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Fairfield County's Community Foundation
Competitive Scholarship Program
Deadline to apply: April 3, 2024 4:00 pm Eastern Time

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist high school and college students from certain cities and towns in Fairfield County who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Graduating high school senior applicants to the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Competitive Scholarship Program must:

  • Be a graduating senior from any high school in these Fairfield County cities and towns: Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, or Westport (Town of residence requirement does not apply if student is a high school senior at Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame High School (Fairfield) or Lauralton Hall (Milford) and applying for the Chiota Family Scholarship).
  • Be in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 2.7 or better on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent unless specified by specific fund).
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Plan to attend an accredited two-year or four-year college or university or post-high school vocational training unless specified by specific fund.

Current undergraduate or graduate applicants to the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Competitive Scholarship Program must:

  • Be a current undergraduate (NOT an incoming freshman) or graduate student enrolled in a program at an accredited college, university or vocational school, or specialized study program
  • Have a connection, as a native resident, high school graduate, or current resident, as stated in the specific scholarship’s requirements to one of the following Fairfield County cities or towns: Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, or Westport. See scholarship criteria for more specific details. NOTE: This criterion does not apply for students enrolled at Sacred Heart University applying for the Megan Cobb & Jason Kern Scholarship.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Demonstrate a history of academic achievement (minimum cumulative 2.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent.)

The program consists of many separate scholarship funds administered by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Some funds have additional eligibility requirements as noted on the following tabs.

Anastasia P. & Peter S. Hardy Fund Scholarship

  • Preference given to applicants majoring in Engineering fields.

Arthur A. Lunin “Learn a Trade” Scholarship (two awards, renewable)

  • Must be a high school graduate from a public high school in the greater Bridgeport area.
  • For full-time study in an accredited 2 or 4-year college or university, technical or vocation school with focus on a degree or skilled trade certificate for a specific vocation or profession. Accredited programs may include culinary arts, computer graphics or computer-aided drafting, engineering, domestic engineering teaching degree or nursing.
  • Other areas of study may apply as well.
  • Renewable scholarship with submission of renewal application and transcript.

Chiota Family Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a graduating senior from Fairfield Prep (Fairfield), Lauralton Hall (Milford), or Notre Dame High School (Fairfield).
  • Must demonstrate financial need.

Edward C. Hawley Scholarship (two awards)

  • Must be for study at an accredited college in the field of industrial arts (including but not limited to: architecture, automotive mechanics, building construction, computer-aided design, drafting, electrical engineering, electronics, mechanical drawing, metals, technology education, manufacturing, or engineering).

Edward R. Kasparek Memorial Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a graduate of Bassick High School.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 2 or 4-year college/university, technical or vocational school with a focus on a degree or skilled trade certificate for a specific profession.

Edward Pickerstein Memorial Scholarship Fund (one award)

  • Students graduating from a High School in Fairfield County.
  • Attending accredited post-secondary education.
  • Preference will be given to students who have had personal struggles and/or challenges during their high school career.

Ernest & Joan Trefz Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a graduate of a Bridgeport high school.
  • Must be planning to major in the field of business or accounting.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 4-year college or university.

Eugene and Betty Jones Engineering Scholarship (one award)

  • Open to high school seniors or undergraduate students from any Fairfield County town.
  • Pursuing accredited post-secondary studies in Engineering fields.
  • Students from systemically minoritized groups.

Greater Bridgeport Area General Scholarship (10-15 awards)

  • Must plan to attend an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university, vocational school, trade school, technical school or certificate program.
  • Resident in the 9-town Bridgeport area (Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, Easton, Trumbull, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, and Milford)

Helen Varaljai Memorial Scholarship Fund (one award)

  • A student graduating from a Bridgeport public high school.
  • The recipient will attend an accredited college or vocational school.

Helen Redding Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be graduating from a public high school.
  • Must have at least a “B” or 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Must demonstrate socially acceptable behavior.
  • Preferred but not required that the applicant be African-American.
  • Preferred but not required that the applicant graduated from or attended Bryant Elementary School in Bridgeport, where Mrs. Redding taught.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 4-year college or university.

Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Scholarship (two awards)

  • Must be a Bridgeport resident living in one of the properties under the Bridgeport Housing Authority’s management.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university, vocational school, trade school, technical school or certificate program.

Irving Loeb Kornblut Award (one award)

  • Must be a graduate of a Bridgeport high school.
  • Must be accepted at an accredited 4-year college or university.

Jack & Roselyn Goloff Nowitz Musical Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be studying the field of music or music education.
  • Must plan to attend an accredited 4-year college or university.

Jeff Keith Scholarship (one award given to either a high school senior OR undergraduate)

  • Preference given to students formerly or presently afflicted with cancer.

Joseph R. Farkas, Sr. Engineering Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be planning to study engineering.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 4-year college or university
  • Applicants may be of any nationality, but preference will be given to those of Hungarian descent.

