Apply for a Scholarship

Deadline for scholarships (unless otherwise noted) IS:

Wednesday, MARCH 1, 2023

(Application Closes at 11:59pm)

 

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation (C3F) offers scholarships to help area students with financial responsibilities associated with higher education. Most scholarships offered through the C3F are for graduating seniors (primarily graduating from a Charlevoix County school) as they pursue higher education, however a few opportunities exist for those in neighboring counties or for those already in a post-secondary program and continuing in a specific field of study. To see all opportunities and deadlines that apply, see the lists below. For additional descriptions and details about each scholarships eligibility requirements, follow the "Apply Now" link and then select the "Scholarship" tab on the left side. By filling out the initial application, the system will filter the scholarships that you may be eligible for, should you complete all of the requirements. 

Apply Now

Video tutorials for applicants below

 

 

Application Process Overview

  1. Create an account using your name and email address (Please do NOT use your high school email address, as you will not use this email after high school graduation.)
  2. Fill out the entire application - all required sections must be marked "complete" (Application can be started, saved, and completed at a later date if needed.)
  3. Complete any additional requirements for the scholarships listed on your "dashboard"- each one will require that you "submit" separately. 
         You will need to update your application with your latest cumulative GPA, following the end of the first semester (or second trimester).
  4. Scholarship recipients will be announced at your school's awards ceremony (Continuing education applicants will hear from the C3F directly.)
  5. Scholarships MUST be claimed by July 1st, in order to be processed in time for the first college payment. 

Important Note - Please be careful to submit accurate and complete applications.

 

NEW! Video Tutorials

The below links will open up video tutorials on different aspects of starting and completing the scholarship application. These tutorials will help students with using the scholarship application system and provide important information about the application process. View them at anytime for the best guidance about completing a scholarship application. 

 

Getting Started - Registration & Initial Application
     Good for first-time applicants! 

Completing the Application Process

 

Writing a Personal Statement

 

Scholarship Tips & General Information

 

graduating seniors (including Early College 5th year seniors) All due March 1, 2023: 

If you are an Early College Program participant, you need to apply in your fifth year, the last year of the Early College Program. Full list of scholarships available to graduating seniors.

 

Continuing Education (already in post-secondary school with specific deadlines, as listed): 

  • Medical Field: Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital Staff Education Scholarship (Deadline June 30, 2023)
  • Nursing Field: 
          Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital Nursing (Deadline June 30, 2023)
          Nursing Collaborative Scholarship, supported by: (Deadline June 30, 2023) 
               Bill and Jerry Brady Memorial Scholarship Fund 
               Edna Brown Nursing Scholarship Fund
               Peggy Carey Northway Nursing Scholarship Fund

​*If you are a continuing education student (not newly graduating from high school), please use your personal email address in the transcript request box on the application. You can attach and submit your transcript with your application. All newly graduating seniors must have their counselors attach their transcripts.

 

Award & Payment Process:

If you are awarded a scholarship, you will be asked to log back into the scholarship system (the same way that you applied) to claim your scholarship and provide any additional information needed. Scholarship checks WILL NOT be processed until you claim your scholarship online. The Community Foundation will make scholarship checks payable to the program, college, or university indicated on the follow up claim form and the check will be sent directly to the financial aid office in mid to late July. Colleges will likely reflect the scholarship in student accounts in early August. The scholarship will be split between the semesters/terms and must be used for tuition only. Scholarship amounts are based on the availability of funds and are non-renewable unless otherwise indicated. If a scholarship is renewable, see below for more information.  

  • NOTE:  Students may request a deferred payment for up to one year. Such deferrals may be renewed annually, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the student's circumstances. Please contact the Community Foundation at 231-536-2440 or email mdehoog@c3f.org if you need to take advantage of having your scholarship deferred. Newly awarded scholarships must be claimed or deferred by OCTOBER 31st or the scholarship will no longer be available.
  • If a refund is issued back to the Community Foundation for all or a portion of the unused award, the student will be contacted via email and phone, if on file. The student will need to respond within 60 days of the refund to defer or transfer the scholarship, whichever is needed. If the scholarship is no longer needed, please let the Community Foundation know. 

 

Scholarship Renewals:

Scholarship renewals will be managed through the scholarship system online and will need to be renewed annually. If a scholarship is renewable, the amount listed for the award in the system is the total award amount, including all renewals. 

  • If your scholarship is renewable, you will be contacted via email in early June the next year to prompt you to go online to complete any necessary follow ups due by July 1. Completing the follow up is how you "claim" your scholarship. All follow ups for renewals are due by July 1st, annually. 
  • Students must maintain eligibility to be considered for any renewal. Eligibility can vary but generally it includes that a student must maintain a 2.0 or higher GPA and is a full-time (12+ credit hours) student. For specifics, please contact the C3F.
  • Renewals are also eligible for a deferral, if permission is granted. Students must communicate with C3F staff if this is needed. 
  • (Note: Renewal information will be emailed to the email address that was provided on your application. If there is a change in your email address, be sure to contact the C3F as soon as possible. If you think your scholarship is renewable and you have not been contacted by the C3F, please call and double check your status before July 1st.)

 

Scholarship displacement

Scholarship displacement is when financial aid is reduced because of other incoming scholarships, due to having “too much funding”.

It happens when:

              Scholarships > Federally Determined Financial need (gap)

                                           OR

              Scholarships > Cost of Attendance

Some colleges may revise the financial aid package that they made you aware of by replacing some of the institution’s scholarships or grants they awarded with the external scholarship the student reports. This is when scholarship displacement occurs.

The student may have thought they would be able to use their additional scholarship as an added resource to reduce loans or out-of-pocket costs, when in fact their additional scholarship just replaced another scholarship, which may lead to additional need for loans in another year.

What can be done to stop this from happening?

Once you receive your financial aid package (all college-based scholarships and grants) and know the gap in funding you have for the year, make sure that the outside (community foundation, or other) scholarships being sent to the college are not greater than that gap. If they are not, you should be fine. If they are greater in amount than the gap, you will likely want to ask that only part of your scholarships (the gap amount) is released and ask to defer the remainder for another year. This will help to stretch your earned dollars and lessen the chance for additional loans in your future years at college.

*Some colleges/universities do not displace funds and will either let you know about being over funded or will send the extra dollars back to the outside source (such as the community foundation) in your name. At that point, we would reach out to you to check in and defer if you think you will need these dollars the next year. 

 

Questions about the application process? Talk to your high school guidance counselor or contact Megan DeHoog at mdehoog@c3f.org.