Blandin Foundation Awards Scholarships to 380 Local Students in Support of Their Post-Secondary Education Plans

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (July 28, 2025) – Blandin Foundation is pleased to celebrate the 380 Itasca-area students who have been awarded a Blandin Foundation Scholarship to support their academic goals.

The total amount awarded for the 2025-26 school year is $1.7 million to students from 11 Itasca-area schools or to students who attend school from home or online, one of the largest Blandin Foundation scholarship allocations in the program’s 69-year history.

“Blandin Foundation is honored to continue its long 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 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 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) of $30,000 or less, and plan to enroll in an accredited certificate program, community, technical or tribal college, or a college or university anywhere in the United States.

Of the 380 scholarship recipients this year, 240 are renewals from a previous award continuing their education and 13 are not graduating seniors but are new to a Blandin Scholarship to support their educational advancement. The remaining 127 recipients are 2025 high school graduates from the following schools. Blandin Foundation extends congratulations to these scholars:

Bigfork – 7
Blackduck – 6
Bug O Nay Ge Shig – 8
Deer River – 12
Grand Rapids – 47
Greenway – 17
Hill City – 4
Homeschooled – 3
Nashwauk-Keewatin – 8
Northern Lights Community School – 3
Northland-Remer – 1
Northome – 7
Online – 4

New Applications Available January 2026

Applications for Blandin Foundation Scholarships for the 2026-27 school year will open in early January 2026. 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 more than $31 million have been awarded to scholars in the Itasca area. This year’s scholarship allocation 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.

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About Blandin Foundation: Blandin Foundation is a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. One of a handful of rural-based, rural-serving foundations in the country, Blandin Foundation serves rural Minnesota, focusing resources in north-central Minnesota. Our grants, opportunities that connect rural leaders, and policy work build up financial and human capital, so rural Minnesota places can welcome diversity, address injustice, and embrace change to create a sustainable and equitable future. Learn more at blandinfoundation.org.