Since 1983, the Community Foundation has awarded over $11.9 million in scholarships from 136 funds established by generous individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits to help area students pursue an education and establish rewarding careers.

Some scholarships are open to all students in our 42-town service area as well as Westerly, Rhode Island; others are open to only some towns, a particular town, or a specific school. Some are open to current or returning college students of any age, but most are for graduating high school seniors and most are need-based. Scholarships range from a one-time award of $500 to a multi-year award of up to $5,000 a year. In 2024, $1,148,821 was awarded to 303 students.
 

How Our Scholarships Program Works

Students apply for most scholarships through the General Application on the Scholarships Portal. After you have submitted the General Application, you may be asked to answer one or more questions to be eligible for certain scholarships. You must answer any additional question(s) in order to be considered for these scholarships. 

Submission of this General Application does not guarantee an award. The vast majority of recipients receive one award, and very few receive two awards.

Foundation staff and volunteer committees review and assess each application based on the criteria of each of our 130+ scholarships. The Foundation prioritizes lower income students who are first in their families to go to college.

We encourage you to review the scholarships available to residents of your town to get an idea of what you may be eligible for. Click here to view a list of all our scholarships.

Note about Graduate Students: Very few CFECT scholarships are open to graduate students. We strongly recommend that prospective graduate student applicants review the list of scholarship opportunities carefully before beginning an application.

All applicants are informed whether they have been selected to receive a scholarship by the end of June. Some scholarships are multi-year awards, but most are one-year, one-time awards. Single-year recipients are welcome to reapply for a scholarship each year. Scholarship awards are sent directly to the recipient’s educational institution, not to the recipient.
 

Each of the following scholarships has its own application:

• The Bulkeley Alumni-Harold J. Arkava Scholarship is for lineal descendants of alumni of the Bulkeley School in New London, CT who are pursuing undergraduate studies or other post-secondary training at an accredited institution. Selections are made based on academic achievement and consideration of financial need. If you are a descendant of a "Bulkeley Boy" and a first-time applicant, fill out the Bulkeley Alumni - Harold J. Arkava Scholarship Application on the Scholarships Portal. Due April 23, 2025.
• If you are previous Bulkeley Alumni-Harold J. Arkava Scholarship recipient, submit the RENEWAL of Bulkeley Scholarship Application on the Scholarships Portal. Due June 13, 2025.
• The Cahill Black Point Education Fund Scholarship is for members and direct descendants of members of Niantic’s Black Point Beach Club Association (BPBCA) who are pursuing postsecondary studies. Submit the Cahill Black Point Education Fund Scholarship Application to be considered for this scholarship. 

Most Scholarships are Based on Geography

Click on your town to view all of the scholarships open to you. 

Tips

• Use an email address for your user profile that you can access even after graduation (i.e., NOT a high school email). This is the email address we will use to communicate with you if we have questions or information about your scholarship application.
• If you already have a user profile but you are unsure of your login information, DO NOT create a new profile. Contact us at scholarships@cfect.org and include your full name in the message, and we will assist you.
• Add administrator@grantinterface.com to your Allow List to ensure emails from us about your application or an award get to your inbox.
• For the best experience, use the most up-to-date version Google Chrome or Firefox. You may have technical issues with Safari or Internet Explorer.