$150K in Local Scholarships Available

Marion Community Foundation’s 2012 Scholarship Program is now underway with more than $150,000 available for area scholars.  This is an increase of $50,000 from last year’s program, due largely to the eight new funds established at MCF in the past year. Also new this year will be the selection of two Wopat Scholars, who will each receive 4-year “impact” scholarships of $10,000 per year.

Marion Community Foundation president Brad Bebout says the launch of the Wopat Scholars is considered the biggest addition to MCF’s Scholarship Program. Made possible by the substantial gift of the late Robert and Dorothy Wopat, the scholarship fund they created will award two 4-year scholarships of $10,000 per year. The recipients will not have to reapply each year but they must meet certain standards to continue to receive the scholarship.

“These are intended to be ‘impact’ scholarships,” said Bebout. “The Foundation’s scholarship selection committee will identify 4-5 outstanding candidates from among this year’s applicants who demonstrate both superior academic merit and financial need.  The intention of impact scholarships is to enable students to attend a college or university program that would otherwise be beyond their reach.”

The selection process for the Wopat Scholars will include a personal interview late in the scholarship season.  This will enable MCF’s Scholarship Committee to consider each candidate’s full financial aid package and options in light of the scholarship award.

“We continue to be grateful to the Wopats for their generosity and forward thinking.  The Marion community is just beginning to feel the positive, tangible impact of the Wopats’ gift,” said Bebout.  He notes that the $16 million left by the couple has created three funds at MCF -- the Wopat Community Fund, the Wopat Scholarship Fund, and the Wopat YMCA Fund.

“While there are substantial dollars supporting each of these funds, we are taking a conservative approach to the creation of the Wopat Scholars program by beginning with two awards,” said Bebout. “We feel it is our duty to be generous as the Wopats wished us to be; but, at the same time, the funds must be kept safe and well managed to ensure their perpetuity.”  The Wopat Scholars will be the second 4-year scholarships ever awarded by Marion Community Foundation.  Bebout foresees additional 4-year scholarships in the future.

Among the other new funds which will begin making annual scholarship awards as part of MCF’s program are the Louise Kling Memorial Scholarship, Bergmann Family Scholarship, Catherine Ameila Thew Brown Memorial Scholarship, Cornell/Goodman Scholarship, David K. Rogers Memorial Scholarship, Eddie Shelton Agricultural Scholarship. Helen M. Thew Memorial Scholarship, and Jeannette Turner Memorial Scholarship.  The Kling Scholarship, which migrated to MCF this year, will award up to $11,450 in 1-year scholarships to students from Marion Harding High School pursuing degrees in music and medicine.  Other scholarships are available in a wide variety of academic specialties and general scholarships as well. Detailed information is available on the Foundation’s website.

The online application for the Marion Community Foundation scholarship program, which was launched last year, was hugely successful, according to Bebout. The application has been updated for the new year and is already available for applicants’ use.

According to Bebout, the online application system became a necessity due to the rapid growth of the Foundation’s scholarship program.  It was designed to make the application process easier for students, scholarship selection committee members and area guidance counselors. During last year’s application season, a noticeable increase in applications from currently enrolled college students from the Marion area was noted.  Bebout attributes this increase to the ease of availability via the online system.

"In this tech savvy age, students expect to be able to file applications online," said Bebout.  Not only can the application be completed online, applicants can start and save the application in process and come back and complete it in stages.  This allows the applicant to begin the application process while gathering the necessary supporting materials.  By providing email addresses, applicants can request letters of recommendation as well as transcripts and records from guidance counselors electronically.  All applicants will need to submit their FAFSA information as part of the application process.

Applications are available now through March 19.  The review process continues for several weeks, culminating in the Board’s final decisions in late April.  The MCF Scholarship Committee consists of Tom Johnston, Larry Geissler, Sue Jacob, Doug Ford and Charles Garvin.

Additional information and access to the online scholarship application is available at www.marioncommunityfoundation.org.  Students should click on “Scholarship Applications” on the left sidebar to start the process.  MCF can also be reached by calling 387-9704 during standard business hours.