General Questions
Our scholarship program is made up of different scholarship funds established by generous community members dedicated to the scholastic development of our area’s students.
Students in Emmet County graduating this spring and planning to further their education this fall by attending a community college, university, or trade/vocational program in the 2026-27 academic year are invited to apply.
Some scholarships are open to students beyond Emmet County as well, such as Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Antrim.
Refer to our index of scholarships to see which scholarships are open to your school, then go to the detailed descriptions of those scholarships and read the eligibility criteria section.
No. Award checks are made payable to the school you will be attending. The check will be mailed to the school’s financial aid office in July for deposit into your account.
Most scholarships can be used for tuition and fees, books, supplies and equipment required of all students for courses of instruction. You may wish to contact an accountant to discuss any income tax implications of the award.
Our Scholarship Advisory Committee, made up of community volunteers, makes the recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors. Some scholarship funds may have their own separate selection committee made up of volunteers, but in general, one group of dedicated volunteers reviews all applications for all funds.
Thank you notes are strongly encouraged! Send your note to the Community Foundation office, Attn: Scholarships, 1349 US-131 Suite A, Petoskey, MI 49770, and it will be forwarded to the proper person(s).
Application Questions
All applications must be submitted through our Scholarship Portal.
For the 2026-27 academic year, the deadline to apply via our online scholarship application is Monday, March 2, 2026.
Yes. You may apply for all of the scholarships for which you are eligible. After completing the common application, our application system automatically matches you with scholarships for which you are eligible.
For several scholarships, an essay addressing a certain topic is required. In all cases, the essay is your chance to speak directly to the Scholarship Advisory Committee and to let them know why you should receive that scholarship to pursue your continued education. In addition to the single page essay, you may include additional paragraphs to address the specifics of the funds to which you’re applying.
Choose someone who knows you well and who probably won’t be writing letters for many other applicants. The appraisal/letter of recommendation can be submitted by you if you already have it in hand, or directly to the scholarship portal by your letter writer. They will receive an email inviting them to submit the letter of recommendation on your behalf.