- Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties)
- Iosco County Community Foundation (Iosco County)
- North Central Michigan Community Foundation (Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties)
- Straits Area Community Community Foundation (Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City)
-The CFNEM online scholarship website is not intended for children under the age of 13. These applicants must fill out a hard copy form available from our office, and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to apply.
-Your application may be disqualified if the information provided is found to be inaccurate.
BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION <TO BE LINKED>
Process Overview
1. Create an account using your personal email address. Please do NOT use your high school email address, as you will not use this email after high school graduation.
2. Fill out the entire application. Applications can be started, saved, and completed at a later date if needed. You will see two types of questions: “Common” and “Supplemental”. “Common questions” are ones that everyone answers. “Supplemental questions” are for the scholarship opportunities listed on your "dashboard" with added qualifications, each of which will require that you "submit" separately.
3. The deadline to apply is March 1 each year. Late applications are not accepted.
4. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their award/scholarship status via email in May.
5. Scholarships MUST be claimed by June 11 in the same online scholarship system so your award can processed and sent to your school at the appropriate time.
***Note: If you are in the Early College Program you should apply for scholarships in your 5th year, the last year of the Early College Program.
Awards & Payments
Scholarship checks WILL NOT be processed until you claim your scholarship online. The Community Foundation will make scholarship checks payable to the program, college, or university indicated on the claim form, and the check will be sent directly to the financial aid office in mid to late-July. Colleges will likely reflect the scholarship in student accounts in early August. The scholarship does not need to be split between the semesters/terms. Scholarships are applied to tuition, fees, and qualified expenses billed by the university. Consultation with a tax professional may be advisable in some situations for families. If a scholarship is renewable, see the “Renewable Awards” section for more information.
- Students may request deferred payment for up to one year. Such deferrals are reviewed and requested annually, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the student's circumstances. Please contact the Community Foundation at 989-354-6881 or email jdingman@cfnem.org if you need a deferment. Scholarships must be claimed or deferred by June 30. Scholarships not claimed or deferred are at risk of being cancelled.
- If a refund is issued back to the Community Foundation for all or a portion of the unused award, the student will be contacted via email and phone, if on file. The student will need to respond within 60 days of the refund to defer or transfer the scholarship, whichever is needed. If the scholarship is no longer needed, please let the Community Foundation know and it will be cancelled.
Scholarship Renewals (Multi-year Awards)
- If you receive a renewable scholarship, you will be contacted via email in early May of the next year to go online and claim your renewal. Completing the form is required annually by July 1. Renewals not claimed are at risk of being cancelled by September 1 of that year.
- Students must maintain eligibility to be considered for any renewal. Eligibility can vary but generally it includes that a student must maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA. An unofficial transcript with the most recent semester reflected is required to confirm the GPA.
- Renewals are also eligible for a deferral, if permission is granted. Students must communicate with CFNEM staff if this is needed.
- If your enrollment changes, you transfer, or you only have part of a semester left - please reach out to the Community Foundation as soon as possible.
What You Will Need to Apply
Now is a great time to gather important information that you may need to complete the online application process, depending on the particular scholarship(s) for which you are eligible. Several of our scholarship opportunities have varying application requirements, so you may not be required to submit all items listed below. Most of these items also are required for applications to college so you may have them compiled already.
- A copy of your high school and college transcript(s), if applicable. (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable as long as they are clearly labeled with your name, current academic year, cumulative GPA, and name of school attended.)
- GED certificate or high school diploma if applicable
- One current letter of recommendation from someone other than family, who will address your skills, strengths and other relevant information. This letter should be current, written within the past 12 months.
- Academic awards and recognition
- Athletic awards and recognition
- Extra-curricular school activities and related awards and recognition
- Community involvement/volunteer experience
- Work experience
- A list of your family/home responsibilities
Questions?
Contact Program Director Jennifer Dingman at 989-354-6881 or email jdingman@cfnem.org.