New Process for Community Foundation Scholarship Applications

Students seeking scholarships for university, community college, certificate, graduate school, and even preschool will find the Community Foundation of Western Nevada application process a bit easier this year. Students complete an Eligibility Quiz online and then are directed to appropriate scholarship fund applications. Many students will find they qualify to apply for more than one scholarship, increasing their odds of receiving substantial aid for tuition. The Eligibility Quiz and a list and description of Community Foundation scholarships can be found at nevadafund.org/scholarships, along with the deadline for each scholarship. Students applying to renew a scholarship they received last year must complete renewal applications by February 28, 2019 Some applications require letters of reference, SAT or ACT test scores, and transcripts. Gathering the needed attachments, especially the reference letters may take time. Students won’t want their letter to be the last thing to do on a busy Friday. Lauren Renda, Program Officer at the Community Foundation, suggests talking with teachers about reference letters three weeks before it is due. [caption id="attachment_10315" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pictured at the Community Foundation Scholarship Social with fundholder Susan Lynn (center), and Barbara Drake (right), Daniela Saldate (left) received the Peggy Bowker Women in Engineering Scholarship.[/caption] In 2018 the Community Foundation awarded over $481,000 to 185 students. Scholarships help students like Daniela Saldate who is a first-generation college student, raised by her Grandmother. Daniela is studying engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno and plans to one day work for NASA.  Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XINrUkS2eXo Lauren Renda builds relationships with both the students and the fundholders who make the scholarship possible. “Each scholarship offered by the Community Foundation has a person and a story behind it. Donors create scholarships to honor a loved one, reward a particular type of academic or service effort, or to support students from a certain school - all as a way of giving back to their community. It’s inspiring to know there are people out there that really take an interest and investment in these students’ future.” Scholarship funds are created by individuals, families, and businesses to help students in our region. The Community Foundation of Western Nevada manages the scholarship funds, promoting the applications, facilitating the selection committees, vetting and monitoring the students’ qualifications, and sending awards to the student’s chosen institutions. ### Media Contact: Margaret Stewart  Communications Director, 775-333-5499 Established in 1998 as a public charity, the Community Foundation of Western Nevada has distributed more than $119 million in grants and scholarships from 252 charitable funds to strengthen our Nevada home. The Community Foundation serves as a community leader, permanent charitable resource, and a philanthropic advisor in charitable giving.