The Scholarship Fund Program at NCCF will award 213 Scholarships totaling over $330,000 throughout the 2022 academic year. Graduating high school seniors and many non-traditional students throughout Chautauqua County have applied.
When a family or community member passes, relatives or advocates often desire to keep the deceased person's memory alive while positively impacting the local community. A phone call is made to NCCF, a meeting is scheduled with the Executive Director and Scholarship Coordinator, and the first steps are taken to create a sustaining Scholarship Fund. The minimum initial investment to establish a new scholarship fund is $10,000.
Each organizing entity – the family or community members – can create a unique Scholarship that often embodies the deceased person's passions, service, hobbies, or various educational, civic, and philanthropic strongholds. The Ricky Burgstrom Music and Bowling Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior at Fredonia High School for the first time this year. Within the framework of another scholarship, a well-respected business educator and veteran's family created a yearly award for a graduating DHS senior who plans to further their education in the business realm.
A common misconception about scholarships is that only the top 10% of academically ranked seniors are eligible to apply. Grade point average (GPA) will not be a priority when awarding the Frederick A. Arcoraci Business Scholarship at Dunkirk High School this year, which has been the case since its inception in 2017. NCCF offers dozens of scholarships that do not require a high GPA.
During the past decade, scholarships focusing on trades, community, ethnicity, faith, and dozens of other unique and varied funds have awarded over $2,300,000 to high school seniors and others continuing their education.
For more information on establishing a Scholarship Fund or questions regarding 2022 Scholarships, please call our office at (716) 366-4892 or email scholarships@nccfoundation.org.