apply for scholarships

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A Black female student hugging our Senior Scholarship Manager, Deanna Green

Local Scholarships, Boundless Possibilities

Generous community members have partnered with the Community Foundation to offer scholarships for southwest Washington students pursuing higher education. Our scholarships support a variety of schools, majors, careers and students, so take our Eligibility Quiz to see if our scholarships can help you achieve your post-secondary dreams.

Scholarship Timelines

As part of our commitment to increase post-secondary access and success, we manage an annual scholarship program that supports hundreds of deserving students across southwest Washington and beyond. Here is our schedule for the 2024-25 academic year.

Vancouver Rotary Scholarship Open

Apply from November 4 to February 11. Application dates vary from year to year. The application window will typically allow 12 weeks for submissions.

All Other Scholarships Open

Apply from December 5 to April 30. Timelines may vary, but the application window will allow at least 16 weeks for submissions.

Awards Announced

Congratulations! Recipients are notified by email between June and August to start the scholarship acceptance and verification process. Decisions will be communicated to all applicants, both awarded and declined.

Funds Distributed

Your hard work pays off! Starting in July, scholarship funds are disbursed directly to the school listed on your Scholarship Acceptance Form.

Search Local Scholarship Opportunities

“I Have A Dream” Scholarship in Honor of Mary and Dick Granger

Available to “I Have A Dream” Southwest Washington participants and their children, or an individual that currently or has previously been in formal, informal or spontaneous foster care in Clark County, Washington. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors, current college students or planning to attend college.

AIASWW Education Scholarship Fund

Available to students who plan to pursue architecture as a career and who have been accepted to a university with an accredited architectural degree program. Students must have graduated from a high school in these counties: Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Clark, Cowlitz, or Grays Harbor Counties in Washington State.

Amber Goheen-Harlan Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from a high school in Clark County who are a member of their school’s tennis team and who have demonstrated good citizenship in high school.

Andrew J. Shields Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduating high school seniors who have been enrolled in any accredited Fire Cadet program in southwest Washington.

Angela Svendsen Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduating high school seniors from Clark County who plan to pursue a degree in music education or music performance.

Betty and Glenn Tribe Scholarship

Available to students attending Clark College or any Washington State University campus to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Charles Anderson Scholarship

Available to current college students who are children of members of First United Methodist Church in Vancouver, WA or are lineal descendants of life members of Mt. Hood Masonic Lodge #32. Please contact the Vancouver First United Methodist Church at 360-693-5881 for information regarding their application. Applicants must be lineal descendants of a lifetime member of Mt. Hood Masonic Lodge #32.

Church at the Grove Educational Scholarship Fund

Available to Christian young adults from southwest Washington and the Portland, Oregon metro area.

College Scholarship for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington

Available to club members who are graduating high school seniors.

Dave Chamberlain Scholarship

Available to graduating high school seniors from the Evergreen School District.

David J. DiCesare Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduates of Columbia River High School or Vancouver School of Arts and Academics.

Denis Gold Hathaway Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Stevenson High School who plan to pursue a vocational or trades training program at either a community college, trades school or apprenticeship program.

Dick Streissguth Memorial Cadet Scholarship

Available to students who have completed any Fire Cadet program in Clark, Cowlitz, or Skamania County.

E. Faye Dailey Volker Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Hudson’s Bay High School who plan to attend Clark College.

Florence Jessen Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Stevenson High School.

Gerald Bergquist Scholarship for Kelso High School

Available to graduating seniors who have participated in football as athletes during high school.

Gerald Bergquist Scholarship for R. A. Long High School

Available to graduating seniors who have participated in the high school music program and plan to pursue a degree in music.

Jack and Carol Kelly Scholarship

Available to students that graduated from a high school in one of the four county areas: Clark County WA, Clackamas County OR, Washington County OR, or Multnomah County, OR; or children and grandchildren (first-generation) of employees of Instrument Sales & Services, Inc. Preference given to students planning to attend a vocational or technical college, apprenticeship program, or if they will pursue a course of study leading to a career in business.

