Image: GR_ScholarshipAwardsNight_2026
Blandin Foundation awards scholarships to 355 local students in support of their post-secondary education pursuits
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (July 20, 2026) – Blandin Foundation is pleased to celebrate the 355 Itasca-area students who have been awarded a Blandin Foundation Scholarship to support the pursuit of their academic goals.
The total amount awarded for 2025-26 is $1.8 million to students from 11 Itasca-area schools or to students who attend school from home, one of the largest Blandin Foundation scholarship allocations in the program’s 70-year history.
“Blandin Foundation is honored to continue its tradition of investing in today’s scholars and tomorrow’s leaders of a strong rural workforce,” said Jen Alger, Blandin Foundation scholarship program manager. “Making the path to learning smoother for more students means providing financial support alongside connections to help them navigate systems that were not designed with students in mind, to help to the academic and other support resources that help keep students on track, in school, and into the jobs they want.”
Blandin Foundation Scholarships – $1,000 to $6,000 per student each year – are for every student of high schools in the Itasca County area and Hill City, Remer, Blackduck, Northome and Bug O Nay Ge Shig schools. Homeschooled and online students who would have graduated from one of these schools are also eligible. In addition, applicants must be under the age of 25, have a Student Aid Index from the FAFSA of $30,000 or less, and plan to enroll in a certificate program, community, technical or tribal college, or colleges of universities anywhere in the United States.
Of the 355 scholarship recipients this year, 208 are renewals from a previous award continuing their education and 27 are not graduating seniors but are new to a Blandin Scholarship to support their educational advancement.
The remaining 120 recipients are 2026 high school graduates from the following schools. Blandin Foundation extends congratulations to these scholars:
Bigfork – 8
Blackduck – 5
Bug O Nay Ge Shig – 8
Deer River – 16
Grand Rapids – 47
Greenway – 16
Hill City – 3
Homeschooled/other – 7
Nashwauk-Keewatin – 3
Northland-Remer – 6
Northome – 1
New applications available January 2027
Applications for Blandin Foundation Scholarships for the 2026-27 school year will open in early January 2027. Past scholarship recipients must reapply for each year, and students may reapply each year, until they are age 25 or have earned up to a bachelor’s degree.
Blandin Foundation Scholarships exemplify Charles Blandin’s commitment to furthering the education and work skills of local students. Since 1956 when Charles Blandin awarded the first, nearly 20,000 scholarships totaling nearly $32 million have been awarded to scholars in the Itasca area. This year’s scholarship is part of Blandin Foundation’s strategy to help Itasca area communities build a strong future workforce and keep that wealth of knowledge close to home, an example of Foundation’s focus on community wealth-building.
For more on the program, visit blandinfoundation.org/scholarships.