Last year, the program awarded $1,182,575 to 423 students pursuing postsecondary education

Applications for the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington’s 2025 scholarship program are open. Last year, the program awarded $1,182,575 to 423 students pursuing postsecondary education. Its current scholarship application cycle closes on April 30, 2025. Interested applicants can visit www.cfsww.org/scholarships to access a brief eligibility quiz and submit one consolidated application for applicable scholarships.

The Community Foundation manages 75 scholarship funds established by donors, organizations and businesses that want to support academic achievement in undergraduate, graduate, technical and trade programs. Some scholarships are geared toward students graduating from certain high schools, attending specific colleges or pursuing distinct fields of study, such as architecture, firefighting, teaching, nursing, business, engineering or the arts. Others offer broad support to students facing barriers to education, such as those who have experienced foster care, domestic violence, incarceration, homelessness or living with a disability.

One such fund is the Jay and Diane Zidell Scholarship, which awards $50,000 annually to Clark County students working their way through school. Eligible applicants must be employed at least 10 hours per week and registered to attend an accredited college, university, technical or career school. The awards average $2,000 and are renewable for students who maintain eligibility and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. 

Deanna Green, Senior Scholarship Manager and Development Associate, said she works with donors to expand support for students, especially those considered low-income, first-generation, underrepresented or nontraditional. In the last five years, the program has expanded the number of scholarships awarded by 33 percent and has recorded a 56 percent increase in the overall dollars it distributes.

“Our goal is to expand access to educational opportunities across the board so that our region’s students can chart their own paths to prosperity and contribute to their communities in greater ways,” Green said.