7/8/2024
Thirty-five students from Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City have been awarded scholarships this year totaling $30,250 through the Straits Area Community Foundation (SACF), an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM).
“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.
Some students from the Straits Area also received awards from funds held by the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) whose eligibility includes students from those counties.
Scholarships from SACF are awarded through endowed funds created by individuals, families and businesses from Cheboygan County, Mackinaw City, and beyond, 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 can support students in a way that both honors the intent of our donors and adjusts to the changing needs of those students,” says Dingman.
One of the unique aspects of the Foundation’s 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 a full list of 2024 scholarship recipients
Scholarships for the 2025 season for SACF will be open in early January.
The Straits Area Community Foundation 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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