More than $1.3 Million is Available for Promising Students Who Want to Attend College;
Community Foundation is Prioritizing Applicants from Western Palm Beach County this Year
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties will begin accepting applications for its annual scholarship program on April 26. More than $1.3 million is available for promising high school students who plan to enroll in college in 2023 and the average award for each scholarship winner is expected to be $10,000 this year.
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 over 120 scholarship funds, each set up by donors. All students residing in Palm Beach and Martin Counties are eligible. Students can apply for all of the scholarships via the Community Foundation’s general scholarship application.
According to Lisa Morgan, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee, there is also a shared mission this year to support more students from the western parts of Palm Beach County, specifically the Glades, with scholarships. Morgan said: “The Glades is one area that has long been underserved by philanthropic efforts and we hope to change that going forward. There are so many deserving students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, including in our western communities, capable of achieving so much more with financial assistance.”
To further this goal, the Community Foundation recently appointed Tammy Jackson-Moore, a community organizer as well as leader and founder of Guardians of the Glades, to the Scholarship Committee in an effort to reach more area students. Past experience has shown that students are typically identified for scholarship opportunities with the help of their high school guidance counselors.
“We have a real opportunity to make a difference in our community, and especially for deserving young people who can truly benefit from our support,” said Danita R. DeHaney, President & CEO, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “The Community Foundation’s purpose is to utilize philanthropy to close the area’s opportunity gaps. I cannot think of a better way to accomplish our mission, than providing over $1.3 million in scholarship aid to the most deserving high school students so that they can achieve their dreams.”
In its 50-year history, the Community Foundation has distributed $200 million in scholarships and grants and funded over 2,500 scholarships. John Cedeno, a 2021 Community Foundation Scholar who received the Edward T. Bedford Foundation Scholarship, currently attends Florida Atlantic University. He said, “Receiving the Community Foundation scholarship has made such a difference in my life. I benefit from working fewer hours, which allows me more time for studies and building my campus community. I feel blessed beyond measure that I was selected. Thank you goes beyond words.
The application period for this year’s Scholarship Program will remain open through May 22, 2023 at 5 p.m. EST. Students planning for college enrollment in the summer and fall of 2023 are eligible to apply.
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 Scholarship Committee makes awardee recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, which then votes to approve scholarship funding. Funding is ultimately distributed to the college or university of the recipient on an annual basis.
