7/8/2024
ALPENA – Two-hundred fifteen students from the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) and its affiliate foundation service areas have been awarded scholarships this year totaling $591,684. Of that amount, 110 awards totaling $318,584 were awarded to students in the four-county region of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties.
“The landscape and path to furthering a student’s education has changed drastically over the years,” says CFNEM Program Director Jennifer Dingman. “This year alone presented changes in financial aid reporting, an increased interest in skilled trades, and more students taking advantage of programs like dual enrollment and the ‘13th year’”.
Dingman says scholarships are a particularly vital resource for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds and can contribute to post-secondary education for a variety of fields and methods of education.
Scholarships from CFNEM are awarded through endowed funds created by individuals, families and businesses across the Foundation’s service area, all of which are a legacy for the generous people who decided to invest in local students in this way.
“With so many changes in how high school and education beyond those years look now, the Community Foundation is able to support students in a way that both honors the intent of our donors and adjusts to the changing needs of those students,” says Dingman.
Students receiving scholarships are from across the Community Foundation’s nine-county service area, which includes Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Presque Isle Counties. This service area includes CFNEM and three affiliate foundations: Iosco County Community Foundation, North Central Michigan Community Foundation, and Straits Area Community Foundation.
One of the unique aspects of the CFNEM scholarship program is that many of its scholarships are not just determined by academic achievement, but with a strong emphasis on extracurriculars and service. Each scholarship reflects the intentions of the donor, and in some cases, that means the focus is placed on student interests such as farming, a trade such as welding or plumbing, the arts, or healthcare. All area students planning to attend college are encouraged to apply for scholarships, regardless of whether they plan to attend a trade certification program, community college or a four-year university.
See the full list of 2024 scholarship recipients
Scholarships for the 2025 season for the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and its Affiliate Foundations will be open in early January.
The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come.
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