We believe that post-secondary education is critical to a healthy, resilient, and thriving community and are pleased to partner with generous community donors to offer a variety of scholarship opportunities for local students.
More than 60 unique scholarship opportunities are available to graduating high school seniors, current college students, and vocational/trade school students from across Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau County and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
We also have more than 40 scholarship opportunities available specifically for graduating seniors from Traverse City West, Traverse City Central, and Traverse City High School.
Scholarship opportunities avaliable through our General Scholarship Application are now closed for the season. Our scholarships will re-open in January 2026. See below for additional scholarship opportunities.
To learn more about our scholarship funds, check out these scholarship guides:
The following scholarship opportunities have unqiue applications that are not part of our General Scholarship Application. Please note that the deadlines for these opportunities vary. Before completing an application, please review the Applicant Tutorial.
In addition to Community Foundation scholarships, college-going and college-bound students may be eligible for scholarship opportunities available across the region from our community partners.
The AAUW is a nationwide network of more than 170,000 members and supporters, 1,000 branches, and 800 college/university institution partners. The Traverse City Area Branch of AAUW was chartered in 1954 with the mission to empower and advance equity for women and girls. Various community projects, congenial interest groups, networking with other women’s groups, and issues and topics of interest are all a part of the overall programming offered by the branch. The AAUW Traverse City Area Branch offers three $2,000 scholarships to women.
Commitment to community is one of Cherryland Electric's guiding cooperative principles. Every year they help youth and adults in their service territory as they build the skills that our community needs to be ready to meet future challenges. Cherryland offers three $4,000 ($1,000 for 4 years) college scholarships to high school seniors each year. Selection for the scholarship is based on academics, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.
The Ed and Irene Fleis Education Fund was created to increase the number of graduates and encourage people to continue their education or return to a university or trade school and achieve a degree or certification. The student, to be eligible for assistance and/or aid must have a direct lineal connection to the past or present residents in Leelanau County, MI. Eligibility does not require residency, only a direct lineal connection.
Established in 1990, this scholarship program honors the legacy of Lloyd F. Hutt, teacher and founder of Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU). Each year, LMCU establishes a question for high school seniors to answer in the form of an essay, and they award fifteen (15) $2,000 scholarships.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a non-profit, non-political organization with a deeply rich history. More than 1,000,000 women have joined the organization since it was founded over 125 years ago. They became members to honor their heritage as well as make a difference in their communities across the country and the world. The DAR has three main goals: promoting Education, Historic Preservation and Patriotism through work in our local communities. Each year DAR awards multiple scholarships to students showing dedication to the pursuit of higher education in diverse areas of study including history, economics, law, political science, medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, elementary and secondary education, chemistry, math, science and English. Scholarship applications open November 1 each year and remain open until January 31 of the following year.
The TBA Credit Union offers a variety of scholarship opportunities each year. Click the "Scholarships" tab on TBA Credit Union's website for more information.
Traverse Area Human Resources Association (TAHRA) provides one $2,000 college scholarship annually to a student pursuing a career in Human Resources. Those pursuing an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree in Human Resources may apply; both full-time and part-time students are eligible. Application and essay submission opens January 1 and are due by April 1.
The philosophy of the TAHRA scholarship program differs from traditional scholarship programs that reward only the highest level of academic achievement. TAHRA scholarships are awarded based on the applicant’s 500 - 1,000 word essay submission, which conveys their interest and desire to become a human resource professional, what challenges they have faced in life or character traits that set them apart from others seeking a career in this field.
An independent selection committee made up of human resource professionals will select the finalists and conduct finalist interviews during the month of April. The interview panel consists of three HR professionals. In selecting the winners, the committee evaluates the applicants’ essay submission and extracurricular activities. The committee will not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion or national origin. The applicants will be notified of the results in May.
The Zonta Club of Traverse City works to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. The Zonta Club has three scholarship opportunities available for women.
Please reach out to us at scholarships@gtrcf.org or (231) 935-4066.