College aspirations of Worcester County students are being realized thanks to the many generous donors who have contributed funds to GWCF's Scholarship Program. For current high school seniors, one application opens the door to more than 130 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.

Our scholarship application deadline for 2023 has passed. If you applied for a scholarship, we will send you an email with the results by mid-June; if your email address has changed, please contact us to update your contact information. Thank you for taking the time to apply.

Scholarship Dashboard

Eligibility

The majority of GWCF 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.

There are some exceptions to eligibility, read more about them here.

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: FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR): Before you can apply for our scholarships, you must complete a FAFSA application. When you submit your FAFSA, you'll receive an email with a link to an online copy of your SAR. Typically, you’ll be able to access your SAR within two weeks of filing your FAFSA form. Your SAR will state your name and Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Click here [PDF] for detailed information about how to identify your SAR and upload your SAR.

    **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.
  • The scholarship application for 2023 will open for the 2023-2024 academic year from January 3 - March 1, 2023.
  • You may create an account for our scholarship dashboard using this link to apply: APPLY HERE. 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 and not create another account (this will 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.

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

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.

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 on “Our Scholarship Funds” page.

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.

FAQ

Other resources to help you plan for college

Scholarship Resources