a specific high school?
- Can your recipient attend a college or university in-state, out-of-state, or both?
- Will you require your recipient to be a U.S. citizen?
The Community Foundation’s Scholarship Policies and Procedures are designed to help us administer your scholarship as efficiently as possible. We will ensure your scholarship recipients maintain certain standards. These standards include:
- Signing a Scholarship Agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of their scholarship.
- Full-time status at an accredited college, university, or vocational school is required of all Community Foundation Scholarship Recipients.
- A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA while attending school. If the student’s GPA drops below the 2.5 minimum, they will have up to two semesters to raise their cumulative GPA back to the minimum requirement.
- Maintaining their original declared major or school choice if required during the selection process. Students are made aware they may lose their scholarships if they change schools or majors.
- Submission of an annual thank-you note to the fundholder of the scholarship.
2022 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
$1,200,000
2022 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
127
2022 AVERAGE SCHOLARSHIP
$10,000

In 2022, the Community Foundation awarded over $1.27 million dollars in scholarships to 127 students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties! We offer both need and merit based scholarships. When filling out our general scholarship application, you will automatically be considered for over 110 scholarships.
- 2.5+ GPA
- Graduating high school senior or current undergraduate student from Palm Beach or Martin County
- Demonstrate financial need and/or academic achievement
- Incoming or enrolled full-time student at a college, university, or vocational/trade school
- Unofficial Academic Transcript
- Completion of 3 Short Essay Prompts
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- Parent or Guardian’s Tax Return
- FAFSA Student Aid Report
*Selected students will be invited to participate in our interview process. An invitation to interview does not guarantee you will receive a scholarship award.
**Undocumented students are welcome to apply.
Education Goals: Describe your education goals in detail. What do you plan to study in college? What led you to choose this course of study? What do you hope to accomplish while you are in school? (250-600 words)
Career Goals: Describe your career goals in detail. Do you have a specific job or field you know you want to work in? What kind of work are you passionate about? How do you think your work will contribute to our community, our country, or our world? (250-600 words)
Unusual Circumstances: Tell us more about you. What makes you unique? What obstacles have you and/or your family overcome? What motivates you to pursue your education? (250-600 words)
Please contact Carolyn Kost, Scholarship Program Manager, at ckost@cfpbmc.org or (561) 340-4513 for information and questions about scholarships.