Non-Traditional Scholarships
We have several scholarship funds that are designated specifically for students who have followed a more non-traditional educational path. From these funds, we award nearly $40,000 annually. Scholarships can be used for tuition, books and academic fees, but not for room and board. Scholarship payments made for room and board are taxable to the recipient according to the IRS.
Who is eligible to apply for a non-traditional scholarship?
The Community Foundation defines non-traditional students as those who:
- Do not immediately continue their education after completing high school or a high school equivalency program OR
- Have continued their education beyond the high school level but were interrupted for a personal or financial reasons that resulted in a break from their education for more than one year.
Non-traditional students are generally over the age of 20.
Applicants must also:
- Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a higher education program for the current or upcoming academic year. This includes vocational or technical training.
- Be a resident of Kosciusko County, IN.
- Be able to demonstrate financial need.
The Community Foundation may not be able to award a scholarship to a student attending a for-profit college, university or trade school.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, visit our online scholarship portal and complete the Non-Traditional Scholarship Application. You will need to create an account the first time you apply. The application is open year round.
Completed applications are pulled on the second Monday of each month for review. You can expect the review process to take approximately 30 days.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- File your FAFSA and obtain a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) containing your name and Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) number.
- Obtain a copy of your most recent transcript (from a college or high school) or a GED certificate.
- Have a head/shoulder photo that you can upload. This photo may be published if you win a scholarship. The photo should not have anyone else in it.
- Obtain a copy of your birth certificate or proof of citizenship/legal residency (required for some but not all scholarships)
Please note: All documents must be uploaded as a .pdf or .jpg, except the photo must be uploaded as a .jpg.
Frequently Asked Questions
The documents above can be easily uploaded by using a scanner or taking a picture with a smartphone. If you need additional help, we are happy to provide this service free of charge during our office hours, M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please call 574-267-1901 to set up an appointment. Your guidance office or public library may also offer this service.
The Community Foundation may consider two factors when determining financial need.
First, we consider your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number, which is issued to you on your Student Aid Report after you file FAFSA.
Second, we consider your response to a question about need on your application. We will not allow you to receive Community Foundation scholarships in excess of your tuition costs, since our scholarships do not cover room and board.
People who are ineligible include:
- Any member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and their related persons*.
- Any employee of the Foundation and their related persons.
- Any donor/adviser or substantial contributor to the Fund making the award and their related persons.
- Any member of a selection committee for the fund for which they are helping select and their related persons.
*Related persons include an individual’s parents, grandparents, great grandparents, spouse, siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the spouses of all of the above.
Yes! Students are eligible to apply each year that they remain enrolled in school. You may use the same login information to re-apply this year and you will have access to your previously submitted application(s).
Yes. However, we do not currently have any scholarship funds that are designated specifically to graduate students. If you are a graduate student, please understand that your application will be reviewed along-side students who are pursuing their first degree. Graduate students who transitioned straight from high school to undergraduate studies and then onto graduate work would be considered traditional students.
Helpful Links
A FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aid—form is required for most scholarship applications. If you haven’t yet filled one out, you can do so below.
Additional scholarships are available through other foundations and organizations for which you may qualify. The Questa Foundation has provided a scholarship database that provides a list of those resources at the link below.
Applicant Tutorials
New to our application system? Watch these tutorials to learn about logging on, completing forms and more.
Application & Deadlines
Non-Traditional Scholarships: Open Deadline
Traditional Scholarships: Deadline: March 1 @ 4:30 p.m., Application to open December 15
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars: Deadline: September 15 @ 4:30 p.m., Application to open August 1