Greater Worcester Community Foundation Scholarship

Greater Worcester Community Foundation offers many scholarship awards that help local students to continue their education after high school. Awards are made through an annual, competitive selection process that takes place from March through June. By completing one application, you may be considered for any of the scholarships for which you are eligible.

Each of our scholarship funds has special criteria established by our donors. The qualifications of each applicant will be matched accordingly. Most scholarship awards are open only to residents of the cities and towns within Worcester County.

Scholarships vary in size from $250 - $5,000

Application Deadline: March 19th

To apply online please visit www.greaterworcester.org

For more information please call 508-755-0980 or email scholar@greaterworcester.org

*New Process for Completing FAFSA*

The financial aid reapplication process for the 2012-2013 (fall 2012 and spring 2013) has begun. Priority deadline to file FAFSA: May 1, 2012. (Note: students enrolling for the summer of 2012, fall of 2012 and spring of 2013, must complete the 2012-2013 FAFSA form).

New Process: When you complete the 2012-2013 FAFSA, you are able to access IRS tax information and have it automatically transferred onto the FAFSA. This will save you time and reduce errors.

Beginning Feb 1, 2012, the FAFSA will offer IRS tax retrieval for the 2012-2013 year. 

You are strongly urged to select the "2011 Tax Retrieval Option" in order to have your correct tax return data transfer to your FAFSA.

After you file your 2011 federal income tax return, please allow two weeks for the IRS to process the return before completing the FAFSA form and retrieving the tax information.

Please note: not all applicants are able to do this - for example: if an amended tax return was filed or an individual is filing separate from his/her spouse. Only eligible applicants will be able to retrieve IRS data - saving time and confusion.

Due to recent regulation changes, the Student Financial Services Office can no longer accept copies of student or parent federal tax returns beginning with the 2012-2013 application year. If you do not successfully transfer the IRS tax information onto your FAFSA, you will be required to provide an official IRS transcript to the Student Financial Services Office instead of a copy of the federal income tax return.

If you have any questions, contact the Student Financial Services Office at 413-565-1301 or by email at finaid@baypath.edu

Father Robert F. Wagner Memorial Scholarship

The Bureau for Exceptional Children and Adults, Inc. in Holyoke at Jericho, has established the Father Robert F. Wagner Memorial Scholarship. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded annually to students from Western Massachusetts who are graduating from high school or are enrolled at an accredited college or university.

To be eligible, a student must:

1. Be a resident of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin or Berkshire County
2. Be a graduating high school senior or a returning student attending an accredited college or university
3. Demonstrate either an intention to pursue a degree and a career dedicated to serving persons with disabilities, or be a person with a disability seeking to further his or her education

In addition to the above eligibility requirements, financial need, academic achievement, volunteer service, and church and community activities will also be considered in selecting scholarship recipients.

To complete the application process, the applicant must provide the following materials: 

• Completed scholarship application found at www.jerichobeca.org
• Official transcript of academic records for grades 9-12 and/or undergraduate record
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement from a physician or school administrator verifying disability (if applicable)

All materials must be postmarked by April 1, 2012 and sent to:

Father Robert F. Wagner Memorial Scholarship

The Bureau for Exceptional children and Adults, Inc.

P.O. Box 1039

Holyoke, Ma 01041-1039

For additional information, please call 413-538-7450

The Community Foundation Scholarship

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts will award approximately $2 million in scholarships and interest-free student loans primarily to applications from our region for the 2012-2013 academic year. Awards will be made for attendance at post-secondary schools and colleges.

To be considered, students must complete the process by submitting the following by Friday, March 30, 2012.

• An online application available at www.communityfoundation.org
• A 2012-2013 Student Aid Report (SAR). This report is generated after the FAFSA has been completed.
• An official academic transcript indicating a grade point average, class rank, or SAT scores (high school seniors only)

If you have questions or need assistance preparing for college, please call 413-732-2858 or email scholar@communityfoundation.org.

National Institutes of Health Scholarship

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program offers:

·  Scholarship support

·  Paid research training at the NIH during the summer

·  Paid employment and training at the NIH after graduation

SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS

The NIH Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis based on the following basic requirements:

·  U.S. citizen, national, or qualified noncitizen. 

·  Enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time student for the 2012-2013 academic year at an accredited, 4-year undergraduate institution.

·  High school seniors are not eligible to apply.

·  3.5 GPA or higher (on a 4.0 scale) or within the top 5 percent of your class.

·  From a disadvantaged background. Disadvantaged background means that your financial aid office has certified you as having "exceptional financial need." (Federal Register, Vol. 76, No. 51)

Application Deadline: February 1, 2012!!

To apply please go to the application center: https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/ugsp/appcenter

Zonta International Scholarship

The Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley, a member of Zonta International, is pleased to offer a $500 scholarship opportunity to a woman studying business at the undergraduate level who has demonstrated outstanding potential in the field, and who lives in the Quaboag Valley (Belchertown, Brookfield, E. Brookfield,  Hardwick, Holland, Monson, New Braintree, N. Brookfield, Palmer, Spencer, Wales, Ware, Warren, and W. Brookfield).

The winning application will be considered for an additional $1,000 Zonta District award with the potential to compete for one of twelve $5,000 international scholarships from Zonta International.

You may download an application at www.zonta.org. Deadline for submission is May 7, 2012. Completed scholarship applications can be mailed to:

Kristin M. Goold
Chair, Jane M. Klausman Scholarship Committee
82 Catalpa Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119

Alice Babcock Scholarship

Westfield Bank will award one $1,000 scholarship to a second, third, or fourth year student attending a higher education institution in the fall of 2012. Applicants must have a permanent address at one of the following communities: Westfield, Springfield, Agawam, Holyoke, Southwick, East Longmeadow, West Springfield, Granville, Huntington, Russell, or Chester

Application and instructions can be found at: www.westfieldbank.com/aboutus/community/alicebabcockscholarship

AES Scholarship

AES Engineering is pleased to be able to continue offering scholarships to motivated students to help in the furthering of their education. Our belief is that achieving a high grade point average should not be the only criteria for determining who deserves to be helped. For that reason we are offering a scholarship that will be awarded on the basis of character, as determined by evaluating the essays that are submitted.

To be eligible the student needs to answer one of the essay questions that they will find on our site at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm

 

Amount of award:   $500.00
Deadline for entry: October 5, 2012

Further information, including previous winners, is available on our web site at:  http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm