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10 Connecticut Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
What’s Covered:
Connecticut is well known as home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the United States — Yale University, Wesleyan University, Trinity College, and Connecticut College, to name just a few.
Connecticut is also the state with the second-highest income inequality, following New York. For some, the cost of college may seem prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of scholarships to help you pay for your education, whether you want to attend school in-state or elsewhere.
10 Connecticut Scholarships
1. Connecticut Community Foundation Scholarships
Amount: $1,000+
Deadline: March 15 (February 15 for renewing scholarships)
Eligibility: Must live in the Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills area
Application Requirements: Varies by specific scholarship
The Connecticut Community Foundation assists students in Western Connecticut with a wide pool of scholarships. Amounts, criteria, and application instructions vary, so be sure to take a close look at each award you’re considering. Many scholarships are renewable. The Foundation also awards several “special scholarships” with additional criteria.
2. BBB Serving Connecticut Student Ethics Scholarships
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Varies by award
Application Requirements: Application, essay, transcript, letters of recommendation
The Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut (BBB), offers three types of Student Ethics Scholarships: one for seniors in high school, one is for military families, and one for seniors belonging to diverse groups. Note that the awards each have different criteria, although all require that the recipient demonstrate leadership, contributions to their communities and schools, personal integrity, and academic achievement.
3. Bob Eddy Scholarship Program
Amount: $2,500, $1,500, $1,000, and $1,000
Deadline: April 25
Eligibility: Connecticut residents or college students studying journalism at an accredited university with a minimum 2.5 GPA
Application Requirements: Application form, work samples, essay
The Bob Eddy Scholarship Program to Foster Journalism Careers offers four scholarships annually to support journalism majors. Along with additional materials, applicants should submit a 500-word essay describing a current event that has captured their interest.
4. Naugatuck Valley Medical Scholarship Fund
Amount: N/A
Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Students planning to pursue a medically-oriented program at an accredited college or university; must be a legal resident of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton, Oxford, or Beacon Falls
Application Requirements: Application, standardized test scores, transcript
The Naugatuck Valley Medical Scholarship Fund (NVMSF) financially supports high school students who plan to major in a medical or biomedical field. Students in the lower Naugatuck Valley area of Connecticut are eligible.
5. Roberta B. Willis Need-Merit Scholarship Program
Amount: Up to $5,250/year for 4-year programs or up to $4,650/year for 2-year programs
Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students and undergraduates attending eligible Connecticut institutions; must rank in the top 20% of their junior class or have a minimum 1200 SAT/25 ACT
Application Requirements: FAFSA, application
This scholarship is open to high-achieving Connecticut students who demonstrate financial need, along with academic excellence. Students may complete the application through their high school guidance offices. Recipients must attend a two- or four-year college or university full-time.
6. Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Scholarships
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: Residents of Connecticut planning to study or currently studying landscape architecture in college
Application Requirements: Application, transcript, brief statement of interest
CTASLA offers scholarships to encourage students to pursue a degree and career in architecture. Two programs are available: The Karen Ann Shopis-Fox Memorial Scholarship (students currently enrolled in an accredited higher education landscape architecture program) and The Landscape Architecture Environmental Stewardship Scholarship (high school students applying for an architecture program at a college or university).
7. Tabor Foundation Fund
Amount: $1,000-$4,000
Deadline: N/A
Eligibility: Residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT, northeast Dutchess County, NY, or southeast Columbia County, NY, who are planning to study and pursue a career in healthcare or medicine; people working in this area may apply
Application Requirements: Application
The Tabor Foundation Fund administers scholarships for individuals planning on pursuing education or training in healthcare/medicine. Preference may be given to students who are taking care of family members while attending school or those attending school in northwest Connecticut or Dutchess County. More than 40 scholarships are available.
8. Jewish Community Foundation Scholarships
Amount: $1,000-$3,000
Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Must be a resident of the Greater Hartford region who is accepted to or currently enrolled at an accredited institution of higher learning in the US; must be Jewish
Application Requirements: Application (one can be used for all JCF scholarships)
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford offers a number of scholarships to Jewish students annually. While the guidelines and criteria vary, each award has the goal of encouraging students to follow their dreams by pursuing education at an institution of higher education.
9. H.D. Segur Insurance, Inc. Scholarship Program
Amount: N/A
Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: High school senior
Application Requirements: Letter of recommendation from any H. D. Segur employee or client, Connecticut Community Foundation application
H.D. Segur Insurance, Inc. awards one-time, merit-based scholarships for high school seniors planning to attend college. As part of their applications, students must secure a letter of recommendation from an employee or client of the company.
10. Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Scholarship
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: July 1
Eligibility: Must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and a legal resident of Connecticut majoring in Environmental Studies, Horticulture, or a related field; must have a minimum 3.0 GPA
Application Requirements: Application, transcript, personal statement, resume of activities, three recommendations
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut in Branford offers this scholarship to students majoring in Agronomy, Botany, City Planning, Conservation, Environmental Studies, Floriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Land Management, Landscape Design, Plant Pathology, or allied subject. Eligible candidates have attained at least 60 college credits and a pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Tips for Applying for Scholarships
1. Focus on institutional aid first.
Your best source of financial aid is the college or university you attend. Most schools, including top institutions, will aim to meet 100% of your financial need through a combination of work-study, scholarships, and more. Many also offer merit aid. Outside scholarships, like those listed above, can help supplement these packages.
2. Look for niche scholarships.
Scholarships that appeal to people with certain demographics, talents, or intended careers and majors are your best bet. These awards target people like you, rather than a huge, general pool of candidates, and, therefore, you’re more likely to win them.
3. Start early.
We recommend starting your search in your freshman year of high school. First, this will allow you to meet the deadlines of awards that are given earlier than senior year. It will also give you the space to apply before you’re bogged down with college applications — and ensure that you can cast a wide net.
