2026 Scholarship Awards
APRIL 2026 –- Marion Community Foundation’s Scholarship Program has produced another new record — $687,000 in awards for the 2026-27 academic year, an increase of more than $100,000 from last year. The Board of Directors approved 365 awards to 249 local scholars at their April board meeting.
“Every year the number and size of scholarship funds grow due to the hundreds of donors who have created and supported Marion Community Foundation’s scholarship program,” said Kate McCleese, Program Manager. “Generous donors are at the core of this program, creating scholarships to memorialize loved ones, support students to attend their alma mater, and help them pursue the same field of study that became their life’s work. We appreciate the individuals, families, businesses, and organizations who support higher education for the students of our community.”
Marion Community Foundation has been awarding scholarships annually for the past 25+ years, growing from one scholarship fund to, currently, 178. Over the years, scholarship funds have been created to support students attending a wide variety of colleges and universities and various majors, including graduate programs in law and medicine, and education to support training in trades, apprenticeships, and skilled labor.
According to McCleese, this year’s recipients include 126 high school seniors and 123 graduates, representing 15 area high schools and three dozen colleges and universities. Students have been sent letters via the US Mail with details of their awards, including amounts, and the necessary next steps and deadlines to receive the scholarships.
“We greatly appreciate our scholarship selection committee volunteers who dedicated time and effort to carefully review the well over 400 applications received,” said McCleese. The 2026 Scholarship Committee included: chairperson Kathy Goodman, Katie Grimes, Sharol Herr, Sue Jacob, Jacob Johnston, Ruth Johnston, Spencer Mathews, Jean Smith, and Kevin Smith.
The new scholarships, awarding for the first time this year, include:
Allen ‘Bus’ Augenstein Memorial Scholarship | Supports seniors and graduates of River Valley High School, with special consideration for students who pursue an education in the fields of engineering, health care, or education (especially science education). Awards also favor students active in band, choir, FFA, or school sports, especially golf and cross country.
Frericks Family Scholarship | Provides scholarships to students from Marion County, in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, registered to attend a Catholic college or university and who were significantly and meaningfully involved during high school in extracurriculars
Jim & Gerry Weston Scholarship | Supports seniors and graduates of Ridgedale High School who have actively participated in school extracurricular activities, especially sports and cheerleading, FFA, and choir
Kevin Boblenz Memorial Scholarship | Supports students pursing education and a degree in the field of agriculture, from Marion and the six contiguous counties — Hardin, Wyandot, Crawford, Morrow, Delaware, and Union — who are active in agricultural academic classes, 4-H, or similar extracurricular activities
Marion Rotary Club’s William L. Young Scholarship | Supports Marion County graduating seniors pursuing music and/or attending Ohio Wesleyan University
Robert McBeth Scholarship | Supports students in the Medical Laboratory Technology program at Marion Technical College
Details on these and all scholarships available through Marion Community Foundation may be found by clicking on the Scholarships tab at the top of this page.
