Community Foundation Now Accepting 2025-26 Scholarship Applications From Tri-County Students

WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation is now accepting scholarship  applications from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence county students who plan to enroll in any accredited  post-secondary educational program in the fall of 2025. 

 An online application streamlines the process for most scholarships. Students may access the scholarship  portal, create a user account, and begin an online application by clicking on the button found on the home  page at nnycf.org.  

 The universal application process asks questions that will determine the scholarships for which students are  eligible. The application adapts as students complete it, leading to a confirmation page listing the scholarship  opportunities for which students qualify.  

 With few exceptions, all Community Foundation scholarship applications are due Saturday, March 15,  2025. 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.  There are also opportunities for those who may be pursuing studies after a break in their education. Students  are reminded to thoroughly read all application instructions and include a complete application, short answer,  appraisal forms, references, and transcripts. 

pursue their educational goals. 

 Scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 and some awards are renewable each year. Opportunities are  available for high school seniors, college students, graduate students, career and technical students, adult  learners returning to school, and students of all abilities. 

 Since 1980, the Community Foundation has provided more than $26 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.  “We continue to work to streamline our online application process so students can be best matched  with a wide variety of scholarship opportunities our donors make possible. Many more are now focused  on the student overall, not just academics,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive  director. “We encourage students of all backgrounds to apply for the wide range of awards now available.  Scholarships are our largest annual investment in the future of our region. We hope to have more applicants  than ever before so that we have the greatest reach and impact more lives throughout all three counties.”  Students may now apply online using the same 2025-2026 Scholarship Application for several opportunities that previously required unique applications, including: 10th Mountain Division (Light) Scholarship;  George C. Boldt Scholarship; Rotary Purple Heart Scholarship; North Country Goes Green Irish Festival  Scholarships; North Pleasant Street (Watertown) Scholarship; Northpole Fire Company Inc. Scholarship;  North Side Legacy Fund 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 Saturday, March 15,  2025. Completed packets must be returned or postmarked by the deadline to the address specified in the  application. 

Additional programs, opportunities 

 Nontraditional Student Scholarship — Awarded to applicants who live in Jefferson, Lewis, or  St. Lawrence counties who have had a break in their education and are not seeking education directly  from high school. Eligible applicants may be enrolled full- or part-time in college or a technical, trade,  or vocational school. Applications for this program are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year  with award decisions made within 30 days of applying. 

 Evergreen STEM Scholarship — (High school Class of 2026) 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 scholarship program are due by Sunday,  June 1, 2025. 

 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 continuing  education in nursing or health-related fields. Applications for this scholarship program are due by Saturday,  March 15, 2025. 

 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.  Applications for this scholarship program are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.  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. Applications for this scholarship program are due by Tuesday, April 15, 2025.  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. Applications for this scholarship program are due by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. 

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. Applications for this scholarship program are due by  Sunday, June 1, 2025. 

 Contact Mary Perrine, coordinator of partnerships, 315-782-7110, or [email protected], or  Tara Hess, stewardship and donor services associate, [email protected], with questions about Community  Foundation scholarships. Visit nnycf.org to learn more about scholarships and to access applications. 

About the Northern New York Community Foundation 

 Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching  the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.  Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families  and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and  collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable  objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy  while inspiring others. 

 The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors  and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern  New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that  strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.