Blandin Foundation scholarship deadline is May 1
Need-based scholarships available to Itasca County area students
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Blandin Foundation will provide up to $975,000 in need-based scholarships for Itasca County area students pursuing higher education in 2011-2012. This is the highest level of funding ever offered by the Foundation through its Education Awards program.
The application deadline for 2011-2012 academic year awards is May 1.
Students may apply online for a Blandin Foundation Education Award at www.blandinfoundation.org. More information can be obtained through the Foundation’s web site, school counseling offices, or directly from the Foundation offices at 100 N. Pokegama Ave. in Grand Rapids (218-326-0523 or 877-882-2257 or scholarships@blandinfoundation.org).
Education Awards scholarships are available to local students who attend, or have graduated from, one of the following high schools: Bigfork, Blackduck, Bug-o-Nay-ge-Shig, Deer River, Grand Rapids, Greenway, Hill City, Nashwauk-Keewatin, Northern Lights Community School, Northome and Remer. Also, home-schooled students in the greater Itasca County area are welcome to apply.
To be eligible for 2011-2012, students must be under the age of 25 as of September 1, 2011. There is no minimum high school grade-point average (GPA). Scholarship recipients must register as a full-time student (12 credits per semester) and make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree program (at least a 2.0 GPA or higher).
Scholarship recipients are determined on a need-based system, and scholarship amounts are based on the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) formula. Students can receive $1,000 to $4,000 and must reapply each year. Scholarships are available for a variety of forms of post-high school education, including college and university, community and technical colleges, and certificate programs.
Students planning to attend Itasca Community College (ICC) should not apply to the Foundation directly. Instead, they should get an application at ICC’s financial aid office.
The Education Awards scholarship program is the longest-running program of the Blandin Foundation, with the first awards given in 1956 by founder Charles K. Blandin. Over the past 55 years, Blandin Foundation has supported more than 18,000 local students with scholarships to help them pursue higher education.
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