ALPENA — The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is accepting applications for its 2025 competitive scholarship season. Current and former graduates of high schools, as well as homeschooled graduates, in the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle are invited to apply.

Scholarship opportunities through CFNEM are based on a wide variety of criteria including the student’s high school, year of graduation, college they plan to attend, or their planned field of study. Many scholarships are for students who have already graduated from high school, non-traditional students, and for those planning to attend a trade school or certificate program. While most of the awards are for one year of study, some of the available scholarships are multiple-year awards. To be eligible, students must complete the application by March 1.

Scholarships must be applied for directly through the Community Foundation’s online platform. Students applying for awards will complete one online application and will be considered for any scholarship for which they are eligible.

The Community Foundation also holds scholarships that are available for students through CFNEM’s affiliate foundations: the Iosco County Community Foundation (iccf-online.org), the North Central Michigan Community Foundation (ncmcf.org), and the Straits Area Community Foundation (sacf.net). These counties include Cheboygan, Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda, and Iosco.

Scholarship applicants in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties should visit the “Scholarships” section of the Community Foundation’s website at cfnem.org and look for the white and blue piggy bank image. Students in Cheboygan (including Mackinaw City), Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties can visit the affiliate website and look for the green piggy bank image.

Scholarships awarded during the 2025 competitive scholarship program are for the 2025-26 academic year and are paid directly to the educational institution the student has chosen.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Led by a volunteer board of local citizens, the foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses, and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for students and local community nonprofits now and forever.