Our scholarship application for 2025 will open December 2, 2024.

College aspirations of Worcester County students are being realized thanks to the many generous donors who have contributed funds to our scholarship program. For current high school seniors, one application opens the door to more than 140 unique scholarship opportunities. Whether you are a potential scholarship applicant or are looking to make a difference in the lives of local students through scholarships, the Foundation is here to help.

Eligibility
 

The majority of our scholarships are awarded to current high school seniors who live in the 60 cities and towns that make up Worcester County. Applicants should intend to enroll full-time in an undergraduate two or four-year degree program at an accredited college or university.

Beyond the basic eligibility criteria above, each of our scholarship funds have additional unique criteria established by our donors. Using information from the scholarship application, Foundation staff match all applicants with the scholarships for which they are eligible.

Visit our Eligibility Exceptions page to learn more about opportunities for current college students and students who live outside of the county.

Application Process

The scholarship application is entirely online and made available to students each year in January. completed via an online form. A student only needs to complete one application in order to be considered for any of the Foundation's scholarships for which they are eligible. Applicants do not need to match themselves to potential scholarships. Learn more about application requirements above.

Every complete application received by the deadline is given full consideration. Based on the materials submitted, a selection committee evaluates the student’s performance, financial need, and other criteria specified by individual scholarships.

You will need the following to complete your application:

Transcript

An academic transcript from your current high school that includes your 2nd-quarter grades. If your school uses a trimester system, your transcript may include only your first-trimester grades. College students must submit a transcript that includes fall semester grades. We HAPPILY ACCEPT unofficial transcripts.

FAFSA Confirmation Page

Important Update: Due to FAFSA processing delays, we are no longer requiring a FAFSA submission as part of our 2024 scholarship application. You will see this option in the application but it is no longer required.

When you submit your FAFSA, you'll receive an email with a link to an online copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary ( this used to be called the Student Aid Report, or SAR.) Typically, you’ll be able to access your FAFSA Submission Summary within two weeks of filing your FAFSA form. Your submission summary will state your name and Estimated Family Contribution (EFC).

View How to Submit Your FAFSA Student Aid Report for detailed information about how to upload your FAFSA Submission Summary. Note this document uses the old name, Student Aid Report (SAR), but the directions are the same.

**If you have questions about this requirement or concerns about this requirement's applicability to you, please contact scholar@greaterworcester.org.**

Recommendation Request

Be prepared with the name and email address of a teacher, guidance counselor or advisor who will submit a brief Recommendation Form on your behalf. This is not a formal letter, but an abbreviated form that you will request your recommender compete from within your online application.

Written Components

All applicants will be required to one (1) respond to brief (350-500 word) short answer question, in addition to pasting their Common-App essay.

Additional Materials

Several scholarships require an extra statement from the applicant. If you are eligible for these scholarships and wish to be considered, you will be prompted to submit the extra statement(s). For students pursuing the visual arts who wish to be considered for the Richard W. Pierce Scholarship, you will be asked to upload a PDF of your portfolio of artwork.

Create an account for our scholarship portal.

You will be required to set up an application account with an email address (non-school email) and password of your choosing.

Having an account allows you to save your work and return to it at any time. If you forget, or have forgotten your password, please reset password rather than creating another account, as this would delay your application process.

Plan ahead!

We recommend that you allow at least two weeks to prepare your application. You should plan for any extra time it might take your teachers or advisors to complete your Recommendation Form.

You will receive an automated email immediately after electronically submitting your application notifying you that it has been received by the Foundation's scholarship team.

Our selection committees convene in April and May to select recipients. Some of our scholarships require an interview, but most do not.

All applicants will be notified by email and/or mail of their application status in June.

If you have been awarded a scholarship, we highly encourage you to read more about the scholarship you have been awarded by searching for your scholarship in our Scholarship Directory.

FAQs for Applicants

We've received a lot of questions in the 40 years we've been providing scholarships to Worcester County students. Here is a selection of those that come up most frequently.

If your question is not addressed here, please reach out by email to scholar@greaterworcester.org.

No. Each scholarship has its own specific eligibility criteria. However, most of our scholarships are intended for students at a two- or four-year college or university.

Yes. In addition, some scholarships are available to non-traditional students – that is, adults pursuing post-secondary education.

No. We recommend that you use the same user profile as you used when you applied last year. Log on using your original email address and then edit your user profile to update your email with your college or other preferred address. To edit your profile, click on your name in the upper right hand corner of the screen and click “Edit My Profile.” Don’t forget to hit “save” once you have made your updates!

Each of our scholarship funds are awarded based on a set of unique criteria established by our donors. By completing a single online application, you will be considered for any of the Foundation's scholarships for which you are eligible. While you do not need to match yourself to potential scholarships, we encourage you to explore our scholarship funds and the opportunities you may be considered for.

Search our Scholarship Fund Directory by keyword: type in your city or town, your high school name, or the field of study you plan to pursue to learn more.

Each fund description also contains a link to a story about the generous individuals, families, companies, and community groups that make our scholarships possible.

If you do not live within Worcester County, you may apply if you meet any of the following criteria:

A teacher, counselor, spiritual leader, employer or other individual may write the recommendation, as long as he or she is not related to you.

The person writing your recommendation must be able to describe how they know you and support the information you have provided in your Scholarship Application.

We do not require a physical recommendation letter. We have a series of questions, which your recommender completes, in addition, to a limited area to add comments regarding the applicant.

No. All materials must be submitted electronically through your online application. If you have challenges uploading them through the Scholarships Portal, contact us at scholar@greaterworcester.org to try to resolve your issue.

Important Update: Due to FAFSA processing delays, we are no longer requiring a FAFSA submission as part of our 2024 scholarship application

FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

To apply for federal student aid – including federal grants, loans and work-study opportunities – students have to first fill out a FAFSA form online.

Completing and submitting this form is free and gives students access to the largest source of financial aid available to pay for their education.

Many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for the financial aid they will supply. Some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for the assistance, they can provide.

Important Update: Due to FAFSA processing delays, we are no longer requiring a FAFSA submission as part of our 2024 scholarship application

SAR stands for Student Aid Report. As of 2024-25, FAFSA now refers to this report as the FAFSA Submission Summary.

This report is generated and sent to you from the federal government once you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

It is a 5 to 8 page document that provides basic information about your personal eligibility for federal financial aid. See example >

EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution – the amount of money you and your family are expected to contribute to help pay for your college education for one year.

Your EFC is part of your FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly Student Aid Report or SAR.) See example >

The EFC determines your eligibility for some federal grants, and colleges use the EFC to assess your eligibility for other federal and nonfederal student aid.

That’s okay! Check one or more areas of study that you feel most strongly align with your interests. Click here for a list of some possible majors.

In most cases, no. You only need to submit the general application for high school seniors or the application for current and non-traditional college students to be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

If you are eligible to be considered for a scholarship that requires an additional short response, or submit your art, you will see it on your scholarship homepage to complete applications.

We will notify all applicants by mid-June.

Additional Resources

We've compiled a list of external resources that may be helpful as you prepare for college.

Scholarship Resources