Marion Community Foundation’s 2014 Scholarship Program is now underway with more than $250,000 available for area scholars. Scholarship funds available at MCF now number 68. Applications must be submitted before midnight on Monday, March 17, 2014.
New scholarship funds added in the past year include:
- the Rubcich Family Scholarship (for Elgin High School students);
- the Dr. James S. & Mary Gray Greetham Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Sarah Kulkofsky Memorial Scholarship, Kory Kirkpatrick Memorial Scholarship and Philip Leedom Memorial Scholarship (for Marion Harding High School students);
- the Alex Masters Memorial Scholarship and Brenda Dye Music Boosters Scholarship (for River Valley High School students);
- and, Charles L. Hastings Memorial Scholarship and Marguerite Marcelin Hastings Memorial Scholarship (for Marion County high school seniors & graduates).
Four scholarship funds have undergone changes since the 2013 Scholarship Program; these include:
- David K. Rogers Memorial Scholarship – now open to all Marion County High School seniors;
- Gregory A. Rees Memorial Scholarship, (for 2014 only) open to seniors of University High School in Morgantown, WV;
- Youth Engaged in Philanthropy Scholarship, returns to the 2014 program after a year hiatus; and,
- Community Memorial Scholarship – given this year in memory of Russell Reichardt.
The 2014 Scholarship Program will see the continuation of the Wopat Scholars program. Launched in 2012, the Wopat Scholars program provides four, 4-year, $10,000 per year scholarships to outstanding local students. The 2013 recipients and the colleges they are attending are as follows: Kate Stoneburner, Miami University; Mitch Messenger, University of Cincinnati; Kara Kubbs, Ohio Northern University; and, Adeline Baird, Kent State University.
The Wopat Scholars program is made possible by the substantial gift of the late Robert and Dorothy Wopat.
“These are intended to be ‘impact’ scholarships,” said MCF president Dean Jacob. “The Foundation’s scholarship selection committee will identify several outstanding candidates from among this year’s applicants who demonstrate both superior academic merit and financial need. The intention of impact scholarships is to enable students to attend a college or university program that would otherwise be beyond their reach.”
The selection process for the Wopat Scholars includes a personal interview late in the scholarship season. This will enable MCF’s Scholarship Committee to consider each candidate’s full financial aid package and options in light of the scholarship award.
The online application for the Marion Community Foundation scholarship program has been hugely successful, according to Jacob. The application has been updated for the new year and is already available for applicants’ use. The online application is supported by ScholarsSelect.
“In this tech savvy age, students expect to be able to file applications online,” said Jacob.
Not only can the application be completed online, applicants can start and save the application in process and come back and complete it in stages. This allows the applicant to begin the application process while gathering the necessary supporting materials. By providing email addresses, applicants can request letters of recommendation as well as transcripts and records from guidance counselors electronically. All applicants will need to submit their FAFSA information as part of the application process.
The review process continues for several weeks, culminating in the Board’s final decisions in late April. The MCF Scholarship Committee consists of Kathy Goodman, Nicki Workman, Larry Geissler, Megan Queen and Sue Jacob.
Additional information and access to the online scholarship application is available at marioncommunityfoundation.org. Students should click on the “Scholarships” tab in the left sidebar to start the process. MCF can also be reached by calling 387-9704 during standard business hours.
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