Kay & Louis F. Samotus Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a graduate of a Bridgeport high school.

KEYS Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a high school graduate from a public high school in the greater Bridgeport area.
  • Applicant can be a graduating high school senior or already in college.
  • Must have completed at least 3 years of the KEYS Program.

La Danza Scholarship (one award)

  • Must have a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 4-year college or university.
  • Must demonstrate evidence of genuine interest or prior experience in the performing arts (including music, dance, theatre or opera).
  • Applicants are required to complete an additional one-page essay describing specific arts involvement.
  • Recipients are also to return to the Barnum Festival La Danza annual event following their award to perform or make a contribution on the theme of “linking cultures through the arts”.

Les Treize Scholarships (10 – 15 awards; finalist selection process) applications sent to Foundation for selection

  • Must be a graduating senior from a high school in: Bridgeport, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford or Trumbull.
  • Applicant must be African-American.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university.

Mario D’Addario Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a Bridgeport resident.
  • Must be a graduating high school senior from a Bridgeport public high school.
  • Demonstrate leadership in student affairs and community-based projects.

Peter Fedorko Scholarship (one award)

  • Students graduating from Bunnell High School (BHS).
  • Pursuing a post-secondary degree in an Engineering field or Computer Science.

Richard K. Schmidt / Aquarion Science Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be planning to major in the physical sciences; including but not limited to: biology, chemistry, physics or engineering.
  • Must plan to attend an accredited 4-year college or university.

Richard Mayer Scholarship Fund (one renewable award)

  • Must be majoring in an education field.
  • Must be a Bridgeport resident graduating from Bassick High School, Central High School, Warren Harding High School or a Bridgeport resident graduating from Achievement First.
  • Must plan to attend an accredited 2 or 4-year college or university.
  • Renewal based upon good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.5.

Rose Kornblut Gay Scholarship Fund (one award)

  • Must be planning to major in an education field.
  • Must plan to attend and be a full-time student at an accredited 4-year college or university.
  • Preference is given to a student that will be attending Smith College in Northampton, Mass.
  • If not attending Smith College, student must be attending a college or university within Connecticut.

Ruth Carlson Horn Scholarship (one award)

  • Offered to applicants majoring in music, performing arts, fine arts or a closely related field.
  • Must plan to attend an accredited college or university.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who will be attending an accredited college or university in New England.

Sonneborn Scholarship (one award)

  • Must demonstrate strong academic potential (GPA higher than 3.0).
  • Must have financial need.

Spanish Merchants Association Scholarship (Up to three awards)

  • Must be a graduate of Bassick, Harding or Central High School in Bridgeport (one award from each school if qualified applicants)
  • Must be of Hispanic descent.
  • Must have high academic average of 3.0 GPA or better.
  • Must be accepted to an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university.

Sumner Simpson Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be from the 9-town Greater Bridgeport area.
  • Must plan to attend an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university, vocational school, trade school, technical school, or certificate program.

The Edward R. Bernstein Memorial Scholarship (one award)

  • Open to Students from Staples High School, Westport CT.
  • Preference for students that have had personal struggles and/or exhibited exceptional personal growth.

The Employees Tuberculosis and Respiratory Association (ETRA) Health Scholarship (up to Ten
awards per year – up to five new scholarships to high school seniors and up to five new scholarships to students already in college)

  • Student can be a resident of any town in Fairfield County.
  • Be pursuing specialized study in the medical or health fields.
  • Renewable scholarship with submission of renewal application and transcript.
  • Can be awarded to current college students AND/OR graduating high school seniors.

Theodore Muller Scholarship (one award given to either a high school senior or undergraduate)

  • Student can be from any town in Fairfield County.
  • Must demonstrate strong academic achievement with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Must be majoring in Architecture.

Thomas Carroll Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be graduating high school senior from a Bridgeport high school.
  • Must plan to attend any accredited post-secondary education.

Walter Breslav, Jr. Scholarship (One Award/Renewable)

  • Available to applicants seeking a Bachelor’s degree in business and/or finance.
  • Must maintain business and/or finance major to be considered for renewal.
  • Must plan to attend accredited college or university.
  • Preference given to applicants that demonstrate a strong social conscience. (Include in personal statement/essay describing how you have demonstrated a strong social conscience.)

Special Scholarship Award (with Guidance Counselor Recommendation Only).

