DCF Scholarship Applications Due March 15 for 2021-22 School Year
Applications are due March 15 for the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) 2021-22 scholarships.
Students can apply for dozens of DCF scholarships by completing a single online application, available at delcf.org/scholarships.
Each year, the DCF awards scholarships to students from funds established by generous people who care about education and understand that it can be costly.
This past year, the DCF awarded $306,800 to 165 students throughout the state. There is no cap on the number of scholarships or the amount students may receive. Funding from many of the scholarships may be applied to the costs of textbooks and fees, in addition to tuition. Some are one-time awards, and others are renewable.
“Each scholarship offered by our generous fundholders has a story behind it, whether it be to honor a loved one, or reward a specific academic or community effort,” DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “Our goal is to connect those stories to deserving students, and help philanthropists support and invest in a students’ future.”
Here are the stories of three recent scholarship recipients:
KENT COUNTY: Megan Jones, Magnolia, graduate of Caesar Rodney High School:
A Magnolia native, Jones is a Caesar Rodney High School graduate. With the help of the Kelly Family Scholarship, Jones has just completed her four undergraduate years at West Chester University, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and a dual minor in psychology and linguistics. She is now attending Towson University to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. “This scholarship allowed me to complete all four years of undergraduate education at West Chester where I had opportunities to meet so many wonderful people and get involved on campus and in the community,” Jones said.
SUSSEX COUNTY: Fredy Hernandez-Mejia, Georgetown, Sussex Central High School:
The fifth of six children raised by a single mother who could not read nor write in English or Spanish, Hernandez-Mejia gained hope when he was awarded the Don & Nancy Edwards Scholarship. Hoping to be the first in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree, Hernandez-Mejia’s scholarship has helped ease the financial burden and make that goal more achievable. Hernandez-Mejia is currently studying at Delaware Technical & Community College and plans to transfer to University of Delaware to study civil engineering. His goal is to stay in Delaware and work with the civil engineers at the Delaware Department of Transportation, where he has already interned. “Like my mother always says, ‘paso por paso,’ which means step-by-step,” he said.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY: Hannah Hollis, Bear, William Penn High School:
With the help of the Keisha Michael Memorial Scholarship, Hollis, a William Penn High School graduate, is now attending Howard University, with the hopes of becoming a doctor of physical therapy. The sense of community that HBCUs offer was a large part of her college decision. “Howard emphasizes being heavily involved in the surrounding DC area and promotes being a global citizen,” Hollis said. “As one of the top-ranked HBCUs, Howard gives me the confidence to be a changemaker in my own community.”
For information about how donors can create scholarship funds at the DCF, contact Joan Hoge-North at [email protected].