This year, Grand Rapids Community Foundation awarded 630 scholarships to students and awards totaled $1,148,150.

“We are pleased to be able to award over $1 million for the third consecutive year,” said Grand Rapids Community Foundation Education Program Officer Ruth Bishop. “Each year the program adds new scholarship funds, which means we expect to see this trend continue.”

Scholarship Advisory Committees consisting of 94 community volunteers conducted over 20 meetings to review 2,244 applications. Scholarships are awarded based on a variety of criteria, including academic achievement, financial need or intended major.  610 of the scholarships awarded are valued at $1,000 or more.

Committed to creating and maintaining a community that values diversity and fosters inclusion, the Community Foundation awarded 47 percent of scholarship awards to first generation college students and 30 percent to diverse populations.

Current and former Grand Rapids Public Schools students received 84 awards, totaling $166,300.

“Our scholarship program reflects the priority of many of our donors to support local students in their pursuit of higher education,” Bishop said.