Magnus Wahlstrom Leadership Award – For Graduating High School Seniors Only- Special Scholarship Award (With Guidance Counselor Recommendation Only) (one award, renewable)

Applicants for the Magnus Wahlstrom Leadership Award MUST meet the following criteria:

  • Must be nominated AND recommended by your guidance counselor (include a letter of recommendation on school letterhead signed by your guidance counselor).
  • Must be a high school senior graduating in the spring semester.
  • Demonstrate a passion for learning, a deep interest in academics, and a desire for continued education.
  • Be recognized for outstanding academic and social leadership in his or her school and peer community.
  • Show personal characteristics that suggest future success in our society and illustrate an interest in making an impact on the community.
  • Plan to attend an accredited 4-year college or university.
  • Must submit a second essay with the application. In the essay, please tell us about your leadership skills. Describe how you have been an outstanding leader in your school, club, or community. Describe a specific example of a meaningful experience during your high school career where you showed leadership and how others responded to you.
  • Renewable up to 3 years for a total of 4 years provided that the student maintains a GPA of 3.0.

Edward C. Hawley Scholarship (two awards)

  • Must be a high school or state technical school graduate from a school in the 9 Town Greater Bridgeport Area.
  • Must be for study at an accredited college in the field of industrial arts (including but not limited to: architecture, automotive mechanics, building construction, computer-aided design, drafting, electrical engineering, electronics, mechanical drawing, metals, technology education, manufacturing, or engineering).

Eugene and Betty Jones Engineering Scholarship (one award)

  • Open to high school seniors or undergraduate students from any Fairfield County town.
  • Pursuing accredited post-secondary studies in Engineering fields.
  • Students from systemically minoritized groups.

Health-Related Studies Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a resident in the 9 Town Greater Bridgeport Area.
  • Must be pursuing specialized studies in any health-related field/intended occupation related to healthcare.

Jeff Keith Scholarship (one award given to either a high school senior OR undergraduate)

  • Preference given to students formerly or presently afflicted with cancer.

Karen Telickey Scholarship (up to two awards)

  • Have a connection to the 9 Town Greater Bridgeport Area either as a native resident, high school graduate, or current resident.
  • Be pursuing a career in Special Education.

KEYS Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be a high school graduate from a public high school in the greater Bridgeport area.
  • Applicant can be a graduating high school senior or already in college.
  • Must have completed at least 3 years of the KEYS Program.

May Camp & Webster Upson Walker Scholarship Fund (one award)

  • Must be from the 9 Town Greater Bridgeport Area.
  • Preference given to students pursuing education in the religion or medical fields (including a certificate program, college, or advanced studies degree).
  • Preference also given to students planning on working in the greater Bridgeport area after graduation.

Megan Cobb & Jason Kern Scholarship (one award)

  • Must be attending Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
  • NOTE: This scholarship is ONLY OPEN TO SHU students, regardless of the location of permanent residence or high school attended.

Theodore Muller Scholarship (one award given to either a high school senior OR undergraduate)

  • Student can be from any town in Fairfield County.
  • Must demonstrate strong academic achievement with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Must be majoring in Architecture.

The Employees Tuberculosis and Respiratory Association (ETRA) Health Scholarship (up to Ten
awards per year – up to five new scholarships to high school seniors and up to five new scholarships to students already in college)

  • Student can be a resident of any town in Fairfield County.
  • Be pursuing specialized study in the medical or health fields.
  • Renewable scholarship with submission of renewal application and transcript.
  • Can be awarded to current college students AND/OR graduating high school seniors.

Ulysses J. Dunne and Ulysses J. Dunne, Jr. Scholarship (two award, renewable)

  • Must be originally from the Greater Bridgeport Area.
  • Is currently enrolled in an accredited college or university.
  • Has successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate study.
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Scholarship may be renewable for up to one additional year. Graduate students are not eligible.

Awards

Distribution amount and number of awards for each fund is determined annually by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Funds that have monies available to issue scholarships will be listed each year on the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation website.

Payment of awards will be sent directly to each student made payable to the student’s college on behalf of the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. If a student interrupts or terminates attendance at school, any unused portion of the award must be returned to Scholarship America. After returned funds are receipted, Scholarship America will forward funds to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation with the name of the student and award identified.

Students are allowed to defer their award for one semester or one academic year, whichever is requested. No more than one year of deferral will be allowed.

Awards are for undergraduate and graduate study and may be renewable depending on the specific fund.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • Financial need
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances

Students may apply for up to four scholarships for which they are eligible using the on-line application.  Students may receive a maximum of two awards if they meet eligibility requirements. Financial need will be considered. Recipients must demonstrate need.

Depending upon the fund, selection of recipients and/or finalists will be made by Scholarship America. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in late July. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Payment is made in August. A check is mailed to each recipient’s home address and is made payable to the school for the student.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display student name, school name, grades and credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

    NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload an official copy of those test scores separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
  • A copy of the family’s first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 used for the Financial Information Section of the application. (You must submit the 1040 on which you are claimed.) Please black out all social security numbers and bank account information. If you are an international student, or have special circumstances, please upload a note of explanation.
  •  

  • Letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor if you are applying for the Magnus Wahlstrom Leadership Award.

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

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