Fairfield County's Community Foundation Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Fairfield County's Community Foundation

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (the Foundation) offers a competitive scholarship program for students who are graduating from high school or currently enrolled in college and who have ties to Fairfield County.

Applications open now. Deadline: April 8, 2026 — 4:00 PM ET.

Eligibility

Graduating high school seniors
- Must be a graduating senior from any high school located in Fairfield County.
- Generally must be in good academic standing (typically a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or an equivalent, unless a specific fund states a different standard).
- Must demonstrate financial need.
- Must plan to pursue accredited postsecondary education (an accredited two- or four-year college/university or post-high school vocational program). Enrollment may be full-time or part-time unless a particular fund specifies otherwise.

Current undergraduate and graduate students
- Must be a current undergraduate (not an incoming freshman) or a graduate student enrolled in an accredited college, university, vocational school or specialized study program.
- Must have a Fairfield County connection: native resident, graduate of a Fairfield County high school, or current Fairfield County resident. NOTE: This residence/graduate requirement does not apply to students enrolled at Sacred Heart University who are applying for the Megan Cobb & Jason Kern Scholarship.
- Must demonstrate financial need.
- Must show a record of academic achievement (generally a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent unless a specific fund specifies otherwise).
- May be enrolled full- or part-time unless a fund specifies otherwise. Awards may be applied to undergraduate or graduate study unless otherwise noted.

Program structure
The overall program is made up of a number of individual scholarship funds managed by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Some individual funds include additional eligibility conditions — those specifics will be noted for each fund.

Awards

By submitting a single application, students are considered for multiple scholarships:
- Awards for graduating high school seniors
- Awards for current undergraduate and graduate students

Each year the Foundation determines how many awards and how much money each fund will distribute. Funds with available scholarship dollars for the year will be listed on the Foundation’s website.

Payment and deferral
- Scholarship payments are processed on behalf of the Foundation by Scholarship America.
- Payments are made in August. A check is mailed to the recipient’s home address and made payable to the recipient’s school.
- If a student discontinues or interrupts enrollment, any unused portion of the award must be returned to Scholarship America. After Scholarship America receives returned funds, they will forward them to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and identify the student and award.
- Award recipients may defer their scholarship once for either one semester or one academic year, whichever they request. Deferral beyond one year is not allowed.
- Unless an individual fund restricts use, awards may be used for undergraduate or graduate study and may be renewable depending on the specific fund’s terms.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of award decisions in late July. Not every applicant will receive an award.

Notifications are sent by email. When you create your application account, do not use a school or work email address; instead use a personal email you will maintain access to after graduation. Add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org and the program’s email address to your safe-sender/contact list so messages are not missed.

Selection criteria

Selection of recipients is based on multiple factors including:
- Academic performance
- Leadership and involvement in school and community activities
- Employment/work experience
- Financial need
- A statement outlining educational and career goals
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An essay

Applicants do not have to choose specific scholarships; a single application will be considered for all awards for which the student is eligible. Students may receive up to two awards from the program. Many funds require demonstration of financial need. Depending on the fund, Scholarship America may handle selection of recipients and/or finalists. All applicants agree to accept the final decisions.

Application requirements — documents to upload

Your application will be incomplete until all required materials are uploaded electronically. Required items include:

1) Current, complete transcript
- Official transcript is required; grade reports are not acceptable.
- Transcript must show: student name, school name, course grades, and the credit hours for each course and term.

NOTE: If you submit SAT or ACT scores and those scores do not appear on your high school transcript, you must upload an official copy of the test scores separately. If you are submitting a college transcript, separate test scores are not required.

2) FAFSA Summary Report
- Upload a copy of your FAFSA Summary Report that includes your name and Student Aid Index (SAI). If you are not eligible to file a FAFSA, submit a written note in place of the summary document.
- The FAFSA Summary is produced after your FAFSA has been submitted and processed. Visit fafsa.gov for details and to download the document. File your FAFSA early to avoid delays in completing your scholarship application.

3) Letter of recommendation (only if seeking a specific award)
- If you wish to be considered for the Magnus Wahlstrom Leadership Award, upload a letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor (see the program’s High School Seniors scholarship details for more information).

Other notes
- Some funds include additional application requirements or different eligibility rules; check the Foundation’s website for fund-specific information.
- Scholarship America administers the payment process and may also be involved in selection for some funds. All applicants accept that selection decisions are final.

For questions about the application process or required materials, contact the program help address provided on the Foundation’s website or Scholarship America support (include studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org in your correspondence).