CFO scholarships now open for application

Students can now apply for $1.7 million in scholarships administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. By completing the CFO’s new universal application, students can more efficiently apply for scholarship opportunities. Students can begin the process at cfozarks.org/applyforscholarships.

The universal application is a comprehensive online form with a series of questions unique to each student. Based on their responses, the universal application will pair students with the scholarship opportunities for which they qualify. The new system will save students time while identifying scholarships they might not have known about.

In addition to scholarships for graduating seniors, the CFO has opportunities for current college students and students attending technical or graduate programs. Amounts range from $200 to $10,000, with many scholarships renewable for two to four years.

The CFO holds about 480 scholarship funds that will provide about 900 scholarships for the 2024–25 school year, including several for students in southeast Missouri. Scholarship funds are established by individuals, families or organizations with a wide range of intentions, such as supporting students who graduate from the donor’s alma mater or pursue a certain field of study.

Information about the CFO’s scholarship opportunities and application process is available at cfozarks.org/scholarships.

“We’re excited for students to use the new universal application,” said Beth Hersh, the CFO’s director of scholarships. “With so many scholarship opportunities established by generous donors, we’re grateful to offer a system that can easily tailor the process to each student.”

Applications will close for most CFO scholarships on Sunday, March 24. For more information, contact Beth Hersh at bhersh@cfozarks.org, or call 417-864-6199.

Based in Springfield with offices in Cape Girardeau and West Plains, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 54 regional affiliate foundations — including the Cape Area Community Foundation — with assets totaling $427 million as of June 30, 2023. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.