Apply for a Scholarship
The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships annually. We partner with several area school districts to administer scholarship funds, including public and private schools, in Green Lake, Neenah, Oshkosh, Omro, Princeton, Ripon, Wautoma and Winneconne.
The Fox River Scholarship Center is the most complete online source for scholarships available to students in Winnebago, Green Lake and Waushara Counties, and the city of Ripon in Fond du Lac County. This site also serves students from other regions of the United States, if their parents work for certain employers based in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin area. Click HERE for the scholarship application, deadline, and awards timeline.
Sign up for weekly Fox River Scholarship Center eNews (September-March) for information on scholarships, tips for applying, and where our Director of Education will be presenting on financial aid and the scholarship process.
Search for Scholarships as Easy as 1,2,3
- STEP 1
Complete a short online “interview” about your background and plans.
- STEP 2
Review matching scholarships and refine your interview entries if you want.
- STEP 3
Add scholarships to your “basket”.
- STEP 4
Use your basket to find application instructions, deadlines, and application forms.
Helpful Tips for Writing a Successful Scholarship Essay
1. Start with a great introduction
Scholarship committees read hundreds of essays per year. Start yours with a great introduction to make the reader want to keep on reading. A great quote by a famous person or an opening sentence related to your personal story always helps.
2. Stay within theme topic provided
Some scholarship applications give a required topic; if a topic is given it is important to address that topic.
3. Answer all of the provided questions
Some scholarship programs will provide you with a list of questions to answer within your essay. Answer them within the essay and not in list.
4. Do your research
Most scholarships are named in honor or memory of someone or sponsored by a company or organization. Research the person or check with the Community Foundation for background. Check the application materials, the website or do a Google search. If the scholarship is sponsored by a company or organization, read about the mission of that group and work it into your essay.
5. Make it personal, if appropriate
Try your best to relate the topic of your essay to a personal experience. If you are required to write about a current event, let the reader know how that event affects your life.
6. Details please
If there is no interview included in the application process, the essay is the only chance for the committee to get to know you. If the committee asks about an instance of adversity that you have overcome, use as many details as possible so that the entire situation is understood. Scholarship committees are committed to confidentiality so your story will not be shared without your permission.
7. Brag
This is the perfect time to brag. Highlight your accomplishments. Use positive words to describe yourself: “I am active, dedicated, well-rounded, vibrant; a multi-tasker.” If your grades have suffered for some reason or you are a person who does not test well, focus on some of your other accomplishments. Show that you are more than a test score.
8. Proofread
This can’t be said enough. Your English teacher might even be willing to review your essay for you. Have two other people read your essay as well.
9. Seal the deal with a great conclusion
Your closing paragraph should relate back to your opening. Did you open with a problem? Make sure you propose a solution. Did you open with a question? Answer it.
10. Make the deadline!
An award winning essay is a waste of time — if you miss the deadline most likely it will never be read.
— Courtesy of Sylvia T. Spivey, Development & Scholarship Officer, The Philadelphia Foundation
ADDITIONAL HELP
For information about the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation’s scholarships, or if you need assistance with an application, please contact Cheryl Fowler.
CHERYL FOWLER
Director of Education
