Opening Doors to Opportunity
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. Thanks to the generosity and vision of our donors, the Community Foundation hosts over 120 scholarships and our general scholarship application puts applicants into consideration for all of them.
Our Application Process
- Applications open December 2025 for students who will be enrolling into college in the summer/fall of 2026
- The Community Foundation reviews applications and matches potential candidates to scholarship opportunities based on a variety of criteria
- The Scholarship Committee reviews finalists and oversees the interview process with potential scholarship recipients
- Scholarship Committee recommends final recipients to the Board of Directors
- Board of Directors votes to approve scholarship awards
- Scholarship funds are distributed directly to the respective colleges or universities
Timeline
| December 2025 | Scholarship Applications Open |
| February 2026 | Scholarship Applications Close |
| March 2026 | Scholarship Interviews |
| May 2026 | Scholarship Awards Announced |
| June 2026 | Scholar Celebration |
| July 2026 | Scholarship Payments Released |
Eligibility
Baseline eligibility includes (some scholarships have additional requirements):
- 2.0+ GPA
- Graduating high school student from Palm Beach or Martin County and/or incoming students at a college, university, or vocational/trade school
- Demonstrated financial need and/or academic achievement
Application Resources Required
- Unofficial academic transcript
- Completion of essay prompts
- Letter(s) of recommendation
Things to Note
- Some scholarship finalists will be invited to participate in an interview process
- An interview does not indicate a final decision has been made
