Scholarship Program

Marion, Ohio Geographic Focus – The Marion Community Foundation Scholarship Program offers awards to students in Marion County, Ohio and the surrounding geographic areas.

Criteria & Requirements – Each of the 147 scholarship funds comprising the Marion Community Foundation’s scholarship program has established criteria and requirements. A summary of each fund’s specific requirements and selection criteria will be posted on this website during the application period so applicants can determine the match between scholarships offered and their qualifications. Examples include pursuing specific fields of study, attending designated colleges and universities, GPA requirements, involvement in specific activities, among many others. Such criteria is established by the scholarships’ donors to honor and memorialize loved ones and support higher education.

To be eligible for consideration by the Scholarship Selection Committee, a person must submit a completed online application–with all necessary documentation, letters of recommendations, and essays–by the annual deadline. This deadline is posted on the Marion Community Foundation website by January 1st of each year.

Below is a sample of the information applicants are required to provide on the online application.

• Address and County of Residence
• High School Information: name of school, number of years attended, number in graduating class, GPA, class rank, percentile achieved on ACT or SAT tests, high school involvement in athletics, music, FFA, church, Boy Scouts, among other details
• College or Post-Secondary Plans: College or university attending, intended major or field of study, college GPA, college transcript
• Activities, Service, Honors, Work Experience: list involvement in each of these areas
• Personal Statement: an essay telling about your background, special circumstances, ambitions, and future career plans
• Financial Information: estimated yearly expenses (tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board), resources available for college expenses (savings, earnings, parent/family contributions), FAFSA Student Financial Aid Report (SAR)
• Two Personal Recommendations: Two letters of recommendation are required, one from a teacher or academic advisor and one from a community member. For high school students, a guidance counselor recommendation is also required. These are online recommendation requests. Instructions are provided in the application for email submission.

The Marion Community Foundation scholarship application does not require applicants to submit a FAFSA; however, we use the FAFSA information to help determine your eligibility for our need-based scholarships. You may choose to NOT submit a FAFSA as part of this scholarship application. If you do not submit a FAFSA, you will not be eligible for any need-based scholarships. 

FAFSA can be completed without completing your annual income tax return. More info can be found at www.studentaid.gov.

Marion Community Foundation awards approximately $500,000 in scholarships annually. Typically, about 225 students receive scholarships. Scholarship award amounts for each scholarship fund are determined at the beginning of March each year and amounts vary for each scholarship fund.

We encourage each individual to review the list of Scholarships Available. Match your personal qualifications and involvement (i.e. county of residence, number of years in a Marion County high school, GPA, ACT percentile, high school athletic or music involvement, college major, etc.) to the scholarships offered. This process will give individual applicants the best assessment of how many Marion Community Foundation scholarships they are eligible.

If your application and all requirements were successfully completed prior to the deadline, it will be considered and you will receive an email confirming your “completed” status.

Applicants chosen to receive a scholarship award will be notified in early May. Applicants are encouraged to notify the Marion Community Foundation if any of their contact information changes from what they included on the submitted application. Applicants with a submitted application, but not selected for a scholarship award, will be notified.

You will receive a letter or email notifying you of your award. Included in your award letter will be details regarding the scholarship(s) you received, including how they will be paid. This notification will also state your responsibilities as a recipient. If you have questions after you have received your award, you may contact us at 740-387-9704. 

Marion Community Foundation will pay all scholarship awards directly to the accredited educational institution. No scholarship dollars will be sent to individual applicants. Scholarships may only be used toward tuition, fees required for enrollment, and books, supplies, and equipment required for instruction and billed directly by the institution. Recipients of Marion Community Foundation scholarships will receive instructions in July explaining what documentation is needed to process their scholarship award to their respective college or university. This documentation is required before scholarships are paid.