Jay and Diane Zidell Scholarship

Available to residents of Clark County, WA who are currently pursuing post-secondary education or plan to pursue it during the upcoming academic year. Recipients must be employed a minimum of 10 hours per week.

Jill Ann Newman Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Montclair High School, Montclair, NJ who plan to pursue a career in education.

John and Maradee Potter Scholarship

Available to students who have graduated from a high school (or the equivalent) in Clark County, Washington and have been a recipient of Special Education services or have a documented disability.

Kathi Joy Wiley Scholarship

Available to southwest Washington students pursuing any educational pathway or any career field who have been affected by circumstances and lived experiences that have affected their lives and limited their potential.

Ken and Dean Kirn Scholarship

Available to residents of southwest Washington seeking vocational/technical education, Columbia Cascade Company employee or their dependents, graduates of the Inpatient or Outpatient Programs at Daybreak Youth Services, or graduates of the Open House Ministries Family Shelter both residents and their children.

Leslie B. Durst and Shirley S. Durst Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics who choose to pursue an education in the arts.

Light the Way Teachers’ Scholarship

Available to Clark county residents who are current college students entering their third or fourth year of undergraduate coursework to obtain their bachelor’s degree in education. Applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in college coursework.

LSW Architects Legacy Scholarship

Available to graduating high school seniors (or equivalent) of southwest Washington participating in the LSW Design Program OR others who are planning to pursue an education that supports creative growth.

Margaret and William Ginder Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Camas High School.

Maury and Betty Hull Scholarship

Available to graduates of either the Quillayute Valley School District or the Cape Flattery School District in Washington state.

Michael D. Harding Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Columbia River High School. Preference given to students that received assistance from Special Education Services.

Mike Nolan Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from La Center High School who have participated in organized competitive sports.

NAACP Vancouver Branch ACT-SO Scholarship

Available to participants of the NAACP Vancouver Branch ACT-SO program.

Nelson Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from either Ridgefield or Woodland High Schools with a minimum GPA of 3.00 who plan to pursue a degree in business or the STEM fields.

Pacific Northwest Gold Star Scholarship

Available to students who lost a parent that served in the U.S. Armed Forces from 2001 to present, and either the student or the deceased parent once lived in Clark, Cowlitz or Skamania Counties.

Patricia Schroder Memorial Scholarship

Available to students with disabilities and individuals who have worked with students with disabilities.

People of Praise Scholarship

Available to members or dependent children of members of “The People of Praise.”

Percy and Laura Conrad Memorial Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Cordova High School, Cordova, Alaska.

Phoenix Scholarship Fund

Available to current and past members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington (Clark County) and/ or foster children who have participated in Clark County Family YWCA’s Independent Living Skills program.

Robert and Margaret Pulliam Scholarship

Available to students from Castle Rock High School, Kalama High School, Kelso High School, Mark Morris High School, R. A. Long High School, and Wahkiakum High School.

Ronald Phillips Memorial Science Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors from Washougal High School who plan to pursue a degree in Life, Earth or Physical Sciences.

Roy F. Mather Scholarship

Available to residents of Clark County, WA who are pursuing a degree in engineering.

Stan and Darlene Sorenson Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors of Ilwaco High School in Ilwaco, Washington who are pursuing a degree in nursing, or a technical, career degree or certificate.

Tidland Family Scholarship

Available to graduating seniors and graduates from Camas High School. Preference given to students pursuing careers in industrial arts, manufacturing or related technical service.

Vancouver Rotary Scholarship

Available to students currently attending a high school in the Vancouver or La Center school districts, Clark College, or Washington State University Vancouver.

YWCA Clark County Chan Barnett Scholarship

Available to Washington state residents with an association to the YWCA of Clark County, who are a survivor of domestic violence and identify as a woman returning to the workforce.

Nondiscrimination Policy

We are committed to fostering access and opportunity for all communities.

To comply with state and federal laws, the Community Foundation maintains a non-discriminatory policy that extends to its grantmaking and scholarships. This policy states that award decisions do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, creed, religion, religious affiliation, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or any other protected status under applicable law. Staff, fundholders and board and committee members must uphold this policy for legal obligations, but also as part of our organization’s promise to advance equity and serve all residents in southwest Washington.