News & Stories

$385,075 Awarded Support Local Students

[Image description: 2023 Giving JAR Scholarship award winner, Kati Smith from Kingsley High School with Tom Raymond.]

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation recently awarded $385,075 in scholarships to 205 high school seniors, college students, and trade school students across the five-county region.

A total of 244 scholarships were awarded, including $78,830 to 26 students from Antrim County; $75,220 to 19 students from Benzie County; $210,130 to 142 students from Grand Traverse County; $1,500 to 2 students from Kalkaska County; and $10,195 to 6 students from Leelanau County. An additional $9,200 was awarded to 10 students outside the region through partnerships with national and state-wide organizations.

“The variety of scholarship awards we offer provide opportunities for many students pursuing diverse post-secondary educational paths,” said Gina Thornbury, Senior Community Impact Manager. “These awards are a key component of our focus on uplifting education as an essential part of healthy, resilient, and thriving communities.”

In addition to these scholarships, the Community Foundation granted $111,000 earlier this year to 10 local schools and school districts to support student scholarships, including Benzie Central Schools, Buckley Community Schools, Elk Rapids Senior High School, Forest Area Community Schools, Frankfort Elberta Area Schools, Kalkaska High School, Kingsley Area Schools, Leland Public Schools, Mancelona Public Schools, and Suttons Bay Public Schools. These grants came from the Community Foundation’s Wilfred and Joan Larson Endowment and bring the Foundation’s total impact for post-secondary education support to $495,075 so far this year.

“Through the generosity of donor partners and our role as steward of community assets, every year we are able to support local youth in their post-secondary pursuits,” said Torey Caviston, Youth and Community Impact Coordinator.

The Community Foundation provides scholarships to students based on a range of criteria, such as financial need, community involvement, academic performance, and planned major or career path. In addition to the scholarships awarded so far this year, scholarships from a collection of additional funds will be given out later this summer.

For more information about Community Foundation scholarships, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.gtrcf.org/scholarships/. To view a list of 2024 scholarship recipients, visit www.gtrcf.org/scholarships/scholarship-recipients.