Scholarships at the Community Foundation
Since 1993 the DeKalb County Community Foundation has partnered with philanthropists to benefit organizations and communities throughout DeKalb County. Many of our donors who care about education create Scholarship Funds to help individuals with rising education costs. The Foundation offers over 90 scholarships to students across DeKalb County.
Scholarships | Application Dates | Current Status |
---|---|---|
Universal Application | February 1 - April 1 | Closed |
Additional Scholarships | February 1 - April 1 OR April 1 - June/July 1 | Closed |
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Jolene Willis
Applying for a Scholarship
Most scholarships offered through Funds at the Community Foundation are for students graduating from high schools in DeKalb County. High school students must apply for these using the Foundation's Universal Scholarship Application process. Applicants who are not high school students should not use the Universal Application. Scholarships that fall under the Universal Application process open on February 1, and have a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on April 1.
A small number of scholarship opportunities are not included in the Universal Application. Applicants must determine their eligibility and apply using an application specific to that award. Learn more about these opportunities on the additional scholarships webpage.
For questions on scholarships at the Community Foundation, please contact Grants Director Jolene Willis at scholarships@dekalbccf.org or 815-748-5383.
How to Apply Using the Universal Scholarship Application
The Universal Scholarship Application allows high school students to complete a single application to qualify and apply for many scholarship opportunities.
- To begin, students must set up a Universal Application account.
- Once the account is created, students start the application process.
- Students are then asked a series of questions that determine their eligibility for specific awards. Based on their response to these common questions, the application will request supplemental information specific to individual awards.
Need Help Using the Universal Application?
Review the tutorials below for assistance creating an account and completing a scholarship application.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Personal identification information
- Details about extracurricular activities and community involvement
- Write a short essay
- A letter of recommendation from community member and/or teacher
- Plans for post-secondary education at a college, university, or trade school
Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to share:
- SAT and ACT scores
- Class Rank
- Information detailing their financial need
- The expected family contribution received after submitting the FAFSA
- Note: It is not required to submit personal financial information, though many scholarship reference financial need as a deciding factor for the selection committee
Certain scholarship opportunities will require further information such as:
- High school transcripts
- Specific essay questions
To view or edit your application log in to your application profile. You cannot edit your application after it is submitted. There is no advantage for submitting an application early. Make sure your application is up to date and unlikely to change before you submit.
If giving the gift of education is an area of interest to you, consider donating to an existing Scholarship Fund or create one of your own. To discuss your charitable interests, please contact Executive Director Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.